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APR  5^n  1924 


Division  3*^ 
Section 

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CIark'8  Ipeoplee  Commentatie 


1. 11.  AND  III.  JOHN,  JUDK__ 

ANDREVELATI0N^tpn.ai92 


OSiUl  %iv^ 


A  POPULAR  COMMENTARY  UPON  A  CRITICAL 
BASIS,  ESPECIALLY  DESIGNED  FOR  PASTORS 
AND  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS  ♦^♦<$>«><S>«><S><S><S><$>^^<$><?> 


O.  p.  EACHES,  D.  D. 

Author  of  "Commentary  on  Hebrews,  James,  and  I.  and  II.  Peter. 


M 


PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 

BOSTON  CHICAGO  ST.  LOUIS 


Copyright  1910  by 
A.  J.  Rowland,  Secretary 


Published  August,  1910 


PREFACE 


The  writings  of  John  move  in  so  ideal  a  sphere  that  they  seem  remote  from 
our  common  life  and  thought.  No  New  Testament  writer,  however,  comes 
closer  to  our  everyday  thinking  than  John.  He  writes  directly  for  his  own 
times,  confuting  heresies  and  presenting  the  complete  truth.  The  questions  of 
John's  day  are  the  questions  that  stir  men's  minds  to-day.  Do  all  men  sin  ? 
Are  any  living  a  sinless  life  ?  To  the  latter  John  says  No !  Must  all  aim  at  a 
life  beyond  sin,  not  "  the  higher  life,"  but  the  highest  life?  John  answers  Yes. 
John  gives  the  ideal  portrait  of  the  Christian  life — this  must  always  be  borne 
in  mind — speaking  of  the  Christian  as  he  will  be  when  Christ's  work  is  done. 
In  the  same  way  Paul,  a  more  logical  writer  than  John,  declares  that  the  be- 
liever is  dead  to  sin  as  shown  symbolically  in  his  burial  in  baptism.  He  then 
urges  believers  to  make  the  symbolic  teaching  true  in  their  lives. 

The  great  question  of  John's  day  and  of  our  day  is:  Who  is  Jesus  Christ? 
How  large  is  he  ?  John  stands  by  the  deity  of  Jesus  and  his  true  humanity, 
presenting  a  divine-human  Saviour  beyond  whom  there  can  be  no  one.  The 
peril  in  his  day,  as  in  our  day,  was  that  men  would  go  beyond  Christ.  With 
many  to-day  the  human  consciousness  has  a  more  commanding  power  than  the 
eternal  Word,  who  is  himself  the  truth. 

The  doctrinal  teaching  of  the  Apocalypse  is  clear  and  pronounced.  It 
emphasizes  the  person  of  Christ,  the  inseparable  union  of  sin  and  judgment, 
God's  overruling  power  in  the  world's  history,  the  blessed  consummation  of 
holiness,  the  eternal  conditions  in  the  unseen  life.  It  unfolds  to  us  the  divine 
machinery. 

John's  writings  in  Revelation,  coming  in  visions  that  at  times  seem  be- 
wildering to  our  Western  minds,  seem  even  more  remote  than  his  other  produc- 
tions from  the  common  thoughts  of  men.  Is  there  a  superintending  power  in 
the  world  ?  Does  God  watch  over  his  cause  upon  the  earth  ?  Will  the  gospel 
of  Christ  get  control  of  aflFairs  here?  Will  Christianity  displace  all  its  rivals 
for  the  hearts  of  men  ?  Does  prayer  avail  to  change  the  current  of  human 
affairs  ?  Is  Jesus  Christ  in  an  equal  rank  with  the  Father  ?  Will  all  opposing 
agencies  be  put  down?  Will  the  prophecies  be  fulfilled?  Will  Satan  be 
crushed  under  foot?  Will  punishment  for  the  finally  impenitent  be  eternal? — 
all  these  questions  are  discussed  in  a  sjTubolic  way.  But  clearly,  the  one  great 
commanding  thought  of  the  book  is  the  rightful  sovereignty  of  Jesus  over  the 
universe  of  men  and  things,  and  his  getting  possession  of  this  sovereignty. 

The  numerous  commentaries  written  on  this  book  differ  widely  in  their 
interpretations,  so  widely  indeed  that  many  turn  from  it  feeling  that  there  is 
no  light  in  it  for  us,  and  no  certainty  as  to  its  meaning.    The  author  has  aimed 


PEEFACE 


to  give  a  consistent  and  reasonable  unfolding  of  the  book.    May  the  general 

system  of  interpretation  here  given  be  as  serviceable  to  others  as  it  has  been 

helpful  to  him.    As  we  study  the  book  we  need  to  pray  with  more  than  Milton's 

earnestness 

What  in  me  is  dark,  illumine. 

The  Bible  opens  with  a  first  Adam,  a  sinless  Eden,  and  then  a  lost  paradise. 
The  book  closes  with  a  second  Adam,  and  a  paradise  restored.  As  we  stand 
in  presence  of  the  open  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem  may  we  join  with  Bernard 
of  Cluny  (a.  D.  1145)  in  singing: 

Oh,  sweet  and  blessed  country, 

The  home  of  God's  elect! 
Oh,  sweet  and  blessed  country, 

That  eager  hearts  expect ! 
Jesus,  in  mercy  bring  us 

To  that  dear  land  of  rest. 
Who  art,  with  God  the  Father, 

And  Spirit,  ever  blest ! 

The  author  takes  the  occasion  to  express  his  obligation  to  Dr.  G.  W.  Clark 
for  many  valuable  suggestions  in  the  preparation  of  this  work,  also  for  his  help 
in  preparing  it  for  the  press. 

HIGHTSTOWN,  N.  J.  O.  P.  EaCHES, 


A  FINAL  WORD 


The  aim  of  this  work,  of  which  this  volume  is  the  last,  has  been  to  furnish 
a  popular  commentary,  on  a  critical  basis,  to  a  class  of  Bible  students,  Sunday- 
school  teachers,  and  others,  who  have  not  the  time,  or  the  ability,  to  go  to 
the  original  sources.  The  constant  questions  have  been  :  What  did  the  New 
Testament  writers  intend  to  express?  What  ideas  did  they  convey  to  their 
Christian  readers  ?  How  can  their  thoughts  be  best  expressed  to  us  now  ?  In 
what  prayerful  spirit  are  we  to  receive  and  accept  them  ? 

The  critical  Greek  text  has  been  constantly  referred  to  in  the  preparation 
of  this  work.  Earlier  and  later  versions  have  been  consulted ;  critical  and 
popular  commentaries  compared  ;  works  of  travel,  histories  of  the  church  and 
of  doctrines,  treatises  on  the  life  of  Christ  and  on  the  travels  of  Paul,  and 
grammatical  authorities  of  the  New  Testament  have  been  constantly  and  care- 
fully employed. 

Each  volume  is  made  independent  of  the  others.  This  is  especially  true 
of  the  Gospel  of  Mark,  to  which  attention  is  invited.  The  relation  of  the  four 
Gospels  to  one  another,  and  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  as  a  central  book  of  the 
New  Testament,  is  presented  in  the  Harmony  of  the  Gospels  and  the  Harmony 
of  the  Acts. 

The  Remarks  at  the  end  of  the  chapters  form  an  additional  brief  practical 
and  doctrinal  commentary.  The  many  scriptural  references  arranged  beneath 
the  text,  and  others  introduced  into  the  notes,  will  assist  those  who  desire  to 
explain  Scripture  by  Scripture.  The  object  is  not  to  do  away  with  study,  but 
rather  to  excite  study  and  aid  it. 

The  Scripture  text  is  put  in  paragraph  form,  as  the  division  of  chapters 
into  verses  often  interferes  with  the  connection  of  thought,  and  impedes  a  quick 
and  intelligent  view  of  many  passages.  To  aid  the  eye  and  facilitate  study 
different  kinds  of  type  are  used ;  and  subjects,  or  leading  events,  are  placed  at 
the  head  of  principal  paragraphs,  or  divisions. 

Besides  the  two  Harmonies,  nine  volumes  complete  the  commentary,  the 
last  two  volumes  being  prepared  by  O.  P.  Eaches,  D.  D.,  whose  valuable  labors 
are  hereby  gratefully  acknowledged. 

This  work  I  now  lay  down  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord  with  devout  thankfulness 
for  having  seen  its  accomplishment,  praying  that  he  will  pardon  defects,  and 
bless  it  to  his  own  glory  and  the  advancement  of  his  kingdom. 

Geo.  W.  Clark. 
HiGHTSTOWN,  N.  J.,  April,  1910. 


WORKS  REFERRED  TO  IN  THIS  COMMENTARY 

AND  ACCESSIBLE  TO  GENERAL  READERS 


Alford,  H,    The  Greek  Testament,  Vol.  IV.,  Revelation  (1861). 

Angus,  Joseph.    Jude  in  the  International  Commentary  (1883). 

Baenes,  a.    Revelation  of  John  (1850-1853). 

Carpenter,  W.  Boyd.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (1879). 

De  Burgh,  W.    An  Exposition  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  (1857). 

Davis,  J.  D.    Dictionary  of  the  Bible  (1898). 

Doddridge,  Philip.    Revelation  in  Family  Expositor  (1745). 

Elliott,  E.  B.    Horse  Apocalypticse  (1862). 

Guinness,  II.  G.    History  Unveiling  Prophecy  (1905). 

Hasting,  James.    Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 

Lange,  J.  p.    Jude,  Revelation  of  John  (1868-1874). 

Lee,  William.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (Speaker's  Commentary). 

Meyer.    Revelation  of  John  (1887). 

MiLLiGAN,  W.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (1889). 

Orr,  James.    The  Problem  of  the  Old  Testament. 

Plummer,  a.    Epistles  of  St.  John  ;  of  James  and  Jude  (1883 — ). 

Plumptre,  E.  H.    Epistles  of  St.  Peter  and  Jude  (1879—). 

Porter,  Frank  C.    Messages  of  Apocalyptic  Writers  (1905). 

Ramsay,  W.  M.    The  Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches  (1905). 

Sadler,  M.  F.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (1893). 

SCHAFF,  Philip.    History  of  the  Christian  Church  (1882). 

Simcox,  W.  H.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (1893-1898). 

Smith,  J.  A.    Revelation  of  John  in  Am.  Com'y  (1884). 

Smith,  Wm.    Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Hackett's  Edition  (1868). 

SwETE,  H.  B.    Apocalypse  of  St.  John,  Greek  text  (1906). 

Trench,  R.  C.    Epistles  to  the  Seven  Churches  (1861). 

Vedder,  H.  C.    Our  New  Testament.    How  Did  We  Get  It? 

Weidner,  R.  F.    Revelation  of  St.  John  (1898). 

Westcott,  B.  F.    Epistles  of  St.  John,  Greek  text  (1883-1886). 

Wordsworth,  C.    The  New  Testament,  Vol.  II.  (1864). 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 

THE  AUTHOR. 

The  early  church  bears  testimony  to  John's  authorship  of  this  lett«r.  The 
external  evidence  is  very  strong.  This  letter  is  not  of  those  called  the  antile- 
gomena,  those  which  were  disputed.  Polycarp,  a  disciple  of  John  (ob.  166) 
has  a  reference  to  1  John  4  :  3.  Ireuseus,  born  A.  D.  115,  has  quotations  from 
this  letter  as  Eusebius  in  his  "Church  History"  testifies.  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria, born  A.  D.  150,  gives  testimony  to  this  letter  as  written  by  John.  Ter- 
tuUian,  born  A.  D.  150,  in  his  work  against  Marcion  quotes  1  John  4  :  1.  Cyprian 
of  North  Africa,  born  about  A.  D.  200,  has  a  quotation  from  this  letter.  In  the 
list  of  New  Testament  books  mentioned  by  the  Muratorian  Fragment,  A.  D. 
175,  this  letter  is  given  as  one  written  by  John.  Eusebius,  born  about  A.  D.  260, 
classes  this  letter  as  one  of  the  acknowledged  New  Testament  writings.  The 
Peshito  version  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  second  century  contains  it.  The  first 
discordant  note  is  not  heard  until  five  centuries  had  passed  away.  In  the  sixth 
century,  a  writer  evidently  ill  informed,  asserts  that  this  writing  was  not  ad- 
mitted into  the  sacred  writings  in  the  early  centuries.  It  is  true  that  the  sect 
called  the  Alogi,  A.  D.  200,  did  not  accept  it.  It  did  not  conform  to  their 
teachings.  The  heretic  Marcion,  a.  d.  150,  excluded  this  letter  as  he  did  all  of 
John's  writings  from  his  list  of  accepted  books.  What  did  not  conform  to  his 
views  was  thrown  aside. 

The  internal  evidence  is  equallj'  strong  and  convincing.  If  there  were  no 
external  testimony  in  its  favor,  and  we  had  the  two  writings,  John's  Gospel 
and  this  letter,  we  would  be  convinced  tliat  the  same  mind  gave  birth  to  both. 
The  method  of  thought,  the  style  of  the  books,  the  terms  employed,  all  agree 
as  to  this.  No  less  than  thirty-five  passages  in  the  Gospel  of  John  find  a  cor- 
responding place  in  this  letter.  Compare  1  :  1,  2,  14  of  the  Gospel  with  1:1,2 
of  this  letter.  For  the  entire  list  see  the  introduction  in  "  Lange."  It  is  Avorthy 
of  notice  also  that  the  larger  part  of  these  quotations  are  from  the  closing  dis- 
courses of  Jesus.  The  resemblances  of  the  two  are  not  of  a  mere  outward  kind 
that  can  be  seen  or  counted,  they  belong  to  the  very  structure  of  the  writings 
themselves ;  they  can  be  felt  by  the  attentive  reader.  The  writer  of  this  letter 
shows  that  he  stood  in  personal  fellowship  with  Jesus  (i  ;  3).  In  the  Gospel  he 
is  that  one  who  lay  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus.  The  beloved  disciple  is  preemi- 
nently that  one  who  would  discourse  about  love  as  the  embodiment  of  God's 
character,  as  the  moving  principle  in  the  Christian  life,  as  the  bond  uniting 

vii 


THE  FIEST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


Christians  together.  The  rich  experience  of  a  long  Christian  life,  the  con- 
sciousness of  an  undisputed  apostleship,  give  to  his  words  a  calmness  and  clear- 
ness, a  self-conscious  power  that  comes  out  in  4  :  6.  There  is  in  his  statements 
an  apostolic  power  becoming  one  who,  at  the  close  of  the  iirst  century,  alone 
remained  of  the  apostolic  group.  We  may  attribute  this  letter  to  the  author  of 
the  Gospel,  the  Apostle  John,  the  only  one  who  could  have  written  this  letter. 
Compare  B.  F.  Westcott,  "  Commentary  on  the  Epistles  of  St.  John"  (1886). 
Besides  exegesis  and  comments  it  presents  many  collations  of  Johannine  terms 
and  phrases.  So  also  Plummer,  "The  Epistle  of  St.  John,"  introduction 
(Cambridge  Bible,  1883-1906). 

THE  PURPOSE  OP  THE  LETTER. 
John  writes  with  a  practical  aim.  The  letter  is  a  real  tract  for  the  times. 
In  two  places  John  indicates  his  purpose  (i  :  *;  5  .■  is).  It  is  to  keep  his  readers 
in  their  felloAvship  with  God  that  they  may  possess  a  perfect  joy.  Fellowship 
with  God  is  possible  only  in  a  holy  life  of  love,  a  love  rooted  in  faith  in  Jesus 
who  is  the  manifestation  of  God.  The  Christian  life  is  not  an  outward  and 
mechanical  relation,  but  an  inner  one ;  the  believer  is  begotten  of  God.  There 
is  a  strong  polemic  spirit  in  the  letter,  even  though  the  book  presents  an  un- 
ruffled surface.  John  makes  unrelenting  war  upon  the  falsehood  that  had 
appeared,  that  was  perverting  a  right  conception  of  the  person  of  Christ.  From 
the  introduction  to  the  close  we  can  understand  the  letter  only  by  bearing  in 
mind  the  heresies  that  were  then  rife.  The  Epistle  grew  out  of  the  circum- 
stances and  needs  of  the  times,  as  Paul's  letters  Avere  called  forth  by  the  special 
needs  of  the  different  spiritual  communities.  So  far  as  we  gather  from  the 
letter  itself  there  was  no  persecution,  nothing  intense  at  least.  The  hatred  of 
the  world  is  spoken  of  (3  :  is),  but  such  a  hatred  is  found  in  every  age  when  the 
church  is  true  to  its  mission  as  a  witness  for  Christ.  The  struggles  of  the  over- 
coming young  men  (^  :  '3,  i4)  are  spiritual  contests  rather  than  outward  persecu- 
tions. It  was  an  era  of  comparative  peace  and  quiet.  There  are  cautions,  not 
to  a  firm  endurance  of  persecution,  but  to  steadfastness  in  the  Christian  life, 
and  counsels  against  the  seductions  of  the  world,  against  false  teachings.  The 
first  enthusiasm  of  the  Christian  life  had  passed  away,  a  period  of  falling  away 
had  ensued.  The  lusts  of  the  world  were  asserting  their  power  (2  :  i^-n),  false 
teachers  had  arisen  who  tore  themselves  away  from  the  Christian  fellowship 
and  were  luring  others  away.  A  mighty  heresy  was  taking  shape  in  John's 
day  that  was  destined  to  exert  a  wide  influence  in  the  first  centuries.  Gnosticism 
was  a  teaching  that  lay  great  stress  on  knowledge  rather  than  on  redemption, 
the  word  itself  meaning  knowledge.  Docetism  was  a  teaching  that  denied  the 
reality  of  the  person  of  Jesus  making  it  only  a  phantom,  an  appearance.  The 
attack  was  made  by  these  errorists  on  the  central  point  of  Christianity,  the 
doctrine  of  the  person  of  Christ.  John  makes  as  the  central  point  of  his  letter 
a  right  conception  of  Jesus,  his  person,  his  power,  his  mission  as  redeemer  from 
sin.  He  affirms  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  manifestation  of 
God  come  in  the  flesh.  Cerinthus  was  a  leading  opponent  of  John  as  we  learn 
from  Irenteus  in  his  account  of  the  heresies  of  the  early  ages.    Cerinthus  held 


INTRODUCTION 


that  Jesus  was  the  son  of  Joseph  with  whom  the  Logos  united  itself  at  the 
baptism,  but  left  him  at  his  suflerings  on  the  cross.  In  Docetism  there  were  the 
antagonizing  forces  of  spirit  and  matter,  matter  being  essentially  sinful,  not 
the  handiwork  of  God  the  Creator.  John  declares  that  Jesus  had  come  in  the 
flesh  and  was  a  veritable  partaker  of  human  nature.  To  him  nothing  of  sin- 
fulness inhered  in  matter  as  such.  John  opposes  not  spirit  to  matter,  but  light 
to  darkness,  life  to  death,  the  fellowship  with  God  to  the  world,  truth  to  false- 
hood, the  Son  of  God  to  the  evil  one.  All  these  antagonisms  are  in  the  domain 
of  the  moral  life.  These  false  teachings  call  forth  this  Epistle  and  shape  its 
form.  We  must  read  the  letter  in  the  light  of  the  questions  that  in  his  day  were 
the  burning  questions,  the  questions  that  were  perplexing  the  minds  of  the 
faithful  and  perverting  the  beliefs  of  mauy.  We  do  not  find  in  this  letter  the 
same  doctrinal  defections  that  met  Paul  and  called  forth  his  writings;  the 
Judaism  that  insisted  on  the  permanency  of  the  Jewish  rites,  that  belittled 
Christ's  work  by  exalting  the  position  of  Moses,  does  not  present  itself  in  this 
letter.  The  purpose  of  the  Epistle  is  the  perfection  of  personal  holiness  by  a 
fellowship  with  tlie  Father,  the  development  of  life  and  joy  in  the  heart,  the 
maintenance  of  sound  teaching  concerning  the  fundamentals  of  the  faith,  the 
holding  fast  to  the  persons  of  the  Trinity — the  Father,  the  Son,  the  Spirit.  His 
conception  of  the  Christian  life  is  that  of  a  joyous,  overcoming  life,  assured  of 
salvation,  with  no  fear  in  view  of  the  future,  taught  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  abiding 
in  God,  a  life  moved  by  a  love  that  cared  for  others,  a  life  in  love  with  the  truth. 
The  terra,  church,  is  not  once  named,  but  in  the  background,  and  as  one  of 
the  necessary  presuppositions  is  the  idea  of  the  church.  The  conception  here 
presented  is  that  of  a  brotherhood  in  the  light  and  life  of  God.  There  are  no 
traces  of  any  papacy,  any  priesthood  with  its  grasping  claims,  no  rites  that 
carry  in  themselves  salvation,  but  rather  the  insistence  on  the  great  truth  of 
Protestantism,  the  universal  church  as  controlled,  influenced,  and  enlightened 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  conceives  of  believers,  all  of  them,  as  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  (2  :  2T:  s  -.  34).  John  recognizes  no  distinctions  among  the  member- 
ship but  that  of  fathers  and  young  men  (2 :  12-1*).  In  his  view  he  and  they  alike 
are  a  community  of  sinners  saved  by  grace,  confessing  their  sins,  yet  sons  of 
God,  destined  to  be  perfect,  having  the  highest  aims  in  life.  He  asserts  the 
right  of  Christians  to  try  the  spirits,  and  all  teachers  and  teachings  that  present 
themselves  for  their  acceptance.  While  preeminently  the  teacher  of  love  yet 
he,  with  James,  insists  that  the  Christian  life  be  clothed  with  righteousness. 
Tender  in  spirit  he  speaks  with  words  of  condemnation  for  the  life  that  asserts 
its  fellowship  with  God,  and  yet  is  lived  in  ungodliness  (1  =  6).  With  Paul  he 
declares  that  love  must  be  united  with  faith,  a  faith  that  rests  on  the  work  and 
person  of  Christ,  a  faith  that  overcomes  (5  :  1-4). 

THE  STYLE. 
The  letter  on  the  surface  appears  to  be  a  series  of  disjointed  meditations,  in 
which  the  thoughts  are  turned  over  and  over  again  as  in  a  reverie,  rather  than 
a  letter  with  a  clearly  marked  purpose.    This  has  been  ascribed  to  the  childish- 
ness of  old  age,  an  old  age  that  has  lost  its  vigor  of  raind  and  continues  to  brood 


THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


over  the  thoughts  that  have  been  precious  to  the  heart.  This  seeming  repetition 
may  rather  be  ascribed  to  a  Hebraic  cast  of  mind,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
Hebrew  poetry  that  delights  to  dwell  upoji  a  thought  and  turn  it  over  in  an 
ever-varying  aspect.  One  occasion  for  the  charge  of  monotony  arises  from  the 
apparent  repetition  of  the  same  thought.  But  it  must  be  noted  that  the  author 
never  presents  the  same  thought  in  precisely  the  same  way  a  second  time.  We 
find  an  illustration  of  John's  method  of  thinking  and  writing  in  1  :  1,  2,  3,  In 
the  first  verse  we  have  certain  clear  and  definite  statements ;  in  the  second  verse 
we  have  the  same  statements,  but  with  the  added  testimony  of  John ;  in  the 
third  verse  the  statements  of  the  first  verse,  but  with  the  new  statement  of  the 
purpose  of  the  letter.    There  is  here  progress  in  the  thought  all  the  while. 

Another  occasion  of  difficulty  in  this  letter  arises  from  John's  neglect  to 
use  connecting  words.  Where  Paul  in  his  writings  would  make  use  of  for, 
because,  inasmuch,  consequently,  John  simply  puts  statements  side  by  side  and 
allows  the  reader  to  make  his  own  inferences.  The  very  simplicity  of  the  style 
creates  a  difficulty.  The  letter  revolves  around  a  few  thoughts,  life,  love,  light, 
righteousness,  fellowship.  Sometimes  a  difficulty  arises  from  his  changing  from 
one  expression  to  another  of  kindred  import.  To  be  begotten  of  God,  to  be  a 
child  of  God,  to  be  in  fellowship  with  God,  to  walk  in  the  light,  to  love  the 
truth,  all  have  the  same  import  to  John.  Life,  love,  righteousness,  and  light 
are  interchangeable  terms.  Sin,  unrighteousness,  and  death  are  all  terms  of 
kindred  import.  To  share  in  the  life  of  God  is  to  live  a  life  of  love ;  to  be 
begotten  of  God  is  to  walk  in  holiness  and  to  share  in  God's  fellowship ;  the 
fellowship  with  God  is  to  be  in  the  range  of  experience,  of  assured  knowledge. 
They  present  different  shades  of  the  same  thought. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  marks  of  John's  style  the  book  becomes  intelligible. 
We  cannot  understand  this  letter  without  remembering  that  John  everywhere 
moves  in  the  region  of  the  ideal,  the  complete.  He  is  describing  things  and 
persons,  not  as  they  actually  are  in  their  present  aspects  and  limitations,  but 
as  they  are  in  the  divine  command  and  conception,  as  they  will  be  when  they 
come  to  completeness.  John  writes  not  of  love  which  exists  among  us  as  an 
imperfect  thing,  but  of  a  perfect  love  (2:5;  i  -.  is).  He  describes  the  condition 
of  the  child  of  God  as  without  sin  (5  :  is);  he  describes  the  Christian  as  one 
begotten  of  God,  and  therefore  as  free  from  error  (2  ••  ^i^)•,  he  declares  that  the 
Christian  cannot  sin  because  of  his  relationship  to  God  (3:6);  the  Christian  is 
as  one  that  has  overcome  the  evil  one,  the  victory  already  is  obtained  (5 :  *); 
Christian  love  will  lead  to  a  voluntary  death  for  others  ('  :  i«) ;  there  is  a  com- 
plete unworldliness  (2 :  i5);  the  believer  has  all  the  knowledge  that  is  essential, 
he  is  not  immature  in  his  conception  of  things  (2  :  m);  the  one  who  does  sin  is 
of  Satan  (':«);  the  Christian  does  the  things  that  are  well  pleasing  to  God,  has 
full  confidence,  is  prayerful,  is  mature  in  holiness  of  conduct,  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  John  is  not  alone  in  writing  of  the  Christian  life  in 
this  ideal  way.  In  Rom.  6  : 1-4  Paul  declares  that  the  Christian  in  his  baptism 
has  asserted  his  death  to  sin,  his  burial,  his  utter  separation  from  his  old  life, 
his  resurrection  to  a  new  life.  After  descril)ing  this  resurrection  life  as  the 
abiding  state  of  the  believer,  he  exhorts  the  same  believer  to  put  to  death  the 


INTRODUCTION 


sinful  deeds  of  his  life  (Rom-  »  :  is).  That  John  does  not  intend  these  terms  to 
be  taken  as  an  exact  description  of  the  actual  life  is  evident  from  the  confession 
of  himself  as  a  sinner  (i  :  »  ;  s  :  21).  He  speaks  of  caring  for  the  weak  brothers, 
with  the  intimation  that  there  are  many  of  tliem  (5  :  is).  Great  errors  will  arise 
if  we  take  John's  ideal  description  of  the  Christian  life  as  the  portrayal  of  what 
it  is  at  present.  If  the  Christian  life  is  sinless,  then  it  follows  that  much  which 
has  been  regarded  as  sin  is  not  really  sin.  A  person  can  be  regarded  as  sinless 
only  by  lowering  the  nature,  narrowing  the  extent,  and  denying  the  spirituality 
of  the  moral  law. 

ITS  WIDE  RANGE  OF  TEACHING. 
We  find  in  a  small  compass  almost  the  entire  range  of  New  Testament 
teachings.  The  practical  duties  of  life  are  not  ignored — the  dnity  of  prayer,  of 
brotherly  love,  of  personal  righteousness.  The  letter  stands  out,  in  a  pre- 
eminent way,  as  the  Epistle  of  love.  All  obedience  must  spring  from  love.  The 
atonement  is  the  foundation  of  self-sacrifice  (s :  le).  The  cross  in  the  life  of 
Jesus  creates  the  cross  in  the  life  of  the  Christian ;  God,  in  his  triune  nature. 
Father,  Son,  Spirit ;  evil  in  the  universe  and  in  man  ;  the  personal  existence  of 
Satan ;  the  person  of  Christ  the  redeemer,  uniting  in  himself  the  divine  and 
the  human ;  righteousness,  sonship,  sanctification,  the  personal  coming  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  all  these  doctrines  are  clearly  taught  in  this  short  letter. 

THE  PLACE  AND  DATE  OF  THE  LETTER. 

It  is  not  known  at  what  place  it  was  written,  though  the  ancient  tradition 
and  the  general  view  of  most  writers  is  that  it  was  probably  written  from 
Ephesus.  There  is  no  indication  in  the  letter  itself  that  gives  any  means  for 
determining  the  date  of  the  writing.  The  "  last  time  "  mentioned  in  2  :  18  is 
too  indefinite  an  expression  to  furnish  a  chronological  date.  The  absence  of 
any  reference  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  consequent  destruction 
of  the  Jewish  State,  suggests  that  that  catastrophe  had  long  since  past.  It  was  a 
period  of  quietness  inasmuch  as  there  are  no  allusions  to  persecutions  either  as 
present  or  impending.  We  cannot  think  of  John  as  entering  on  his  labors  in 
Ephesus  and  Asia  Minor  until  after  the  death  of  Paul.  This  would  bring  us 
down  to  A.  D.  66  at  least.  It  would  require  some  years  for  John  to  assume  and 
assert  the  position  manifest  in  this  letter.  He  writes  with  the  consciousness  of 
an  admitted  authority  as  one  who  for  years  had  been  spiritual  leader  and  father. 
The  church  is  here  portrayed  as  something  mature  and  well  ordered.  The 
heresies  would  require  years  for  their  development.  Everything  points  to  a 
period  near  to  the  close  of  the  first  century.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  the 
year  A.  D.  90  would  satisfy  all  the  conditions.  Meyer's  Commentary  gives  its 
conclusion  in  these  words  :  "  An  unbiased  consideration  of  all  the  circumstances 
renders  it  probable  that  John  wrote  this  epistle  during  the  last  quarter  of  the 
apostolic  age."     Professor  Ramsay  puts  it  A.  D.  90-100. 

As  to  its  relation  to  the  Gospel  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  companion  docu- 
ment or  as  an  appendix  to  the  Gospel.  But  it  is  evident  that  the  Epistle  is 
entirely  independent.    Another  class  of  readers  is  addressed,  a  new  order  of 


THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN 


circumstances  had  arisen,  and  a  new  development  of  false  teachings.  The 
Epistle  speaks  of  the  "manifestation"  of  Christ,  of  "the  day  of  judgment," 
of  "the  last  time,"  of  the  presence  of  "many  antichrists."  This  indicates  a 
later  date,  though  not  a  different  author.  There  are  in  the  Epistle  new  concep- 
tions of  the  Logos,  the  propitiation,  the  nature  and  penalty  of  sin.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  Gospel  was  written  before  the  letter.  As  a  rule,  the  briefer  form 
of  a  statement  by  the  same  author  is  the  later.  AVestcott  says  that  the  Epistle 
presupposes  the  Gospel  either  as  a  writing  or  as  an  oral  instruction.  While 
there  are  numerous  and  striking  resemblances  between  the  two  there  are 
characteristic  differences.  The  Gospel  dwells  on  the  divine  glory  of  Jesus,  the 
Epistle  emphasizes  the  rather  his  true  humanity. 

TO  WHOM   WRITTEN. 

There  can  be  no  question  that  this  writing  has  the  character  of  a  letter, 
though  lacking  sometliing  of  the  form  of  similar  writings  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  absence  of  the  epistolary  form  is  noticeable  both  at  its  beginning 
and  close.  In  the  body  of  the  letter  there  are  more  epistolary  hints  than  in  any 
other  book  of  the  New  Testament.  The  word  "  write,"  in  its  different  forms, 
occurs  fourteen  times.  Tlie  terms  "to  you,"  "in  you,"  'you,"  the  terms  of 
direct  address,  occur  thirty-six  times.  The  terms  "  children,' '  "little  children," 
occur  ten  times.  The  term  "  beloved  "  occurs  six  times.  Everything  indicates 
a  letter  sent  to  those  endeared  to  him  by  years  of  spiritual  fellowship.  It  might 
be  called  an  encyclical  letter,  the  inscription  of  which  would  be  different  for 
every  church  to  which  it  was  sent.  The  entire  writing  rests  on  a  living  and 
personal  relation  between  the  writer  and  the  reader.  It  remains  for  all  the 
ages  a  model  of  appeal  from  an  aged  pastor  to  his  fold.  In  it  tenderness  for  his 
readers  is  united  with  an  absorbing  love  for  the  truth,  and  all  the  great  teach- 
ings of  the  Christian  revelation  are  affirmed  in  a  strong  yet  incidental  way. 

THE  CONTENTS  OF  THE  LETTER, 
This  letter  differs  from  many  of  the  New  Testament  writings  in  that  it 
appears  to  have  no  orderly  development  of  thought.  Two  mistakes  may  be 
made,  one  that  there  is  not  found  in  it  any  orderly  movement  of  thought,  the 
other  finding  in  it  a  too  minute  analysis.  The  Epistle  may  be  analyzed  as 
follows : 

Introduction  1 : 1-4. 

I.  The  nature  of  fellowship  with  God,  1:5-2:  29. 

To  have  fellowship  with  God  means,  on  the  human  side,  a  walking  with 
God.    This  may  be  looked  at  in  two  aspects,  inclusive  and  exclusive. 

1.  What  walking  in  the  light  includes,  1:5-2:  14. 

The  keyword  of  this  section  is,  "  God  is  light "  (i :  5). 

(1)  It  includes  a  fellowship  with  God  and  with  the  brother,  1  :  5-7, 

(2)  It  inchides  a  sense  of  sin  and  the  confession  of  sin,  1  :  8-10. 

(3)  It  includes  an  aiming  at  sinlessness,  but  not  despondent  when  failures 
come,  2  :  1,  2. 


INTRODUCTION 


(4)  The  test  of  a  life  that  walks  in  the  light  is  the  doing  of  God's  will, 

2  :  3-6. 

(5)  A  test  of  a  life  that  walks  in  the  light  is  a  love  for  the  brother,  2  :  7-11. 

(6)  The  forgiveness  of  sins  in  the  past  is  a  reason  for  walking  in  the 
light,  2  :  12-14. 

2.  What  walking  in  the  light  excludes,  2  :  15-29. 

(1)  Walking  in  the  light  excludes  worldliness,  2  :  15-17. 

(2)  Walking  in  the  light  excludes  antichrists  from  having  a  control  over 

the  life,  2  :  18,  19. 

(3)  Walking  in  the  light  excludes  spiritual  blindness  on  the  part  of  the 
believer,  the  spiritual  anointing  should  protect  from  the  deceivers,  2  :  20-29. 

II.  The  result  of  fellowship  with  God  is  holiness,  3:1-4:6. 

The  keyword  of  this  section  is,  "  He  is  pure  "  (3:3).    As  God's  light  makes 
light  in  men,  so  God's  holiness  creates  a  holiness  in  men. 

1.  The  high  destiny  of  the  children  of  God  and  the  duty  of  keeping  them- 
selves pure,  3  :  1-8. 

2.  Holiness  is  the  test  of  the  difference  between  the  children  of  God  and  the 
children  of  the  devil,  3  :  9-13. 

3.  A  mark  of  holiness  will  be  a  love  for  each  other,  3  :  14-18. 

4.  The  confidence  begotten  by  the  holy  life,  3  :  19-24. 

5.  A  test  of  holiness  will  be  a  love  for  the  truth,  4  :  1-6. 

III.  Love  springs  from  fellowship  with  God,  4  :  7-21. 
The  key-word  of  this  section  is,  "  God  is  love  "  (*  =  s). 

1.  Love  is  the  test  of  being  begotten  of  God,  4  :  7-11. 

2.  Because  God  is  love  we  must  love  each  other.    Love  to  others  gives  the 
assurance  of  sonship,  4  :  12-16. 

3.  God's  nature  is  love.    The  realization  of  this  dispels  fear,  4  :  17-21. 

IV.  The  relation  of  faith  to  love,  to  the  overcoming  life,  to 

ASSURANCE,  5  :  1-21. 
The  key-word  of  this  section  is,  "  Our  faith  "  (5  :  *). 

1.  A  belief  in  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  leads  to  life  of  love,  5  :  1-3. 

2.  Faith  in  Jesus  leads  to  an  overcoming  life,  5  :  4,  5. 

3.  The  testimony  by  which  the  believer  is  assured  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of 
God,  5  :  6-13. 

4.  Faith  in  God's  promises  leads  to  prevailing  prayer,  5  :  14-17. 

5.  The  assured  beliefs  of  the  Christian  life,  5  :  18-21. 


SECOND  AND  THIRD  JOHN 

These  two  letters  iu  size,  form,  general  spirit,  and  structure  much  resemble 
each  other.    Both  may  therefore  be  considered  at  the  same  time. 

I.   THEIR  AUTHORSHIP  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHARACTER. 

A  few  persons  of  the  Tubingen  school  of  thought  deny  that  any  one  of  the 
three  letters  attributed  to  John  was  written  by  him.  But  inasmuch  as  this 
school  denies  any  supernatural  element  in  the  Scriptures,  and  gives  no  weight 
to  the  testimony  of  the  church  Fathers,  little  consideration  need  be  given  to 
its  opinions.  A  second  view  is  that  while  the  first  letter  was  written  by  John 
the  apostle,  the  second  and  third  letters  were  written  by  another  kno\vn  as  John 
the  presbyter.  This  view  is  founded  on  the  expression  occurring  in  2  John  1 
and  3  John  1,  "  John  the  elder."  It  is  maintained  by  them  that  John  the  apos- 
tle would  not  have  written  of  himself  in  this  mannei*.  Papias,  born  a.  d.  70, 
regards  this  John  as  different  from  the  John  who  wrote  the  first  Epistle.  But 
it  is  to  be  noted  that  John  seldom  mentions  himself,  and  never  mentions  his 
apostolic  authority.  If  it  is  conceded  that  John  the  apostle  wrote  these  two 
letters  his  use  of  the  term,  elder,  may  be  explained  by  the  usage  of  his  fellow 
apostles.  Paul  speaks  of  himself  as  "  Paul,  the  aged,"  which  means  literally, 
Paul,  the  elder  (Philemon  9).  In  like  manner  Peter  styles  himself  "  a  fellow 
elder"  (iPeter5:i).  The  apostolate  was  the  highest  oflice  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment church,  embracing  in  itself  all  the  subordinate  positions.  It  is 
difficult  to  conceive  that  any  other  person,  in  that  age,  would  have  a  style  so 
in  harmony  with  that  of  John.  The  internal  resemblances,  binding  all  three 
letters  together,  show  that  one  and  the  same  man  wrote  them  all.  Origen,  a.  d. 
185,  and  Eusebius,  A.  D.  300,  refer  to  these  two  letters  as  suspected  by  many, 
but  apparently  without  sharing  these  doubts  themselves.  Among  those  quoting 
from  them  are  Irenseus,  A.  D.  190,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  A.  d.  200,  Cyprian, 
A.  D.  257,  Diouysius,  A.  D.  250.  At  the  time  of  the  Reformation  Erasmus 
questioned  the  apostolic  authorship  of  these  letters.  It  ought  to  be  expected  that 
in  familiar,  personal  letters  unusual  expressions  would  be  found.  The  very 
fact  of  their  small  size,  their  personal  character,  the  absence  of  any  great 
theological  discussions  would  naturally  account  for  their  omission  from  some 
lists  of  the  accepted  books  of  the  New  Testament.  Their  comparative  unim- 
portance kept  them  out  of  the  range  of  discussion  and  controversy.  We  may 
tlierefore  regard  them  as  the  productions  of  John  the  apostle.  That  they  have 
a  common  origin  and  a  common  spirit  is  the  view  of  almost  all  modern  com- 
mentators. See  Iluther's  Introduction  to  Meyer's  Commentary.  See  also  B. 
F.  Westcott's  valuable  collations  of  .Tohannine  terms  and  phrases  in  his 
"Epistles  of  St.  Jolin,"  with  notes  and  essays,  second  edition,  London,  1886; 
also  Pluramer,  Cambridge  Bible,  Introduction  to  Second  and  Third  Epistles, 
xiv 


INTRODUCTION  xv 


II.   FOR  WHOM  WRITTEN  AND  WHY. 

The  second  letter  has  this  peculiarity  among  the  New  Testament  writings, 
it  alone  was  sent  to  a  household.  It  was  thought  by  some  in  the  early  ages, 
among  them  Jerome,  a.  d.  400,  that  John  was  writing  to  the  universal  Christian 
church,  describing  it  by  the  term  "  lady."  But  we  are  not  justified  in  attribu- 
ting to  John  such  a  mystical  mode  of  expression.  A  comparison  of  the  Intro- 
ductions of  the  second  and  third  letters  will  show  that  John  must  be  writing  to 
an  individual,  a  Christian  mother  and  her  household. 

In  the  third  letter  Gains,  a  person  of  high  standing  in  the  church,  is  ad- 
dressed. This  name  is  exceedingly  common.  It  is  not  possible  to  indicate 
definitely  the  person  addressed  or  his  place  of  residence.  All  the  New  Testa- 
ment writings  were  called  forth  by  some  emergency.  These  letters,  while  full 
of  personal  devotion,  were  written  to  combat  errors.  False  teachers  (2  John  7) 
abounded,  seeking  in  public  ways  and  in  households  to  pervert  the  truth  and 
to  seduce  believers.  Their  teachings  attacked  the  fundamentals  of  the  faith, 
the  character  and  work  of  Christ,  the  denial  of  the  fact  and  possibility  of  an 
incarnation,  the  denial  of  the  reality  of  the  human  life  of  Christ  (3  John:). 
John  puts  himself  on  the  side  of  the  truth  and  the  good  men  and  women  in 
the  churches,  and  recognizes  the  bad  principles  at  work  in  the  false  teachers 

(S  John  11). 

III.  DOCTRINAL  TEACHINGS  CONTAINED  IN  THE  LETTERS. 
These  letters  throw  light  upon  the  practical  duties  of  Christian  hospitality, 
and  the  needfal  missionary  activity  of  the  church.  We  see  the  well-ordered 
Christian  household  (*  John  4) ;  the  turbulent  Diotrephes,  the  faithful  Gains,  the 
steadfast  Demetrius,  the  majority  of  the  church  arrayed  on  the  side  of  evil  or 
cowed  by  Diotrephes.  We  see  here  revealed  God  the  Father,  the  incarnation 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  grace  and  peace  of  God,  his  mercy  toward  sinners,  the 
supreme  authority  of  Jesus,  and  his  unique  relation  to  the  Father.  There  is  a 
development  of  thought  in  the  three  letters.  In  the  first  no  mention  is  made 
of  the  church,  though  it  is  implied  that  there  was  an  organization  out  of  which 
the  false  teachers  went  (1  John  2  :  19).  The  emphasis  is  laid  in  the  first  letter  on 
the  personal  Christian  life.  In  the  second  letter  the  household  appears,  there 
is  the  family  piety.  In  the  third  the  church  appears,  the  organized  household 
of  believers  for  work  and  worship.  These  two  letters,  while  seemingly  unim- 
portant, liave  many  important  doctrinal  teachings  and  much  wholesome  counsel 
for  the  after  ages. 

IV.  TIME  AND  PLACE  OF  WRITING. 
It  is  probable,  from  the  similarity  of  the  two  letters,  that  they  were  written 
about  the  same  time.  The  journeys  mentioned  in  2  John  12  and  3  John  14  may 
be  one  and  the  same  journey.  Alford  thinks  that  both  letters  were  the  product 
of  the  later  portion  of  his  life,  probably  subsequent  to  the  writing  of  the 
Apocalypse.  As  to  the  place  of  writing  probability  points  to  Ephesus.  Ram- 
say shows  how  full  the  first  century  was  of  correspondence. 


SECOND  AND  THIRD  JOHN 


CONTENTS  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  2  JOHN. 
This  letter  reveals  the  heart  of  the  tender  Christian  man,  the  wise  coun- 
selor, the  earnest  defender  of  the  faith,  and  the  personal  friend.    The  analysis 
is  as  follows : 

I.  The  address  and  greeting,  ver.  1-3. 

II.  The  body  of  the  letter,  ver.  4-11. 

1.  He  expresses  his  joy  at  beholding  the  walk  of  her  children,  ver.  4. 

2.  He  unfolds  the  law  of  Christian  love,  ver.  5,  6. 

3.  He  puts  her  on  her  guard  against  false  teachers,  ver.  7-9. 

4.  He  indicates  the  method  of  dealing  with  errorists,  ver.  10. 

III.  The  conclusion.    The  hope  that  he  may  soon  see  her,  ver.  12,  13. 

CONTENTS  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  3  JOHN. 
This  brief  personal  letter  throws  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  closing  part  of 
John's  life  and  the  close  of  the  first  century.  There  is  revealed  a  struggle  on 
the  part  of  John  and  the  church  for  the  supremacy  of  the  truth  over  manifold 
dangerous  errors.  The  care  of  all  tlie  churches  rested  on  men  like  John  (2  Cor. 
11 :  38).  The  letter  shows  how  Christianity  was  spread  by  correspondence  and 
by  personal  visitation — the  churches  were  missionary  organizations.  The 
analysis  is  as  follows  : 

I.  The  address,  ver.  1. 

II.  The  substance  of  the  letter,  ver.  2-12. 

1.  A  prayer  that  Gains  may  prosper,  ver.  2-4. 

2.  Praise  of  Gaius  for  his  hospitality  toward  missionaries,  ver.  5-8. 

3.  The  hostility  of  Diotrephes,  a  leading  man  in  the  church,  ver.  9,  10. 

4.  Fellowship  must  be  had  with  the  good,  ver.  11,  12. 

III.  The  conclusion.    He  hopes  soon  to  see  Gaius,  ver.  13,  14. 


JUDE 

ITS  PLACE  IN  THE  CANON. 

Eusebius  in  his  church  history,  A.  D.  324-340,  places  this  letter  among  the 
six  or  seven  books  which  were  considered  doubtful,  as  not  everywhere  received. 
This  is  a  proof  that,  being  finally  admitted,  its  admission  was  not  made  without 
full  consideration.  The  objections  against  it  were  that  it  was,  to  a  large  extent, 
unknown  to  the  churches  in  the  East.  It  was  also  a  matter  of  doubt  whether 
a  book  that  was  written  by  one  not  an  apostle,  or  under  the  direction  of  an 
apostle,  ought  to  be  placed  among  the  recognized  writings  to  be  read  in  the 
churches.  Others  thought  that  the  existence  in  it  of  a  quotation  from  an  ad- 
mittedly apocryphal  book  precluded  its  admission.  It  was  said  that  if  the 
author  did  not  know  that  the  book  of  Enoch  was  apocryphal,  he  could  not  be 
inspired,  and  if  he  had  been  inspired  he  would  not  quote  from  it.  The  very 
briefness  of  the  letter  would  also  everywhere  militate  against  any  large  knowl- 
edge of  it.  The  Gentile  churches  would  not  be  attracted  to  it  because  it  is  cast 
in  an  eminently  Jewish  mold,  its  quotations  being  largely  from  the  Old  Testa^ 
ment.    Comp.  Vedder,  "  Our  New  Testament.    How  Did  We  Get  It?  "  p.  195  £ 

TertuUian  (born  about  A.  D.  150)  cites  from  it  as  an  authentic  writing, 
although  he  regards  it  as  written  by  the  Apostle  Jude.  Clement  of  Alexandria 
(born  about  a.  d.  150)  quotes  from  it  as  a  part  of  the  holy  Scriptures.  The 
Muratorian  fragment,  about  A.  D.  170,  speaks  of  this  letter  as  genuine  and 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  canon.  The  other  lists  of  the  Scripture  books,  the 
Laodicean,  a.  d.  363,  and  the  Carthaginian,  397,  contain  it.  Origen  (born  A.  D. 
185)  has  quotations  from  it.  The  oldest  copies  of  the  Peshito  version,  made 
in  the  second  century,  do  not  contain  it,  but  Ephrem  the  Syrian  (born  about 
A.  D.  304)  accepts  it.  Zahn  says  that  about  a.  d.  200  it  was  accepted  "  in  the 
churches  of  all  lands  round  the  Mediterranean  Sea."  In  recent  years  it  has 
been  regarded,  almost  universally,  as  authentic. 

We  may  regard  it  as  certain  that  it  was  written  in  the  first  century,  for  it 
would  not  have  met  with  such  a  general  acceptance  had  it  appeared  in  a  later 
age.  Had  a  forger  written  it  he  would  not  have  chosen  for  its  reputed  author 
one  not  everywhere  regarded  as  an  apostle,  nor  would  he  have  quoted  so  sla- 
vishly from  a  former  writing— that  of  Second  Peter.  It  has  been  well  said  that 
for  so  short  a  writing  to  be  alluded  to  so  frequently  and  quoted  from  so  exten- 
sively, especially  when  not  the  universally  recognized  writing  of  an  apostle,  is 
remarkable.  When  we  remember  that  the  first  century  had  means  for  deter- 
mining the  authorship  of  a  letter  that  we  do  not  possess,  we  may  well  join  in 
their  verdict  arrived  at  after  mature  consideration  that  the  letter  is  and  ought 
to  be  in  the  New  Testament.  If,  however,  any  letter  is  rejected,  this  does  not 
impair  the  worth  of  the  admitted  letters. 

B  xvii 


JUDE 


WHO  WAS  THE  WHITER? 

We  are  fully  justified  in  believing  that  this  letter  is  a  product  of  the  apos- 
tolic age,  written  by  a  person  known  as  Judas  or  Jude  as  in  the  received  version. 
What  Judas  is  meant?  But  two  persons  can,  at  all,  claim  consideration  in 
connection  with  the  authorship  of  this  letter :  (1)  Judas,  not  Iscariot  (Jotn  u  -.  22)^ 
an  apostle  called  Thaddeus  or  Lebba;us  in  Matt.  10  :  3  and  Mark  3  :  18,  called 
also  Judas  (the  son )  of  James  in  Luke  6 :  16  and  Acts  1:3;  (2)  Judas  the  brother 
of  our  Lord,  one  of  the  four  brotliers  mentioned  in  Matt.  13  :  55;  Mark  6  :  3. 
By  some  these  have  been  identified.  The  Authorized  version  gives  the  weight 
of  its  authority  to  this  view  by  its  rendering  of  the  expression  "Judas  of 
James  "  (Luke  6  :  16 ;  Acts  1:3),  "  Judas  the  brother  of  James  "  instead  of  "Judas 
the  son  of  James,"  as  it  ought  to  be  rendered,  and  as  it  everywhere  else  is  ren- 
dered. TertuUian  and  Augustine  speak  of  the  author  of  this  letter  as  an 
apostle,  but  against  this  are  several  considerations.  Had  he  been  an  apostle 
he  would  naturally  have  appealed  to  his  ofiicial  position  as  an  apostle  to  give 
weight  to  his  denunciation  of  false  teachers.  Paul  did  this  even  when  well 
known  as  a  writer,  after  he  had  written  his  great  letters.  How  much  more 
would  a  comparatively  unknown  man  like  Judas  need  all  the  weight  of  in- 
fluence given  by  his  apostleship.  In  ver.  17  he  compares  himself  with  the 
apostles,  urging  his  readers  to  remember  the  words  of  the  apostles.  We  may 
conclude  that  he  was  not  the  apostle  bearing  that  name.  It  remains  only  to 
consider  the  case  of  Judas  the  brother  of  the  Lord.  Writing  to  Jewish  Chris- 
tians he  would  find  no  relationship  more  helpful  to  him  than  kinship  to 
the  pastor  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem.  The  general  consensus  of  opinion 
favors  this  Judas  as  the  author  of  the  letter.  Both  James  and  Judas  had 
a  strong  Jewish  caste  of  belief,  while  holding  to  salvation  through  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

Of  the  author  personally  we  know  almost  nothing.  At  first  he  was  not  a 
believer  in  the  claims  of  Jesus  (Joim  7:5);  afterward  he  became  a  follower  of 
the  Christ  (Acts  i  :  u).  From  1  Cor.  9  :  5  we  know  that  he  was  married.  In  the 
reign  of  Domitian,  A.  D.  81,  according  to  Eusebius,  two  of  his  grandsons  were 
arrested  on  the  charge  that  they  were  of  the  family  of  David.  On  showing 
their  hands  hard  with  toil  they  were  released.  Neither  James  nor  Jude  claims 
relationship  with  the  glorified  Jesus ;  the  chasm  between  them  was  too  great ; 
reverence  would  forbid  such  a  claim. 

WHEN  WAS  IT  WRITTEN  AND  FOR  WHOM? 

The  time  of  writing  will,  to  a  large  extent,  be  determined  by  the  considera- 
tion of  the  relation  that  this  letter  bears  to  2  Peter.  This  letter  from  ver.  3  to 
ver.  18  is  parallel  in  thought  and  expression  with  2  Peter  2  :  1-18.  These  two 
writers  must  have  been  in  coiuraunication  with  each  other  at  the  time  of 
writing,  or  both  quoted  from  some  common  source,  or  the  one  must  have  quoted 
from  the  other.  It  is  impossible  to  decide  which  writing  is  entitled  to  priority 
in  time.  If  Peter  wrote  first  and  the  quotation  is  made  from  the  apostle  then 
this  letter  may  have  been  written  as  late  as  A.  D.  75,  in  which  year  Zahn  places 


INTRODUCTION  xix 


it.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  this  letter  was  written  first,  and  Peter  quotes  from  it, 
then  it  must  have  been  written  about  A.  D.  65,  inasmuch  as  Peter  died  about 
A.  D.  68.  Alford  says:  "Of  the  place  where  the  Epistle  was  written  we  know 
absolutely  nothing."  It  is  probable  that  it  was  addressed  to  the  same  circle  of 
readers  to  whom  Peter  sent  his  letter,  the  believers  resident  in  Asia  Minor. 
Others  conjecture  that  the  marked  similarity  in  tone  and  expression  make  it 
probable  that  it  would  be  addressed  to  other  readers,  perhaps  those  living  in 
Palestine  or  Egypt.    Nothing  definite  can  be  affirmed  on  these  i)oints. 

PECTJLIARITIES  OF  THE  LETTER. 
The  number  of  words  and  expressions  used  nowhere  else  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  remarkable.  Farrar,  in  his  "  Early  Days  of  Christianity,"  cites  eighteen 
such  words  and  expressions  as  found  in  this  short  letter.  .Other  words  found 
here  and  in  2  Peter  are  exceedingly  rare.  The  style  of  the  Epistle  is  that  of  a 
man  struggling  to  express  himself  in  a  language  with  which  he  was  not  familiar. 
The  coloring  and  style  remind  one  of  the  Hebrew  prophets  in  whose  writings 
the  author  was  trained  in  his  home  at  Nazareth.  The  arrangement  of  the  state- 
ments and  facts  of  the  Epistle  in  groups  of  three  is  noticeable.  The  entire 
letter  is  constructed  on  this  plan.  The  author  is  "  Judas,"  a  "  servant,"  a 
"  brother."  Those  addressed  are  "  called,"  "  beloved  "  and  "  kept."  He  prays 
that  "mercy,"  "peace,"  and  "love"  may  be  theirs.  The  wicked  men  are 
"  ungodly,"  "  turning,"  "  denying."  Those  punished  are  "  Israelites," 
"angels,"  "cities  of  the  plain."  Their  sins  are  "defilement,"  "setting  at 
naught,"  "  railing."  The  men  whom  they  pattern  after  are  "  Cain,"  "  Balaam," 
"  Korah."  The  false  teachers  "  make  separations,"  "are  sensual,"  "  not  having 
the  spirit."  The  believers  are  exhorted  to  build  themselves  up,  pray,  and  look 
for  the  mercy  of  the  Lord.  Three  classes  of  persons  are  to  be  dealt  with.  All 
time  is  divided  into  three  parts,  past,  present,  future.  A  like  arrangement  is 
that  of  the  acrostic  Psalms  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  letter  is  severe  in  the 
style  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  but  withal  has  a  tender  spirit  toward  the 
believer,  and  the  timid  and  fainting  child  of  God.  It  is  unequaled  in  its 
arraignment  of  the  ungodly  in  their  fixed  and  contagious  wickedness. 

THE  LETTER  AND  THE  APOCRYPHAL  WRITINGS. 
The  first  century  was  full  of  writings,  apocryphal  in  their  character,  deal- 
ing very  largely  in  descriptions  of  the  unseen  life,  grotesque  and  absurd,  having 
predictions  also  concerning  the  future.  Some  of  these  perhaps  were  written 
before  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  or  in  its  early  years.  It  has  been 
strenuously  held  by  some  that  the  author  quotes  in  ver.  9  from  the  Assumption 
of  Moses,  the  incident  concerning  Michael  and  Satan ;  also  in  ver.  14  from  the 
book  of  Enoch.  It  cannot  be  proved,  however,  that  he  quotes  from  these 
writings.  This  letter  is  a  message  for  the  times,  called  forth  by  the  lawlessness, 
the  factional  spirit,  the  sensual  character  of  the  false  teachings  whereby  the 
gospel  of  Christ  was  made  a  cover  for  licentiousness  and  lust.  The  denial  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  his  teachings  always  makes  for  falsity  in  belief  and  wicked- 
ness in  conduct. 


XX  JUDE 


CONTENTS. 
This  letter  is  catholic  in  character,  haviug  much  in  common  with  2  Peter. 
Its  special  object  seems  to  have  been  to  guard  Christians  against  certain  false 
teachers  who  merited  the  severest  punishment,  and  to  arouse  Christians  to 
contend  for  the  faith  as  delivered  to  them  by  the  apostles.    Analysis : 

I.  Salutation  and  prayer  of  Jude,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  and  brother  of 

James,  ver.  1,  2. 

II.  Design  of  the  letter  and  reason  for  writing  it,  ver.  3,  4. 

III.  Examples  of  God's  punitive  justice,  ver.  5-7. 

1.  Unbelievers  destroyed  in  the  wilderness. 

2.  Fallen  angels. 

3.  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

IV.  Ungodly  teachers  fully  described  in  their  own  nature,  by  comparison  with 

Old  Testament  types  and  as  portrayed  in  prophecy,  ver.  8-19. 

1.  The  sins  of  these  false  teachers  resemble  the  three  typically  ungodly 
men  of  Old  Testament  times,  Cain,  Balaam,  Korah,  ver.  8-11. 

2.  The  ungodly  described  not  by  contrast  with  others,  but  as  they  are  in 
themselves,  ver.  12,  13. 

3.  Prophecy  through  Enoch  testifies  to  their  ungodliness  and  predicts  their 
punishment,  ver.  14,  16. 

4.  The  ungodly  desci-ibed  as  mockers,  sensual,  schismatics,  ver.  17-19. 

V.  Words  of  counsel  for  the  believing  element  in  the  churches.    To  be  firm  in 

the  faith,  help  the  doubting,  reclaim  the  erring,  oppose  the  wicked, 
ver.  20-23. 

VI.  The  doxology,  ver.  24,  25. 


THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE^  OF  JOHN 

ITS  APOCALYPTIC  CHARACTER. 

The  mold  into  which  the  Revelation  of  Johu  is  cast  is  apocalyptic.  As 
literature  it  is  the  finest  and  best  of  its  kind.  Like  all  apocalyptic  literature  it 
is  distinguished  for  its  language  painting,  its  symbols,  its  imagery  and  figures 
of  speech.    It  is  both  poetic  and  dramatic. 

The  beginnings  of  apocalyptic  literature  extend  far  into  the  past.  Apoca- 
lyptic passages  occur  in  the  Pentateuch  (Gen.  15  :  12-17;  «  :  sf;  Num.  chap.  23,  u)^  in 
the  historical  books  (1  Kings  22  :  17-23)^  in  the  prophets  (isa.  chap.  13,  u  t. ;  n,  25  r. . 
65  :  17  b ;  Joel  3 :  9-17 ;  zech.  chap.  1-8).  Ezekiel  is  largely  apocalyptic.  But  it  found 
its  highest  realization  in  the  Old  Testament,  in  the  book  of  Daniel.  Thus 
Ezekiel  and  Daniel  are  kindred  in  structure  with  the  Revelation  of  John. 

In  the  century  preceding  and  the  one  following  the  founding  of  Christianity, 
was  a  group  of  apocalyptic  writings  that  had  wide  circulation,  and  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  early  Christians.  Among  these  were  the  book  of  Enoch,  the 
Assumption  of  Moses,  the  book  of  Jubilees,  Apocalypse  of  Ezra,  of  Baruch,  of 
Abraham,  Testaments  of  the  Patriarchs,  and  others  of  less  note.  This  litera- 
ture was  Jewish  in  origin  and  cultivation,  but  it  continued  as  such  only  about 
a  generation  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  It  passed  over  into  Christian 
thought  and  found  its  masterpiece  in  the  Revelation  of  John. 

Apocaljrptic  writings  appear  to  have  originated  and  flourished  in  troublous 
times.  They  would  solve  the  problem  of  the  sufferings  of  Israel  or  the  jrersecu- 
tion  of  God's  people,  and  inspire  hope,  comfort,  and  joy  in  the  midst  of  their 
trials  with  the  prospect  of  future  deliverance  and  victory.  Their  message  was 
thus  especially  for  their  own  times,  yet  helpful  in  other  days  and  in  times  like 
their  own.  A  true  apocalypse  would  use  such  symbols  and  treat  current  events 
in  a  way  that  would  be  intelligible  to  the  age  when  written.  In  such  a  sense 
the  Revelation  of  John  was  a  tract  for  the  times,  dealing  with  historic  events 
understood  by  the  spiritually  minded.  Under  the  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
there  would  be  a  wider  horizon  to  such  as  had  an  ear  to  hear.  It  is  admirably 
adapted  to  encourage  the  people  of  God  in  times  of  persecution  and  distress, 
with  the  .sure  prospect  of  final  salvation  and  glory.  And  such  it  must  continue 
to  be  until  its  full  and  final  fulfilment. 

While  the  book  of  Revelation  is  apocalyptic  in  character  it  is  also  episto- 
lary. It  is  addressed  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  with  a  message  to  each.  It 
has  also  the  epistolary  beginning  and  ending  (i  =  * :  22  :  21).  Moreover  it  has  the 
prophetic  element  (1  : 3 ;  10  :  11 ;  22 : 7, 10,  I8, 19).  Whatever  the  theory  and  method 
of  interpretation,  this  is  too  important  to  be  overlooked.  Its  writer  too  must 
be  regarded  as  the  actual  person  he  professes  to  be.  "  In  no  single  in.stance," 
says  Swete,  "do  the  non-canonical  apocalypticals  write  in  their  own  names; 

xxi 


xxii        THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 

their  message  is  delivered  under  the  assumed  personality  of  some  one  of  the 
saintly  or  inspired  teachers  of  the  past."  But  not  so  with  John  the  revelator. 
He  writes  under  his  own  name  to  churches  existing  at  that  time,  from  a  well- 
known  island  (i  =  *.  9).  The  visions  too  were  actually  seen  by  him,  and  were 
not  the  creations  of  an  excited  imagination.  He  distinctly  declares,  "And  I, 
John,  am  he  who  heard  and  saw  these  things"  (22 :  8). 

The  writer  of  Revelation  shows  great  familiarity  with  the  Old  Testament. 
Not  only  does  he  use  its  symbolical  imagery  and  numbers,  such  as  seven ,  twelve, 
ten,  and  four,  but  much  of  his  language  is  made  up  of  words,  phrases,  and 
informal  quotations  from  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  According  to  a  list  of  quota- 
tions at  the  end  of  Westcott  and  Hort's  second  volume  of  their  Greek  New 
Testament,  of  the  four  hundred  and  four  verses  of  Revelation,  two  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  contain  over  five  hundred  references  to  the  Old  Testament. 
"  He  refers  to  the  book  of  Daniel  in  some  forty-five  places,  .  .  and  the  books  of 
Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  and  Zechariah  are  used  with  almost  equal  frequency,  while  the 
other  prophets,  the  Psalter,  and  the  Pentateuch,  are  often  in  view.  No  book  of 
the  New  Testament  is  so  thoroughly  steeped  in  the  thought  and  imagery  of  the 
Hebrew  Scriptures"  (Swete,  p.  xlix).  The  author  of  Revelation  seems  to 
have  been  familiar  with  the  uncanonical  apocalypses  of  his  time,  especially 
with  the  book  of  Enoch.  He  has  many  similar  thoughts  and  expressions.  But 
as  Swete  wisely  says  (p.  cliii) :  "The  most  that  can  be  safely  affirmed  is  that 
he  shared  with  the  Jewish  apocalyptists  the  stock  of  apocalyptic  imagery  and 
mystical  and  eschatological  thought  which  was  the  common  property  of  an  age 
nurtured  in  the  Old  Testament  and  hard  pressed  by  the  troubles  and  dangers  of 
the  times." 

The  divine  influence  under  which  John  wrote  is  another  factor  to  be  con- 
sidered. Without  this  in  mind  this  brief  consideration  of  the  book  would  be 
incomplete.  It  was  "the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  "  which  was  committed  to 
John  as  "the  word  of  God"  and  "words  of  prophecy."  It  was  "in  the 
Spirit "  that  he  heard  and  saw  and  was  commanded  to  write.  The  greatness 
and  glory  of  the  message  accords  with  his  commission.  Many  passages  in  the 
book  bear  the  mark  of  the  inspiring  Spirit ;  moreover  the  gulf  that  separates 
the  Revelation  of  John  from  the  uncanonical  apocalypses  indicates  that  the 
former  was  not  an  evolution  of  the  latter,  but  that  it  was  written  by  one  indued 
with  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  saying  this  it  is  not  meant  that  the  human  element 
was  not  largely  present.  Indeed,  John  appears  in  the  full  exercise  of  his 
mental  powers.  But  he  wrote  as  one  fully  ablaze  with  his  subject.  He  evi- 
dently did  not  quietly  select  his  symbols  and  Scripture  thoughts  and  references. 
In  his  spiritual  uplift  the  words  and  phrases  of  the  Old  Testament  were  at  his 
ready  command.  He  did  not  write  as  an  artist.  He  is  dramatic  without  aim- 
ing at  the  drama.  He  is  poetic  without  attempting  a  poem.  Notwithstanding 
grammatical  defects  and  rhetorical  faults,  his  work  stands  forth  as  the  master- 
piece of  apocalyptic  writing,  and  holds  a  high  place  in  the  world's  literature. 

Such  considerations  also  tend  to  prove  the  unity  of  the  book,  and  that  it  is 
not  the  product,  as  some  scholars  have  maintained,  of  two  or  more  authors.  Its 
words,    phrases,    symbols,    style,    and    Old    Testament   phraseology   witness 


INTKODUCTION 


agaiust  a  composite  authorship.  After  a  prolonged  and  critical  examination, 
Swete  expresses  the  conviction  that  "the  Apocalypse  of  John  is  a  literary 
unity.  .  .  Everywhere  the  same  creative  mind  has  made  itself  felt,  and  features, 
which  at  first  sight  appeared  to  be  foreign  to  the  writer's  purpose,  were  found 
on  nearer  view  to  be  necessary  to  the  development  of  his  plan  "  (p.  xlix  f ). 

AUTHORSHIP  AND  GENUINENESS. 

The  early  church  was  of  the  almost  unanimous  opinion  that  the  book  of 
Revelation  was  written  by  the  Apostle  John.  Papias,  a  hearer  of  John,  born 
about  A.  D.  70,  a  bishop  of  Hierapolis,  a  city  near  Laodicea  (Rev.  s  :  u)  made  use 
of  the  book  in  a  work  published  about  a.  d.  130.  Justin  Martyr,  writing  about 
A.  D.  150  in  Ephesus,  mentions  the  Revelation  as  a  work  of  John.  Irenseus, 
writing  about  A.  D.  180,  refers  to  this  book  over  thirty  times,  and  quotes  it  as 
the  work  of  John.  The  Fathers  of  the  Eastern  Church,  Apollonius  of  Ephesus, 
Theophilus  of  Antioch,  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  Hippolytus  of  Rome,  bear 
united  testimony  to  John's  authorship.  Eusebius,  in  his  church  history,  pre- 
sents the  traditions  of  the  Eastern  churches  to  John's  authorship.  Among 
them  all  there  is  only  the  one  conjecture  of  Dionysius  that  perhaps  John  did 
not  write  the  book.  The  early  Latin  Fathers  give  clear  and  unanimous  testi- 
mony to  the  apostolic  authorship  of  the  Apocalypse.  Swete  notes  that  of  the 
nine  hundred  and  thirteen  words  used  in  Revelation,  four  hundred  and  sixteen 
are  found  also  in  the  Gospel ;  that  there  is  a  considerable  number  of  unusual 
constructions  common  to  both  books,  and  that  the  style,  diifering  greatly,  has 
many  points  of  resemblance  both  in  regard  to  sentence  formation  and  the 
phrasing  of  thoughts.  He  also  states  the  fact  that  early  tradition  explicitly 
states  that  "  the  Gospel  was  written  from  dictation,  and  underwent  some  kind  of 
revision  at  the  hands  of  those  who  received  it."  Tlie  two  books  also  resemble 
each  other  in  the  doctrinal  position  that  Jesus  is  the  universal  Lord,  the  Lamb 
whose  death  brings  salvation,  and  who  has  universal  rule.  The  author  of 
Revelation  is  also  a  veritable  "  Son  of  Thunder." 

Harnack  attributes  the  authorship  of  John's  Gospel  and  the  Revelation  to 
John  the  Presbyter,  the  former  not  written  later  than  A.  D.  110,  the  latter  from 
93-96,  but  being  a  revision  of  one  or  more  underlying  Jewish  Apocalypses. 
Porter  holds  substantially  the  same  view  in  Hastings'  "Bible  Dictionary." 
But  Ramsay,  in  his  recently  published  "Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches," 
attributes  the  authorship  to  John  the  apostle.  He  says :  "  It  is  a  psychological 
impossibility  that  tliese  letters  to  the  Asian  churches  could  have  been  written 
except  by  one  who  felt  himself,  and  had  the  right  to  feel  himself,  charged  with 
the  superintendence  and  oversight  of  all  those  churches"  (p.  80).  Concerning 
the  time,  he  says  :  "  The  tradition  that  connects  his  punishment  with  Domitian 
is  too  strong  "  (p.  85). 

The  right  of  this  book  to  a  place  in  the  canon  is  satisfactory.  The  Mura- 
torian  fragment  (a.  d.  175)  gives  it  an  undoubted  place  among  the  received 
New  Testament  books.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  it  was  in  circulation 
during  the  second  half  of  the  second  century,  not  only  in  Asia,  but  in  the  West. 
But  there  arose  objections  to  it,  and  its  general  acceptance  was  long  delayed. 


xxiv       THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 

"  Its  claims  are  great  (i :  i-3 ;  23 :  I6,  is,  19),  and  it  was  probably  treasured  as  the 
most  sacred  of  books  by  those  who  first  received  it.  But  it  did  not  hold  its 
place  in  the  East,  and  its  reception  into  the  canon  was  secured  only  by  the 
advocacy  of  the  Western  Church.  The  Greek  mind  naturally  favored  a  more 
ethical  and  rational  type  of  Christianity,  and  always  opposed  the  millenarian 
ideas  that  appealed  to  this  book  for  support.  Eusebius  records  the  objections 
to  it,  and  seems  to  sympathize  with  them;  and  the  book  was  not  found  in  the 
original  Syriac  New  Testament.  But  the  Western  Church  accepted  it  after  an 
elaborate  defense  by  Hippolytus,  about  A.  D.  215,  and  the  Eastern  Church 
finally  yielded  to  the  West"  (Porter).  "Messages  of  the  Apocalyptical 
Writers,"  p.  190  f.     Comp.  Vedder,  "  Our  New  Testament." 

DATE  OP  WRITING. 

Two  conflicting  theories  are  held,  many  modern  commentators  maintaining 
that  it  was  written  about  A.  D.  68.  In  favor  of  this  view  it  is  urged  that  there 
is  no  reference  in  the  book  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  which  would  have 
been  alluded  to  as  a  judgment  of  God  had  it  taken  place  before  the  book  was 
written ;  that  the  beast  of  Rev.  13 : 1, 18 ;  17 :  3,  8-11  refers  to  the  Emperor  Nero 
reigning  at  that  time ;  that  the  literary  differences  between  this  book  and  the 
Gospel  demand  a  long  period  of  time  between  them.  In  favor  of  the  later 
date  (a.  d.  93-95)  is  the  clear  external  testimony  of  Irenseus,  a  disciple  of 
Polycarp,  a  contemporary  of  John  himself,  whose  words  preserved  in  Eusebius 
are  that  the  Apocalypse  "  was  seen  by  the  apostle  no  long  time  ago,  but  almost 
in  our  generation,  about  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Domitian."  The  first  three 
centuries  had  no  other  view  than  this.  In  favor  of  the  later  date  is  the  de- 
generacy shown  in  the  seven  churches,  much  greater  than  is  manifest  in  Paul's 
letter  to  the  Ephesians  and  the  letters  of  Peter.  John's  intimate  relations  to 
these  churches  bear  testimony  to  a  later  date.  During  Paul's  lifetime  they 
would  naturally  look  to  him  as  their  founder.  After  his  death  John  would 
naturally  become  their  spiritual  guide. 

Alford  says :  "  With  every  desire  to  search  and  prove  all  things,  and  groimd 
faith  on  things  proved,  I  own  I  am  quite  unable  to  come  to  the  conclusion  of 
any  of  the  maintainers  of  the  Neronian,  or  any  of  the  earlier  dates.  The  book 
itself  refuses  the  assignment  of  any  such  times  of  writing.  The  evident  as- 
sumption which  it  makes  of  long-continued  persecution  (e  :  9)  forbids  us  to 
place  it  in  the  very  first  persecution,  and  that  only  a  partial  one.  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  believing,  with  the  ancient  fathers  and  most  competent  witnesses, 
that  it  was  written  about  96  or  97." 

Westcott,  Lightfoot,  and  Hort  hold  to  the  earlier  date.  Ramsay  regards 
it  as  of  slow  growth  until  it  took  its  present  form,  that  "  it  was  not  the  vision 
of  a  day ;  it  embodied  the  contemplation  and  the  insight  of  years,"  that  the 
"  point  of  view  is  the  moment  when  the  apostle  was  snatched  from  the  world 
and  sent  into  banishment."  But  this  is  an  assumption,  which  is  contrary  to 
the  impression  which  the  Revelation  naturally  makes  upon  its  readers.  Professor 
Porter,  in  his  "  Messages  of  the  Apocalyptical  Writers  "  (p.  190),  concludes  that 
the  date  "about,  if  not  exactly,  a.  d.  93,  remains  the  probable  one  for  the  book 


INTRODUCTION 


as  it  stands."    Professor  Bousset,  in  "  Encyclopaedia  Biblica,"  also  dates  Reve- 
lation near  the  close  of  the  first  century. 

Swete,  in  "  The  Apocalypse  of  St.  John  "  (p.  c),  holds  the  later  date  (90- 
96),  and  says:  "This  date  appears  to  be  consistent  with  the  general  character 
and  purpose  of  the  book.  The  Apocalypse,  as  a  whole,  presupposes  a  period 
when  in  Asia,  at  least,  the  church  was  compelled  to  choose  between  Christ  and 
Caesar.  And  the  prophet  foresees  that  this  is  no  local  or  passing  storm,  but 
one  which  will  spread  over  the  whole  empire,  and  run  a  long  course,  ending 
only  with  the  fall  of  paganism  and  of  Eome.  The  coming  of  the  Lord  is  no 
longer  with  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  which  is  viewed  as  an  event  of  past  history. 
A  new  Jerusalem  has  taken  the  place  of  the  old  city  of  God,  and  the  apoca- 
lyptist  can  already  see  its  ideal  glories  revealed.  But  for  the  moment  Babylon 
is  in  the  foreground  of  the  pictui'e,  and  Babylon  must  fall  before  the  end,  and 
after  Babylon  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet.  Even  the  triumph  that  follows 
on  their  destruction  is  not  final,  for  the  dragon  remains  to  be  overcome.  So  the 
coming  is  postponed  indefinitely,  though  the  old  watchword,  '  Behold,  I  come 
quickly,'  still  rings  in  our  ears.  The  whole  standpoint  is  that  of  the  closing 
years  of  the  first  century,  when  the  church  knew  herself  to  be  entering  upon  a 
struggle  of  which  she  could  not  foresee  the  end,  although  of  the  victorious  issue 
she  entertained  no  doubt."  The  discussion  maybe  summed  up  thus:  Thirty 
years  ago  the  majority  of  scholars  held  or  inclined  to  the  earlier  date ;  but  since 
then,  as  a  result  of  more  thorough  investigation,  the  common  opinion  has 
returned  to  the  later  date,  the  closing  years  of  the  reign  of  Domitian. 

TO  WHOM   ADDRESSED  AND  WHY. 

The  Revelation  of  John  is  addressed  to  seven  churches  of  Asia,  and  through 
them  to  other  churches  in  the  province  and  elsewhere.  These  seven  churches, 
as  Professor  Ramsay  points  out,  are  named  in  the  order  that  a  messenger  would 
take  in  conveying  "  the  letter  (perhaps  in  so  many  distinct  copies)  to  the  cen- 
tral cities  of  the  various  provinces"  (p.  183).  It  was  a  book  for  the  times, 
written  to  comfort  and  sustain  a  suffering  church.  It  is  predictive  in  that  in 
general  terms  it  unfolds  the  future.  And  so  its  design,  in  a  fuller  sense,  is  to 
encourage  the  people  of  God  between  the  close  of  direct  revelation  and  the 
second  coming  of  the  Lord.  The  book  plainly  reveals  a  superintending  power 
of  God  in  the  world,  the  downfall  of  all  opposition,  the  sovereignty  of  Christ, 
as  an  ever-present  Christ  in  the  aiFairs  of  the  world.  When  the  conflicts  have 
all  closed,  after  the  lapse  of  centuries,  there  is  beheld  the  conquering  Christ  and 
his  church.  If  any  one  is  in  doubt  as  to  the  interpretation  of  particular  por- 
tions, there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  general  impression  made  on  the  mind  of 
the  reader. 

There  is,  however,  a  wide  contrast  between  the  book  and  a  history  which 
simply  records  dates  and  events.  This  book  represents  God  as  acting  in  behalf 
of  his  people,  over  all  agencies  in  nature.  Over  all  the  movements  in  the  cen- 
turies by  the  great  world  forces  stands  the  controlling  providence  of  God.  It 
might  have  been  an  open  question  when  Christianity  started  on  its  mission,  how 
it  would  succeed  in  such  a  world  as  this.    The  answer  is  found  here  that  against 


xxvi       THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 

brute  force,  against  apostasies  iu  faith,  against  false  philosophy,  Christianity 
would  come  out  a  conquering  cause. 

This  book  occupies  a  unique  doctrinal  place  in  the  New  Testament.  It 
alone  clearly  reveals  tlie  overthrow  of  evil  as  an  organized  agency,  the  over- 
throw of  Satan,  the  providence  of  God  working  in  large  ways,  the  plans  of  God 
working  steadily,  the  future  triumph  of  Christianity  in  the  earth.  Under  He- 
brew figures.  Oriental  imagery,  in  visions,  through  numbers  and  symbolic  acts, 
we  see  this  cause  advancing  and  ultimate  triumph  coming.  To  make  the  New 
Testament  complete  there  was  needed  a  book  of  this  kind,  teaching  in  direct 
statement  or  in  symbol  the  triumph  of  Christianity.  In  this  we  recognize  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

METHODS  OF  INTERPEETATION. 
No  book  in  the  Bible  has  been  so  variously  interpreted  as  the  Revelation 
of  John.  Probably  no  book  has  been  more  misunderstood  or  more  arbitrarily 
treated.  Modesty  and  reserve,  a  prayerful  and  teachable  spirit,  are  needed  in 
considering  and  interpreting  its  contents.  There  are  four  main  systems  of 
interpretation  now  variously  advocated. 

1.  The  "  Preterist  "  method  finds  the  fulfilment  of  the  book,  except  the  last 
chapters,  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  in  the  history  of  pagan  Rome 
during  the  first  emperors.  This  is  substantially  the  "  Scientific"  interpretation 
which  has  grown  up  during  the  last  seventy-five  years.  Some  refer  it  chiefly 
to  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  State,  others  chiefly  to  the  conflict  with  heathen 
Rome,  and  still  others  to  both.  Bleek,  De  Wette,  Stuart,  Cowles,  Farrar,  Por- 
ter, Bousset  hold  to  this  theory. 

2.  The  "  Futurist  "  system  maintains  that  the  entire  book,  except  the  first 
three  chapters,  describes  events  that  will  occur  in  connection  with  the  personal 
coming  of  our  Lord.     Seiss,  Kelly,  De  Burgh,  Todd,  hold  to  this  view. 

3.  The  "  Continuous  Historical  "  theory  regards  the  book  as  giving  a  con- 
tinuous history  of  the  church  from  the  first  century  to  the  end  of  the  age. 
Among  the  leaders  of  this  method  of  interpretation  are  Luther,  Bengel,  Isaac 
Newton,  Elliott,  Alford,  Barnes,  Grattan  Guinness.  From  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury until  recently  this  theory  has  had  almost  universal  sway. 

This  class  of  interpreters,  and  others  also,  are  divided  into  post-millen- 
arians  and  pre-millenarians,  according  as  they  regard  the  millennium  of  chap. 
20  as  past  or  future.  "Augustine  committed  the  radical  error  of  dating  the 
millennium  from  the  time  of  the  Apocalypse  or  the  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian era  (although  the  seer  mentioned  it  near  the  end  of  the  book),  and  his 
view  had  great  influence;  hence  the  wide  expectation  of  the  end  of  the  world 
at  the  close  of  tlie  first  millennium  of  the  Christian  church.  Other  post- 
millenarians  date  the  millennium  from  the  triumph  of  Christianity  over 
paganism  in  Rome  at  the  accession  of  Constantine  the  Great  (311) ;  still  others 
(as  Hengstenberg)  from  the  conversion  of  the  Germanic  nations  or  the  age  of 
Ciiarlemagne.  All  these  calculations  are  refuted  by  events.  The  millennium 
of  the  Apocalypse  must  lie  in  the  future,  and  is  still  an  article  of  hope  "  (P. 
SCHAFF,  "  His.  of  Ch.  Church,"  p.  839). 


INTRODUCTION 


A  good  illustration  of  the  continuous  historical  method  is  that  of  Rev. 
Moses  Lowman  in  his  "  Notes  on  the  Revelation  of  St.  John,"  1737  and  174.5. 
This  was  largely  followed  by  Dr.  Philip  Doddridge  in  his  "  Family  Expositor" 
(Revelation,  about  1750),  and  later  was  incorporated  with  Patrick,  Lowth,  and 
Whitby's  Commentary  (1807).  Mr.  Lowman  divides  the  prophetic  parts  of  this 
book  into  seven  periods.  The  first  represents,  by  the  seals,  the  state  of  the 
church  under  the  heathen  Roman  emperors  from  a.  d.  95  to  323 ;  the  second, 
period  of  the  trumpets,  in  its  state  from  Constantime  A.  D.  337  to  750;  third, 
period  of  the  vials,  its  state  in  the  times  of  tlie  last  head  of  Roman  govern- 
ment, represented  by  the  beast  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
from  about  A.  D.  756  to  2016;  the  fourth  period,  the  millennium  from  A.  I). 
2000  to  3005 ;  fifth  period,  Satan  loosed  f(jr  a  little  season  ;  sixth  period,  the 
resurrection  and  final  judgment;  seventh  period,  the  heavenly  state. 

The  fixing  of  these  dates  must  be  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Hence  they 
differ  in  different  authors.  This  is  true  of  the  starting-point  of  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  years  (Rev.  12  : 6).  Some  would  start  as  early  as  A.  D. 
533.  Guinness,  with  many  others  since  the  sixteenth  century,  starts  with  the 
decree  of  Emperor  Phocar,  in  A.  D.  606-607,  and  find  the  fulfilment  in  the  years 
1866-1870,  in  the  overthrow  of  papal  Austria,  of  the  imperial  power  of  papal 
France,  and  the  loss  of  the  temporal  sovereignty  of  the  pope  of  Rome,  which 
he  had  held  for  more  than  a  thousand  years. 

But  not  only  do  the  advocates  of  this  theory  differ  largely  among  them- 
selves, but  often  with  themselves.  With  the  progress  of  events  they  find  new 
data,  and  their  point  of  view  changes,  and  they  are  compelled  to  make  new 
applications  or  correct  old  ones.  In  a  sense  "  history  is  the  interpreter  of 
prophecy."  But  there  may  be  a  too  narrow  and  too  brief  a  view  of  history,  a 
lack  of  a  true  historical  sense,  or  a  deficiency  in  spiritual  perception.  A  look 
into  the  past  may  help  us.  The  Messianic  and  other  predictions  referred  to  and 
quoted  in  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts,  were  not  fully  understood  till  after  their 
fulfilment.  Indeed  some  of  them  were  such  that  it  would  have  been  impossible, 
without  divine  illumination,  to  know  their  full  meaning  beforehand.  May  we 
not  reasonably  infer  that  the  same  may  be  true  regarding  the  second  coming  of 
Christ  and  the  predictions  preceding  that  event,  especially  when  they  are  given 
in  symbolic  language  ?  Yet  these  prophecies  were  intended  for  God's  people,  to 
be  heard,  read,  and  understood  sufficiently  for  their  comfort,  encouragement, 
and  instruction  (3:7;  i3 :  18;  15  :  <;  22 : 7,  is). 

4.  Such  considerations  have  led  to  the  adoption  of  the  "spiritical"  method, 
of  which  Doctor  Milligan  is  the  best  exponent.  This  method  is  not  new.  Ti- 
conius  in  the  fourth  century  used  a  spiritual  interpretation,  in  his  commentary 
on  the  Apocalypse,  and  it  became  the  commonly  accepted  view  for  ten  centuries 
until  the  Reformation.  It  has  been  revived  by  a  number  of  able  scholars  of 
the  past  generation,  and  is  a  widely  accepted  view  in  Germany,  England,  and 
America.  This  system  aflSrms  that  the  book  covers  the  entire  period  from  the 
first  century  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  but  not  dealing  in  definite  events  so  much 
as  in  great  principles.  One  may  see  in  vision  the  conflicts,  the  degeneracy,  the 
triumphs  of  the  church.     Milligan,  Ebrard,  Godet,  Lee,  Boyd  Carpenter,  and 


xxviii    THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 

Vaughan  (1882)  maintain  this  view.  Bousset  gives  a  historical  survey  of  the 
interpretation  of  the  book  since  the  first  century. 

In  a  book  of  visions  and  symbols  a  literal  interpretation  is  not  possible. 
The  books  of  Daniel,  Ezekiel,  and  Zechariah,  in  the  Old  Testament,  will  throw 
light  on  Revelation.  Large  portions  of  these  books  are  cast  in  the  same  mold 
as  this  book.  The  aim  must  be  to  find  a  rational  and  natural  meaning  for  the 
symbol,  and  one  that  will  hold  good  for  the  entire  book,  and  will  be  in  harmony 
with  the  Old  Testament  apocalyptic  books.  A  knowledge  of  the  non-canonical 
Jewish  apocalypses  will  be  helpful  in  showing  a  common  stock  of  imagery  with 
which  John  was  familiar.  But  here  one  must  be  on  his  guard.  As  in  the 
parable  so  in  the  apocalyptic  vision  there  is  the  drapery  which  belongs  to  the 
scenery  of  the  book,  and  must  not  be  pressed  in  the  interpretation.  The  book 
teaches  the  general  principles  that  constitute  God's  revelation  to  men.  It  is 
also  an  apocalypse,  an  uncovering  of  what  otherwise  would  be  hidden.  The  one 
central  thought  of  Revelation  is — the  ascended,  glorified,  crucified  Christ  so 
ruling  among  men  that  in  time,  despite  opposition,  his  kingdom  becomes 
established  in  the  world,  and  earth  and  heaven  touch  each  other.  Like  Daniel 
the  Revelation  is  an  unfolding  of  the  meaning  and  end  of  the  history  of  the 
world.  The  explanation  of  the  Saviour's  discourse  in  the  twenty-fourth  cliapter 
of  Matthew  will  give  an  illustration  of  the  method  to  be  adopted.  In  that 
chapter  is  a  reference  to  an  impending  event,  tlie  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
then  a  widening  horizon  that  reaches  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Here  also  events 
that  are  near  in  time  shadow  forth  events  that  will  reach  to  the  end  of  the 
ages.  If  we  might  judge  beforehand  how  a  revelation  would  be  made  we  might 
surmise  that  a  paradise  lost  in  the  Old  Testament  would  be  counterbalanced  by 
a  paradise  regained  in  the  New  Testament.  That  historical  characters  and 
events  of  the  seer's  own  time  are  referred  to  is  generally  accepted  ;  the  only 
question  is  whether  there  is  any  reference  to  the  history  of  the  church  between 
the  author's  time  and  the  still  future  consummation.  That  there  is  such  a 
reference  is  maintained  in  this  commentary. 

Many  questions  touched  upon  in  this  introduction  are  further  noticed  as 
they  arise  in  the  commentary.  See  especially  introductory  note  to  Chap.  VI. 
and  Note  II.,  p.  2.55. 

For  a  list  of  over  one  hundred  leading  commentaries  on  Revelation  see 
Introduction  to  Meyer's  commentary.    See  also  Swete,  Introduction,  cxciii-ccii. 

The  following  works  can  be  profitably  consulted  : 

"The  Apocalypse  of  St.  John,"  the  Greek  text,  with  introduction,  notes, 
and  indices  by  Henry  Barclay  Swete,  D.  D.  (1906).  The  introduction  is  sur- 
passingly excellent.  The  notes  are  critical,  scholarly,  and  suggestive.  Their 
brevity  is  often  to  be  regretted.  His  method  of  interpretation  is  not  identified 
with  any  of  the  chief  systems  of  apocalyptic  exegesis,  but  at  times  it  touches 
each.  "  With  the  '  preterists '  it  will  take  on  the  circumstances  of  the  age  and 
locality  to  which  the  book  belongs,  and  will  connect  the  greater  part  of  the 
prophecy  with  the  destiny  of  the  empire  under  which  the  prophet  lived  ;  with 
the  'futurists'  it  will  look  for  the  fulfilment  of  St.  John's  pregnant  words  in 
times  yet  to  come.    With  the  school  of  Auberlen  and  Benson  it  will  find  in 


INTRODUCTION 


XXIX 


the  Apocalypse  a  Christian  philosophy  of  history ;  with  the  '  continuous  his- 
torical '  school  it  can  see  in  the  progress  of  events  ever  new  illustrations  of  the 
working  of  the  great  principles  which  are  revealed.  And  while  it  maintains, 
against  the  majority  of  recent  continental  scholars,  the  essential  unity  of  the 
book  and  its  prophetic  inspiration,  it  will  gladly  accept  all  that  research  and 
discovery  can  yield  for  the  better  understanding  of  the  conditions  under  which 
the  book  was  written."    Introduction,  p.  ccxiv. 

"Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches,"  W.  M.  Ramsay,  D.  c.  L.  (1904).  This 
■work  is  very  valuable  for  the  light  it  throws  upon  the  historical,  geographical, 
and  religious  condition  of  the  province  of  Asia.  But  Professor  Ramsay's 
enthusiasm  seems  at  times  to  affect  his  inferences  and  interpretation.  The 
work  is  worthy  of  careful  study. 

"The  Messages  of  the  Apocalyptic  Writers,"  by  Frank  C.  Porter,  PH.  D., 
D.  D.  (1905).  Much  may  be  learned  of  apocalyptic  literature,  "the  struggle 
of  Judaism  with  Antiochus  and  Hellenism,  and  the  struggle  of  Christianity 
with  Rome."  The  work  is  learned,  but  needs  to  be  read  with  some  reserve  as 
to  the  fulfilment  of  both  Daniel  and  the  Revelation.  Professor  Porter  assumes 
and  defends  the  late  date  of  the  book  of  Daniel.  For  the  early  date  see 
"Speaker's  Commentary"  (1876);  Prof.  John  B.  Davis,  "Dictionary  of  the 
Bible,"  Daniel  (1898);  Schatf-Herzog,  "Encyclopaedia  of  Religious  Knowl- 
edge" (1882),  Daniel,  end  of  article  on  Chronology  and  Genuineness;  James 
Orr,  "  Problem  of  the  O.  T."  pp.  428,  458,  534,  536. 

The  commentary  of  Milligan,  "The  Book  of  Revelation"  (1889),  and  of 
Simcox,  "The  Revelation  of  St.  John"  (1893),  can  be  profitably  compared. 
"  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,"  by  Edward  Gibbon,  Milman's 
edition  (1856),  is  recommended. 

A  CRITICAL  BASIS. 

This  volume,  like  those  that  preceded  it,  has  been  prepared  on  the  Common 
version  in  connection  with  the  Critical  Greek  text.  While  interpretations  and 
conclusions  have  been  expressed  in  a  popular  way  to  the  English  reader,  they 
have  been  drawn  and  suggested  by  a  careful  study  of  the  original  Scripture. 
In  many  places  there  is  much  opportunity  for  difierences  of  opinion,  but 
generally  it  has  been  possible  to  speak  only  from  our  own  point  of  view. 

It  is  well  known  among  scholars  that  the  received  Greek  text  of  Revela- 
tion was  more  than  ordinarily  defective.  It  was  founded  on  the  texts  of 
Erasmus  and  of  the  Complutensian  editors,  as  reedited  by  R.  Stephens  (1550) 
and  printed  by  the  Elzevirs  at  Leyden,  1624  and  1633.  In  forming  his  Greek 
text  of  Revelation,  early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  Erasmus  had  but  one  manu- 
script, and  that  one,  says  Tregelles,  "  appears  to  have  been  in  a  mutilated  con- 
dition. It  contained  the  Greek  text,  with  a  commentary  interspersed,  and  he 
had  to  separate  the  words  of  the  text  as  best  he  could.  In  not  a  few  places  he 
clearly  took  the  commentary  for  the  text,  and  thus  inserted  readings  found  in 
no  Greek  manuscript ;  where  his  manuscript  was  altogether  illegible,  he  appears 
to  have  relied  on  the  Latin  Vulgate,  and  to  have  supplied  words  in  the  Greek 
by  retranslating  them  from  it.    We  know  this  was  the  case  with  the  last  six 


XXX        THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 


verses  of  the  book ;  iu  his  manuscript  they  were  wholly  wanting,  owing  to  its 
mutilated  condition,  and  he  ventured  on  the  bold  expedient  of  supplying  them 
by  his  own  translation  from  the  Latin."  The  Complutensian  editors  (about 
1520)  are  said  by  Wetstein  to  have  had  but  a  single  manuscript  of  Revelation, 
from  whose  text,  according  to  Mill,  Erasmus  in  his  fourth  edition  (1527)  trans- 
ferred ninety  variations ;  and  as  reedited  by  Stephens  (1550),  it  is  asserted  of 
him,  that  he  used  only  two  imperfect  manuscripts.  As  a  result  some  of  these 
imperfections  have  come  down  to  us  in  the  Common  version. 

With  an  increased  number  of  manuscripts,  some  of  them  most  ancient,  it 
has  become  possible  to  form  a  more  satisfactory  Greek  text  of  Revelation,  from 
which  late  English  versions  have  been  made.  Several  years  ago,  in  issuing 
commentaries  on  the  Epistles,  the  Improved  Bible  Union  version  was  placed 
beside  the  Common  version  as  the  best  English  expression  of  the  critical  text. 
The  same  version  is  used  in  this  volume  to  make  it  uniform  with  preceding 
volumes.  The  American  Standard  Revision  is  also  recommended  for  reference 
and  comparison,  with  which  tlie  Bible  Union  version  is  generally  in  accord. 

Swete,  in  his  valuable  introduction  to  his  "Critical  Commentary  on  the 
Apocalypse"  (1906),  has  a  scholarly  chapter  on  the  Greek  text  of  this  book 
(pp.  clxxxiii-cxcii).  See  also  Westcott  and  Hort  Greek  N.  T.,  Vol.  II.  Intro- 
duction by  Doctor  Hort,  §  344. 

analysis  of  the  book. 
The  prologue,  1  :  1-20. 

1.  The  inscription  and  salutation,  1  :  1-8. 

2.  The  vision  of  the  Lord,  1  :  9-20. 

.  I.  The  letters  to  the  seven  churches,  2  :  11-3  :  22. 
Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Pergamos,  Thyatira,  Sardis,  Philadelphia,  Laodicea. 

II.  The  vision  of  god  and  of  the  lamb,  4:1-5:  14. 

1.  The  vision  of  the  divine  majesty,  4  :  1-8. 

2.  The  imceasing  hymn  of  praise,  4  :  9-11. 

3.  The  book  with  the  seven  seals,  5  :  1-7. 

4.  The  adoration  of  the  Lamb,  5  :  8-14. 

III.  The  opening  of  the  seven  seals,  6:1-8: 1. 

1.  The  opening  of  the  first  seal,  6:1,2. 

2.  The  opening  of  the  second  seal,  6  :  3,  4. 

3.  The  opening  of  the  third  seal,  6  :  5,  6. 

4.  The  opening  of  the  fourth  seal,  6  :  7,  8. 

5.  The  opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  6  :  9-11. 

6.  The  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  6  :  12-17. 

7.  The  sealing  of  the  servants  of  God,  7  :  1-8. 

8.  The  innumerable  multitude,  7  :  9-17. 

9.  The  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  8  :  1. 


INTRODUCTION 


IV.  The  sounding  of  the  seven  trumpets,  8  :  2-11 :  18. 
i.  The  sounding  of  the  first  trumpet,  8  :  2-7. 

2.  The  sounding  of  the  second  ti'umpet,  8  :  8,  9. 

3.  The  sounding  of  the  third  trumpet,  8  :  10,  11. 

4.  The  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet,  8  :  12. 

5.  The  three  woe-trumpets  announced,  8  :  13. 

6.  The  sounding  of  the  fifth  or  first  woe-trumpet,  9  :  1-12. 

7.  The  sounding  of  the  sixth  or  second  woe-trumpet,  9  :  13-21. 

8.  The  vision  of  the  little  book,  10  :  1-11. 

9.  The  measuring  of  the  temple,  11  :  1,  2. 

10.  The  prophesying  of  the  two  witnesses,  11  :  3-14. 

11.  The  sounding  of  the  seventh  or  third  woe-trumpet,  11  :  15-19. 

V.  The  church  and  her  three  enemies,  12  :  1-13  :  18. 

1.  The  vision  of  the  woman  and  the  great  red  dragon,  12  :  1~C. 

2.  The  war  between  Michael  and  the  dragon,  12  :  7-9. 

3.  The  rejoicing  in  heaven  over  the  fall  of  Satan,  12  :  10-12. 

4.  The  deliverance  of  the  woman,  12  :  13-17. 

5.  The  vision  of  the  first  beast,  13  :  1-10. 

6.  The  vision  of  the  second  beast,  13  :  11-18. 

VI.  The  series  of  the  seven  bowls  of  wrath,  14  : 1-16  :  21. 

1.  Three  consolatory  visions,  14  :  1-20. 

(1)  The  vision  of  the  Lamb  with  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand, 
14  :  1-5. 

(2)  The  vision  of  three  angels  of  judgment,  14  :  6-13. 

(3)  The  visions  of  the  harvests  of  the  saints  and  the  wicked,  14  :  14-20. 

2.  The  seven  bowls  of  wrath,  15  :  1-16  :  21. 

(1)  The  vision  of  the  sea  of  glass  15  :  1-4. 

(2)  The  seven  angels  with  their  seven  bowls,  15  :  5-8. 

(3)  The  first  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  1,  2. 

(4)  The  second  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  3. 

(5)  The  third  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  4-7. 

(6)  The  fourth  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  8,  9. 

(7)  The  fifth  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  10,  11. 

(8)  The  sixth  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  12-16. 

(9)  The  seventh  bowl  of  wrath,  16  :  17-21. 

VII.  Destruction  of  the  harlot  and  Babylon,  17  : 1-19  :  10. 

1.  Description  of  the  great  harlot,  17  :  1-6. 

2.  Explanation  of  the  mystery  of  the  beast  and  the  harlot,  17  :  7-18. 

3.  Fall  of  Babylon  announced,  18  :  1-3. 

4.  The  summons  to  the  godly  to  leave  the  city,  18  :  4-8. 

5.  Lamentation  over  the  fall  of  the  city,  18  :  9-20. 

6.  Symbolic  proclamation  of  Babylon's  fall,  18  :  21-24. 

7.  A  song  of  triumph  over  the  fall  of  Babylon,  19  :  1-10. 


xxxii     THE  REVELATION  (APOCALYPSE)  OF  JOHN 

VIII.  The  consummation  of  all  things,  19  :  11-22. 

1.  Christ  destroys  the  beast  and  false  prophet,  19  :  11-22  :  5. 

2.  The  binding  of  the  dragon,  20  :  1-3. 

3.  The  millennial  kingdom  of  Christ,  20  :  4-6. 

4.  The  final  victory  over  Satan,  20  :  7-10. 

5.  The  final  judgment  of  the  wicked,  20  :  11-15. 

6.  The  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth,  21  :  1-8. 

7.  Vision  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  21  :  9-27. 

8.  The  paradise  of  God,  22  :  1-5. 

The  epilogue,  22  :  6-21. 

1.  The  testimony  of  the  angel,  22  :  6,  7,  10,  11. 

2.  The  testimony  of  John,  22  :  8,  9. 

3.  The  testimony  of  Jesus,  22  :  12-17. 

4.  The  benediction,  22  :  18-21. 


I.  JOHN 


Fellowship  with  God  through  the  incarnated 

Christ ;  its  nature  and  effects. 
1      THAT  "which  was  from  the  begin- 


THAT  which  was  from  the  begin- 


a  2  ;  13;  John  1  :  1. 


CHAPTER  I. 

In  the  Introduction  we  have  the  fun- 
damental thought  of  the  entire  letter, 
the  reality  and  divinity  of  the  person 
of  Christ,  who,  as  the  Logos  or  Word, 
existed  eternally  with  God.  John  has 
a  conscious  fellowship  with  the  Father 
through  the  manifested  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  and  he  writes  that  his  readers 
may  enter  into  the  same  fellowship  and 
share  in  the  joy  of  God's  people  (ver. 
1-*).  This  fellowship  with  God  in- 
volves a  waliiing  in  the  light;  and 
walking  in  the  light  includes  a  fellow- 
ship with  God  and  with  the  brethren. 
A  fellowship  with  God  involves  a  fel- 
lowship with  all  his  moral  e.iccellencies, 
a  departure  from  all  unholiness,  being 
cleansed  from  sin  by  the  blood  of  Christ 

(ver.  5-7). 

It  includes  also  a  sense  of  sin  and  tlie 
confession  of  sin.  The  denial  of  sin- 
fulness involves  self-deception.  But 
confession  of  sin  brings  forgiveness, 
inasmuch  as  God's  faithfulness  and 
holiness  are  pledged  to  this  gracious 
result.  The  central  thoughts  of  the 
chapter  are  walking  in  the  light,  fel- 
lowship with  God,  the  consciousness 
and  confession  of  sin,  the  forgiveness 

of  sin  (ver.  8-10). 

1-4.  Introduction.  The  writer's 
message  concerning  Jesus  Christ,  his 
eternal  preexistence,  and  the  identity 
and  reality  of  that  life  manifested 
among  men,  together  with  his  purpose 
in  writing. 

1.  That  Avhich,  etc.  This  passage 
is  indefinite  in  itself,  but  is  fully  ex- 
plained in  the  following  clauses.  There 
IS  a  likeness  between  the  opening  sen- 
tence here  and  the  beginning  of  John's 


Gospel.  In  both  he  connects  Jesus 
Christ  with  the  preexistent  life.  The 
other  evangelists  traced  the  life  of 
Jesus  to  Abraham,  to  Adam.  John  at 
one  step  takes  us  into  the  prior  eternity. 
His  aim  here  is  to  show  the  identity  of 
that  preexisting  person,  the  Word, 
with  that  person  known  among  men 
as  Jesus,  whoseireality  was  attested  by 
the  testing  of  the  senses.  Before  the 
birth  at  Bethlehem,  he  was  known  as 

the  Logos,  the  Word  (see  John  1:1).    As  a 

word  makes  manifest  the  invisible 
thought,  so  Jesus  is  the  manifestation 
of  God  who  is  the  invisible  God  ( i  Tim. 
6  :  16),  John  does  not  introduce  Jesus 
as  a  person,  in  the  strict  sense,  but  uses 
instead  a  word  in  the  neuter  form, 
That  which.  To  the  apostle  Christ  is 
life  itself.  But  life  itself,  viewed  in  the 
absolute  sense,  may  be  looked  at  more 
as  an  idea  or  a  conception  than  as  a 
person.  He  did  not  intend  to  apply 
the  term  directly  to  the  Son  of  God  ;  in 
that  event  he  would  have  used  the  mas- 
culine pronoun.  But  he  had  the  Son 
of  God  in  view,  and  meant  to  make  a 
strong  affirmation  concerning  him,  but 
the  thing  here  had  in  mind  was  the 
proof,  the  evidence  of  the  senses  that 
he  was  a  real  person.  Jesus  is  more 
than  an  individual,  one  human  person  ; 
he  is  also  the  embodied  life.  John, 
in  his  ideal  way,  therefore  looks  upon 
Christ  in  this  passage  as  the  life  rather 
than  as  a  living  person.  He  regards 
Jesus  as  having  no  beginning  in  that 
preexistent  state.  He  Avas  ;  not  he  be- 
gan to  be.  In  like  manner  Jesus  says : 
"  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am  "  (John  8  : 
58).  The  difference  between  "he  was" 
and  "  he  began  to  be  "  is  the  difference 
between  an  eternally  preexistent  being 

33 


34 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  1. 


uing,  which  we  have  heard,  »>  which 
we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  « which 
we  have  looked  upon,  and  dour  liauds 


ning,  that  which  we  have  heard,  that 
which  we  have  seen  with  our  eyes, 
that  which  we  belield,  and  our  hands 


b  Luke  1:2;  Acts  1  :  3. 


c  2  Peter  1  :  16. 


d  Luke  24  :  39. 


and  one  whose  life  had  a  beginning  in 
time. 

From  the  beginning.  In  John 
1  :  1  the  apostle  speaks  of  Jesus  as  ex- 
isting in  the  beginning,  having  his  life 
in  eternity,  with  the  implied  athrma- 
tion  that  there  was  no  time  in  the  past 
when  he  began  to  be.  Alford  says 
that  the  two  expressions,  "in  the  be- 
ginning" and  "from  the  beginning" 
in  the  drift  of  their  meaning  express 
the  same  thought.  This  expression 
emphasizes  rather  the  point  of  de- 
parture from  which  his  existence  is 
reckoned.  He  dwelt  in  eternity,  he 
exists  from  the  beginning.  Unitarians 
and  those  who  deny  the  eternal  pre- 
existence  of  Christ  make  the  expres- 
sion/ro7n.  the  begijinincf  refer  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  gospel  dispensation.  But 
it  is  evident  from  the  term  "manifested ' ' 
in  ver.  2  that  John  refers  to  some- 
thing that  had  a  prior  spiritual  exist- 
ence, and  then  was  manifested,  became 
open  to  the  examination  and  testimony 
of  the  senses.  The  one  manifested  was 
also  a  person  who  had  been  with  the 
Father  (ver.  2).  Barnes,  in  his  notes, 
regards  the  exjiression  as  having  refer- 
ence to  the  beginning  of  his  manifesta- 
tion as  the  Son  of  God.  But  this  is  an 
obviously  untena])le  view.  When  John 
uses  the  expression  "beginning"  in  a 
limited  sense,  as  in  12  :  7,  24 ;  3  :  2,  the 
context  makes  it  evident  that  the  refer- 
ence is  to  a  recent  or  temporal  begin- 
ning. Four  times  the  writer  makes 
use  of  the  term,  "that  which,"  in  this 
verse,  referring  to  the  same  thing,  the 
same  person.  He  wishes  not  merely 
to  show  tlie  reality  of  Christ's  exist- 
ence among  men  as  testitied  to  by  a 
personal  examination,  but  also  to  show 
that  that  wliich  existed  in  the  eternal 
state  is  identical  with  that  which  was 
manifested  in  a  human  life.  It  was  a 
real  Christ  that  John  believed  in  ;  it 
was  the  same  Christ  existing  beibre  the 
foundation  of  the  world  (Johu  17  :  24), 
manifested  in  Galilee,  suffering  on  the 
cross,  exalted  on  high.  John  gives 
four  proofs,  evidences  of  the  reality  of 
the  manifested  Cliiist :  hearing,  seeing, 
gazing  upon,  handling. 


We    have    heard.    The   we   may 

refer  to  the  entire  apostolic  body, 
though  the  reference  must  be  mainly 
to  John  alone.  It  is  noticeable  that 
John  has  a  fondness  for  repeating  the 
words  of  the  Saviour  that  reveal  the 
inner  life  of  Christ  and  his  relation  to 
the  Father.  We  must  join  the  expres- 
sion of  the  Word,  rather,  conceiving 
the  Word,  to  the  verb  heard.  The  words 
spoken  by  Jesus  and  concerning  Jesus 
bore  testimony  to  the  reality  of  his  life 
and  his  preexistence.  It  is  on  the 
ground  of  Jesus'  testimony  concerning 
himself,  the  impossibility  of  his  being 
deceived,  the  impossibility  of  his  de- 
ceiving others,  that  we  base,  to  a  large 
extent,  our  belief  concerning  his  per- 
son. Added  to  his  testimony  is  the 
united  witnessing  of  men,  honest, 
capable,  with  large  opportunity  for 
observation.  Their  testimony  makes 
for  us  an  immovable  foundation  for 
belief.  Have  seen.  This  refers  to  a 
second  and  higher  testing,  inasmuch 
as  seeing  is  more  convincing  than  hear- 
ing. The  eye  is  a  better  witness  than 
the  ear.  It  was  a  real  life  that  had 
been  seen.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
on  this  point,   it  was  no  apparition. 

(Corap.  2  Peter  1  :  16  )        A    sigllt    of    JcSUS 

embraced  also  a  sight  of  his  miracles, 
the  evidence  of  a  divine  indwelling 
power,  showing  a  close  relationship  to 
God,  and  revealing  a  life  divine  before 
it  was  manifested  here.  With  our 
eyes.  TJiis  adds  force  to  the  testi- 
mony as  that  of  an  eye-witness.  He 
can  say  nothing  too  strong  concerning 
Ciirist ;  in  his  mind  there  are  no 
doubts.  The  reality  of  Christ's  person 
was  attested  by  his  own  personal  ex- 
perience, extending  through  years. 
Have  looked  upon,  rather,  beheld. 
This  verb  is  in  the  aorist  tense,  indi- 
cating the  particular  acts  in  the  Sa- 
viour's life.  The  word  here  made  use 
of  is  different  from  that  rendered  seen. 
He  does  not  mean  a  spiritual  behold- 
ing, but  a  contemplation  with  the 
bodily  eyes.  He  had  riveted  his  eyes 
on  Jesus  as  friend.  Lamb  of  God, 
teacher,  Lord.  Have  handled, 
rather,  handled,    Jesus  was  no  ghost, 


Ch.  I.] 


I.  JOH^^ 


35 


have  handled,  of   the  Word  of   life; 

2  (for  'the  life  was  manifested,  and  we 
have  seen  it,  'and  bear  witness,  and 
show  unto  you  that  eternal  life,  e  which 
was  with  the  Father,  and  was  mani- 

3  fested  unto  us;)  ii  that  which  we  have 


handled,  concerning  the  Word  of  life  ;— 

2  and  tlie  life  was  manifested,  and  we 
have  seen,  and  bear  testimony,  and 
report  to  you  the  eternal  life,  which 
was  with  the  Father,  and  was  mani- 

3  fested  to   us ;— that   which   we   have 


e  JohQ  1 :  4 ;  2  Tim.  1  :  10. 


/  John  21  :  24  ;  Acts  2  ;  32. 


g  John  1  :  1,  2. 


A  Acts  4  :  20. 


but  had  an  actual  body  both  before 
and  after  the  resurrection.  (Sce  joUa 
20:20,27)  That  which  was  from  the 
beginning  with  the  Father,  spirit,  was 
now  la  incarnate  form,  that  could  be 
felt  by  human  hands.  The  belief  in 
the  real  Jesus,  his  humanity,  his  di- 
vinity, is  so  essential  that  John  pre- 
sents these  four  proofs,  rising  to  a 
climax,  heard,  seen,  contemplated,  felt. 
The  eye  and  ear  might  be  deceived, 
the  sense  of  feeling  could  be  depended 
on.  Jesus  was  no  apparition  ;  a  ghost 
could  not  make  atonement  for  sin  or 
know  how  to  sympathize  with  men 
living  a  real  human  life  in  tlie  flesh. 
His  words  and  liis  works  combine  to 
show  his  divine  nature  and  his  real 
physical  person.  Of  the  Word  of 
life,  rather,  concerning.  Tlie  prepo- 
sition depends  directly  upon  the  term 
heard,  and  indirectly  upon  tlie  other 
verbs.  The  entire  clause  is  in  appo- 
sition to  the  preceding.  That  which 
was  from  the  beginning  is  the  Word  of 
life.  Two  different  lines  of  interpreta- 
tion arise  at  this  point,  springing  from 
different  meanings  given  to  the  term 
Word.  It  is  maintained  by  some  that 
this  has  reference  to  the  proclamation 
of  life  made  by  Christ.  It  is  better  to 
regard  the  term  Word  as  having  tlie 
same  meaning  that  it  has  in  John  1:1. 
Jesus  is  the  manifested  God,  the  Logos, 
the  Word.  The  reference  is  directly  to 
the  person  of  Christ.  There  is  an"  in- 
finite remove  between  the  terms  word 
and  Word.  In  the  Word  was  life. 
Jesus  is  the  life  (John  le  :  «),  the  bread 
of  life  (John  6  ;  35),  the  light  of  life  (Joi'o 
8:12).  Jesus  has  all  fulness  of  life 
in  himself.  One  of  the  ruling  words 
in  this  letter  is  life — life  in  Christ,  life 
with  Christ,  life  for  Christ.  It  does 
not  mean  existence  simply,  but  life  in 
its  full  sense,  involving  blessedness, 
holiness,  happiness,  life  like  God's 
own  life. 

2.  This  verse  is  parenthetical.  The 
mention  of  life  in  ver.  1  leads  John  to 
dwell  on  this  thought,  holding  back 


for  a  time  the  conclusion  that  follows 
naturally  from  tlie  preceding  state- 
ment. For,  rsLther,and,  was  mani- 
fested. From  being  invisible  it  had 
become  visible.  Jesus  did  not  begin 
to  be  at  Betiilehem.  There  was  a  re- 
vealing of  God's  life  with  its  holiness, 
joy,  peace,  blessedness,  through  the 
incarnation.  What  had  been  from 
eternity  came  into  a  human  life  and 
was  handled  by  men.  The  manifesta- 
tion involved  a  coming  in  the  flesh, 
and  the  denial  of  this  was  the  essence 
of  antichrist  (4  : 2).  Seen.  John, 
as  is  his  manner,  turns  this  thought 
over  and  over  again.  He  had  been  a 
personal  associate  of  Christ.  If  any 
were  wavering  in  their  minds  as  to  the 
reality  of  Christ's  person,  John  assures 
them  that  he  and  others  had  seen  the 
life,  the  Christ  who  was  life.  Bear 
witness.  As  John  could  not  be  de- 
ceived and  would  not  deceive  others, 
his  testimony  should  have  great  weight, 
lie  was  a  witness  to  what  Christ  was 
and  did,  and  what  he  could  do  in  the 
hearts  of  believers.  Show,  rather, 
declare.  As  a  witness  John  declares, 
not  in  this  letter  only,  but  always  and 
everywhere  that  Jesus  is  the  manifes- 
tation of  all  that  God  has  of  life  for 
the  soul.  That  eternal  life,  rather, 
the  life,  the  eternal  life.  Jesus  in  that 
preexistent  state  was  the  source  of  all 
life,  physical,  I'ational,  spiritual  (John 
1  :  4).  With  the  Father.  This 
affirms  personal  as.sociation  and  fellow- 
ship with  the  Father.  It  proves  also 
that  the  life  here  considered  was  em- 
bodied in  a  per.son.  This  verse  is  not 
a  mere  restatement  of  the  first  verse  in 
other  terms ;  there  is  a  distinct  advance 
in  the  thought.  Four  additional  state- 
ments are  made:  The  life  was  with  the 
Father,  was  eternal  in  its  duration, 
was  manifested  ;  and  the  apostolic  de- 
claration on  these  points  was  unani- 
mous and  decided. 

3.  With  this  verse  John  resumes 
the  statement  of  ver.  1.  He  wa.s  an 
eye  and  ear-witness  of  Jesus.    What 


3G 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  1. 


seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you, 
that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship  with 
lis:  and  truly  '"our  fellowship  is  with 
the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
4  Christ.  And  these  things  write  we 
unto  you,  ^  that  your  joy  may  be  full. 


seen  and  have  heard  we  report  to  you 
also,  that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship 
with  us;  and  our  fellowship  also  is 
with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son 
4  Jesus  Christ.  And  these  things  we 
write  that  our  joy  may  be  made  full. 


i  John  14  :  20-23  ;  17  :  21 :  1  Cor.  1  :  9. 


k  John  15  :  11  ;  2  John  12. 


lie  had  seen  and  heard  he  announces 
ill  this  letter  and  in  liis  otlier  writ- 
ings, to  those  who  had  not  seen 
Christ  in  the  flesh.  The  purpose  of 
this  writing  is  announced,  that  ye 
may  have  fellowship  with  us  : 
Have  in  common  the  certainty  of 
Christ's  presence  in  the  flesh  and  his 
divine  nature  with  tlie  consequent 
peace  and  joy  that  come  from  knowing 
these  tilings.  Our  fellowship  .  .  . 
Jesus  Christ.  John  unites  his  read- 
ers, not  to  a  simple  outward  fellowsliip 
with  the  apostles,  but  to  a  spiritual 
fellowship  with  the  Father  through 
Jesus  Christ.  God  is  fully  nuule 
known  to  us  only  through  Christ 
the  Son.  The  joining  of  these  two 
terms  together,  Father,  Son,  is  a  proof, 
the  stronger  for  being  incidental,  that 
John  had  no  doul>t  of  the  deity  of 
Jesus.  He  would  not  consciously  have 
joined  the  uncreated  God  with  a  created 
being.  The  believer  may  have  fellow- 
ship with  God  in  the  enjoyment  of 
God's  own  life,  peace,  joy,  thoughts, 
and  desires.  Heaven  is  the  life  on 
earth  expanded  and  freed  from  imper- 
fections. There  is  a  fellowship  with 
God  in  service.  A  godlike  man  re- 
veals God  to  man.  Christians  are  the 
letters  of  Christ  known  and  read  by 
all  men.  There  is  a  fellowship  with 
God  in  prayer  and  communion  of  soul, 
the  enjoyment  of  God's  presence,  as 
real  as  that  of  friend  with  friend. 
John's  conception  of  the  Christian  life 
is  that  of  a  direct  per.sonal  relation 
with  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  This 
comes,  as  a  rule,  only  by  a  correct 
knowledge  concerning  God  and  Jesus. 
The  church  is  meant  to  be  a  help  to 
the  spiritual  fellowship  with  Christ. 
Fellowship  with  Christ  must  precede, 
in  order  of  time,  the  connection  with 
the  church.  Any  inversion  of  this 
order  is  ruinous  to  the  soul  and  a  con- 
tradiction of  the  Scriptures. 

4.  The  purpose  of  writing  is  an- 
nounced by  the  author.  The  expres- 
sion these  things  refers  not  simply 


to  what  has  here  been  stated,  but  to  the 
contents  of  the  entire  Epistle.  He  had 
already  announced  the  general  aim  of 
the  apostolic  proclamations.  The  we 
refers  mainly  to  John,  though  it  in- 
cludes the  unity  of  the  apostolic  teach- 
ing. With  this  announced  purpose  of 
writing  see  also  2  :  1,  7,  8, 12,  36 ;  5  :  13. 
Your  joy.  The  Revised  version 
reads  oiir  joy.  Many  old  manuscripts 
have  your.  A  result  of  fellowship 
with  Christ  is  joy  (Joi>n  is  :  ii;  n  :  is). 
The  direct  results  of  the  Christian  life 
may  be  persecutions  and  losses,  but  in 
and  through  them  all  will  be  Christ's 
own  sustaining  power  and  the  attend- 
ant blessings  (Matt.  5  :  10-12 ;  19  :  29).  The 
reconciliation  with  God,  the  sense  of 
sonship,  the  guidance  in  life,  the  sus- 
taining care,  the  hope  of  a  blessed  im- 
mortality, all  contribute  to  an  abiding 
joy.  The  results  produced  in  the  lives 
of  John's  readers,  the  wider  knowledge 
and  holiness  begotten  in  them,  would 
produce  in  John  a  fulness  of  joy.  In 
like  manner  Paul  writes  of  his  own 
joy  begotten  by  the  holy  lives  of  his 
disciples  p  Thesa.  2 :  19).  Tlic  repentance 
of  one  sinner  makes  joy  among  the 
angels  (Luke  1,5 :  t).  It  IS  ouc  mark  of 
a  Ctiristian  that  his  joy  is  increased  in 
seeing  others  come  to  a  right  knowl- 
edge of  God.  Imperfections  in  the 
lives  of  his  readers  would  disturb  the 
profound  peace  and  rest  of  his  own 
soul,  Paul  wept  over  the  ungodly 
lives  of  some  professing  Christians 
(Phil.  8  :  18).  In  like  manner  God  is 
grieved    at   the    waywardness   of   his 

creatures  (Gen.  6:6). 

Note.— Why  did  John  write 
THIS  LETTER?  It  is  ncedful  to  bear  in 
mind  John's  purpose  in  writing  this 
letter.  The  surroundings,  the  times,  the 
heresies  then  rife,  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances to  which  he  refers ;  all  these 
must  be  kept  in  mind  as  helps  to  the 
understanding  of  it.  After  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  Paul  the  influences  which 
liad    already  begun  to  oppose   them- 


Ch.  I.] 


f.  JOHN 


37 


selves  to  the  Christian  life  in  the 
churches  of  Asia  Minor  broke  forth 
with  increased  strength  when  no  longer 
restrained  by  the  weight  of  Paul's  per- 
sonal character  and  authority.  The 
closing  part  of  the  tirst  centurj'  was 
full  of  speculations  that  touched  and 
opposed  the  foundation  teachings  of 
the  Christian  Aiith.  They  menaced 
the  existence  of  Christianity  itself. 
The  discussions  in  Paul's  letters  had 
reference  to  the  question  whether 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Saviour 
would  of  itself  be  sufficient  for  sal- 
vation, or  whether  in  addition  to 
this  an  obedience  to  the  Mosaic  law 
was  not  essential.  In  John's  day  the 
main  point  of  conflict  was  as  to  the 
person  of  Christ.  An  inadequate  con- 
ception of  the  person  of  Christ  must 
lead  inevitably  to  an  inadequate  con- 
ception of  the  power  and  work  of 
Ciinst.  The  main  insistence  of  the 
apostle  is  on  the  reality  of  his  person, 
the  oneness  of  the  eternal  Word  with 
that  person  known  as  Jesus  Ciirist. 
If  he  was  not  a  real  person,  only  in 
appearance,  then  Christianity  itself 
had  no  historical  foundation  ;  it  was  in 
reality  only  a  dream,  a  deception.  If 
Jesus  was  not  a  divine  person  then  he 
could  be  no  more  than  a  prophet.  If 
he  had  no  real  human  existence,  then 
he  could  not  have  wrought  out  a  re- 
demption for  us  on  the  cross.  In  main- 
taining the  reality  of  his  person,  he  was 
maintaining  the  essential  principles  of 
Christianity  itself.  Without  a  real, 
living,  personal,  divine-human  Saviour 
at  its  center,  Christianity  can  have  no 
real  existence.  Two  forms  of  error 
were  at  this  time  prevalent,  both  of 
them  mutilating  the  person  of  Christ. 
One  view  of  Christ  emphasized  the 
human  nature  of  Christ.  It  dwelt  so 
exclusively  on  the  human  side  that  it, 
in  effect,  denied  tlie  divine  side.  Tliis 
was  Ebionism.  The  other  view  em- 
phasized the  divine  side.  It  regarded 
the  visible  form  as  only  an  appearance 
through  which  the  divine  glory  mani- 
fested itself.  This  was  called  Doce- 
tisui,  which  means  a  seeming,  an  ap- 
pearance. A  third  view  arose,  that  of 
Cerinthus.  According  to  him,  Jesus 
was  a  mere  man  on  whom  the  divine 
Spirit  rested  at  his  baptism.  Cerinthus 
recognized  lioth  the  human  and  the 
divine  in  Jesus,     But  the  union  was 


only  a  mechanical  one  ;  there  was  not 
any  life  union  between  the  two.  Dur- 
ing the  sufi'erings  of  Jesus  the  divine 
took  its  departure.  In  opposition  to 
all  these  fragmentary  conceptions  of 
Jesus,  John  gives  us  his  testimony, 
from  his  own  experience,  of  the  mani- 
fested glory  of  tliat  One  who  was  from 
elernity,  who  was  manifested  in  a 
thorough  life  among  men,  a  life  whose 
reality  was  manifest  to  the  senses. 
Some  practical  mistakes  as  to  the 
Christian  life  Avere  also  holding  sway 
among  the  Christians  of  Asia  Minor. 
Having  a  consciousness  of  redemption 
already  secured,  th^y  had  lost  siglit  of 
the  yet  remaining  necessity  for  Christ's 
work  in  them,  as  a  sanctifying  power. 
A  dim  sense  of  sin  made  no  necessity 
for  a  present  Saviour  possessed  of 
almighty  power.  Some  were  hoping 
for  a  forgiveness  of  sins,  but  with  no 
renunciation  of  sinful  ways  in  their 
lives.  With  them  forgiveness  was  only 
a  mechanical  thing,  involving  no  ac- 
companying holiness.  To  them  Chris- 
tianity was  becoming  an  outward  and 
formal  system,  not  a  spiritual  and  su- 
pernatural life.  To  these  theoretical 
errors  and  practical  mistakes  in  life 
John  opposes  his  testimony,  his  appeal, 
his  counsel.  To  their  errors  and  mis- 
takes he  holds  up  the  living  and  com- 
plete person  and  work  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  The  best  antidote  to  error  is 
the  manifestation  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus. 

Part   one.      1  :  5-2  :  29.      The 

nature  of  fellowship  with  god. 
The  entire  letter  falls  naturally  into 
four  divisions,  (see  introduciion.)  Each 
division  presents  God  in  one  distinctive 
feature  of  character.  The  first  division 
centers  about  the  controlling  expres- 
sion, God  is  light  (i  ■■^).  This  is  not 
an  incidental  statement  in  reference  to 
God,  but  is  a  revelation  of  God's  inner- 
most nature.  The  statement  reveals 
God. 
1  :  5-2  :  14.    What  w^alkincj  in 

THE  LIGHT  INCLUDES.  If  God  be 
light,  his  people  must  be  light.  If 
God  dwells  in  light,  his  people  must 
dwell  in  light.  John  aims  to  bring 
the  large  teaching,  God  is  light,  info 
a  practical  relation  to  the  lives  of  his 
readers.  He  has  already  shown  the 
fulness  of  joy  which  comes  from  fel- 


38 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  I. 


5  This  then  is  the  message  which  we 
have  heard  of  him,  and  declare  unto 
you,  that  'God  is  light,  and  in  him  is 

6  no  darkness  at  all.  "'  If  we  say  that  we 
have  fellowship  with  him,  and  walli  in 


5  And  this  is  the  message  which  we  have 
heard  from  him,  and  announce  to  you, 
That  God  is  light,  and  iu  him  there  is 

6  no  darkness.  If  we  say  that  we  have 
fellowship  with  him,  and  walk  in  the 


I  Pa.  104  :  2  ;  John  8:12;  1  Tim  6  :  16. 


ml:*,  9-11 ;  Amos  3  :  S  ;  2  Cor.  6  :  14. 


lowsliip  with  the  Father  and  the  Son 
He  phuis  now  by  statement  and  appeal 
to  lead  his  readers  into  the  recognition 
of  what  a  waliiing  in  the  light  involves. 
He  wishes  to  drive  away  darkness  from 
their  intellectual  conception  of  God 
and  of  Christ,  and  their  relations  with 
theiu,  also  to  drive  away  the  moral  im- 
perfections from  their  hearts  and  lives. 
The  mission  of  Goil's  Sou  in  the  world 
is  to  beget  light,  to  reveal  God  in  the 
life  as  a  creator  of  light.  In  order  that 
there  may  be  the  development  of  light 
iu  the  heart,  there  must  first  of  all  be 
the  clear  recognition  of  the  darkness 
that  has  been  in  the  heart.  With  this 
must  be  joined  confession  of  sin.  On 
God's  part  will  be  forgiveness  and  a 
constant  cleansing  from  the  moral  un- 
cleanuess.  God's  character  and  human 
conduct  will,  in  time,  coincide  in  the 
life  of  the  believer.  Walking  in  the 
light  includes 
5-7.  Fellowship  with  God  and 

WITH    THE     BRETHREN.        It     is     not 

merely  a  statement  with  the  tongue, 
but  a  union  of  the  heart  and  life  with 
God. 

5.  Message.  The  substance  of  the 
revelation  through  Christ  is  given. 
Ofliim,  rather,  from  him.  This  does 
not  mean  respecting  him,  but  from 
him,  as  author  or  means.  The  entire 
teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  God  is 
found  iu  the  following  statement.  John 
and  his  fellow  apostles  heard  the  teach- 
ing of  Jesus,  the  message  came  to  them 
at  first  hand.  This  message  is  trans- 
mitted to  us.  Tliere  is  no  possibility 
of  any  alteration  in  it.  GoA  is  light. 
Jesus  had  applied  this  figure  to  him- 
self (Joi'n  8  :  12).  Doubtless  John  had 
heard  Jesus  apply  this  expression  to 
God.  Light  in  the  Scriptures,  and 
especially  in  .Tohn's  Gosi)el,  is  used  as 
the  image  of  the  divine,  the  true,  the 
opposite  of  all  darkness.  Truth,  peace, 
joy,  holiness  may  be  designated  as  light, 
inasmuch  as  they  all  belong  to  the 
nature  of  the  divine.  Wickedness, 
fiilsehood,  misery  belong  to  the  dark- 
ness.   In  John's  usual  manner  he  states 


the  negative  side  of  the  same  truth, 
no  darkness  at  all.    God  is  not  a 

limited  or  imperfect  being,  defective 
in  any  part  of  his  nature.  He  is  the 
absolutely  holy  and  perfect  one.  Some 
have  charged  God  with  lieing,  in  some 
way,  the  author  of  sin  and  wretched- 
ness. Some  have  charged  him  with  a 
limitation  of  power  because  sin  was 
permitted  to  come  into  the  world. 
John  defends  the  moral  government  of 
God  by  declaring  that,  in  no  respect,  is 
any  defect  or  unworthiness  found  in 
God.  Among  the  Romans  Jupiter, 
Mars,  Vulcan,  Venus,  all  the  gods  were 
either  infamous  or  subject  to  limita- 
tions that  unfitted  them  for  the  wor- 
ship of  intelligent  beings.  Among 
the  Hindus  many  of  the  temples  for 
worship  are  scenes  of  bestiality  and 
lust ;  uncleanness  is  the  fitting  adjunct 
of  the  unclean  god.  The  source  of 
power  in  the  Jewish  religion  and  in 
the  New  Testament  Christianity  is  that 
it  has  a  holy  God  at  its  foundation  and 
its  center.  The  great  need  of  pagan- 
ism, and  all  forms  of  religion  outside 
of  Christianity,  is  its  need  of  a  right 
conception  of  God.  A  false  concep- 
tion here  vitiates  everything;  it  gives 
false  views  of  the  nature  of  man,  the 
nature  of  worship,  the  nature  of 
morals. 

6.  Because  God's  nature  is  holy  John 
declares  the  conditions  of  fellowship 
with  God.  He  shows  what  will  be  the 
sign  of  fellowship  with  God,  and  what 
will  declare  that  no  fellowship  exists 
with  him.  If  .  .  .  with  him.  Fel- 
lowship means  having  things  in  com- 
mon. All  spiritual  fellowship  assumes 
a  likeness  of  nature.  The  likeness  in 
character  must  find  a  true  expression 
in  the  outward  life.  No  fellowship 
with  God  can  exist  without  a  life  in 
harmony  with  that  fellowship.  A  fel- 
lowship with  God,  who  is  light,  must 
make  a  life  whose  nature  is  light.  Ho- 
liness in  God  must  create  a  holiness  in 
the  godly  man.  If  the  lips  assert  a 
fellowship  with  him,  the  life  must  de- 
clare that  fellowship.     It  is  the  priv- 


Ch.  I.] 


I.  JOHN 


39 


darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth. 
7  But  if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in 
the  light,  we  have  fellowship  oue  with 
another,  and  °the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin. 


darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth  ; 

7  but  if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in 
the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with 
another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  his 

8  Son  cleanses  us  from  all  sin.    If  we 


2:2;  Zcch.  13  :  1 ;  Eph.  1  ,  7. 


ilege  of  the  believer  to  be  conscious  of 
a  oneness  with  him.  Walk  in  dark- 
ness. To  live  in  sin  as  the  element  of 
life.  A  sinful  life  is  proof  that  there 
is  no  fellowship  with  God.  A  true 
Christianity  implies  a  holy  life.  John 
is  not  speaking  merely  of  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  life,  but  of  its  en- 
tire course.  To  be  one  with  God  is  to  be 
like  God.  We  lie.  There  is  an  irrec- 
oncilable contradiction  between  fel- 
lowship with  God  and  a  life  in  sin.  It 
is  impossible  to  twist  the  multiplica- 
tion table  into  the  utterance  of  an  un- 
truth ;  it  is  just  as  impossible  to  har- 
monize a  life  that  rejoices  in  sin  with  a 
life  that  has  a  fellowship  with  God. 
Godliness  is  holiness.  John  puts  his 
statement  in  the  positive  and  negative 
forms.  Do  not  the  truth.  The  term 
truth  is  not  limited  in  its  application 
to  speech  ;  the  entire  life  is  embraced. 
Veracity  in  word  is  but  a  small  part  of 
what  the  Scriptures  mean  by  truth. 
The  life  must  be  in  harmony  with  the 
truth,  with  God's  moral  law.  If  one 
claim  a  character  that  is  contradicted 
by  his  whole  course  of  life  it  may  be 
said  of  him  that  his  life  is  at  variance 
with  the  truth,  that  he  is  living  a  false- 
hood, that  he  does  not  do  the  truth. 
Jesus  speaks  of  those  whose  lips  laid 
claim  to  piety,  but  their  hearts  were 
strangers  to  God  (Matt.  7 :  22).  One  may 
have  a  strong  attachment  for  a  church 
or  a  creed,  and  yet  have  an  unchanged 
heart.  It  is  impos.sible  to  have  a  right 
conception  of  a  personal  and  holy  God 
and  yet  live  under  the  dominance  of 
sin.  Sometimes  there  is  a  love  for 
God,  but  the  judgment  is  impaired. 
The  Romanist  Xavier  was  a  lover  of 
Jesus,  but  had  wrong  conceptions  of 
baptism,  thinking  that  it  could  re- 
generate the  soul.  The  New  England 
Puritans  loved  God,  but  thought  that 
all  holding  dififering  views  should  be 
fined,  and  otherwise  punished.  Within 
a  century  human  slavery,  lotteries,  and 
the  .selling  of  strong  drink  were  re- 
garded as  in  harmony  with  the  Chris- 
tian   life.      An  enlarging    knowledge 


has  convinced  Christian  men  that  these 
things  are  inconsistent  with  true  Chris- 
tian character.  There  must  always  be 
the  intention  to  do  God's  will  so  far  as 
that  will  is  revealed.  It  may  not  al- 
ways be  true  that  a  conscious  joy  will 
be  possessed.  Cowper  was  in  almost 
despair  a  large  part  of  his  life,  yet  his 
was  a  Christian  life.  Peace,  joy,  and 
assurance  are  not  of  the  essence  of  sal- 
vation. A  desire  for  holiness  and  the 
practice  of  God's  will  are  essential. 
The  Christian  life  is,  negatively,  not  a 
falsehood;  and  positively  it  is  doing 
the  truth.  The  truth  is  revealed  in 
Jesus,  in  his  words  and  life  (Jobu  u  ;  6). 
This  must  be  held  to,  loved,  and  lived 

(Eph.  4  :  21). 

7.  This  verse  has  the  thought  of  the 
preceding  verse  with  the  additional 
idea  of  an  apostolic  fellowship  and 
a  consequent  purilication  of  the  Chris- 
tian life.  But  shows  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  unreal  life,  which  consents 
with  the  tongue  only,  and  that  which  is 
real,  manifest  in  holiness.  Walk  in 
the  light.  The  light  means  not 
merely  knowledge,  but  the  life  of  holi- 
ness as  the  element  in  which  the  godly 
man  lives  and  moves.  To  walk  in  the 
light  is  enforced  and  defined  by  the 
expression,  as  he  is  in  the  li^ht. 
There  is  no  diflference  in  the  quality  of 
the  goodness  that  is  in  God  and  that 
which  is  in  the  good  man.  So  far  as 
this  goodness  goes  it  is  of  the  same 
nature  as  God's.  Man  is  limited  by 
imperfections,  ignorance,  besetting 
sins,  weiglits,  and  hindrances,  while 
God  is  unlimited.  If  men  are  in  fel- 
lowship with  God,  they  are  in  fellow- 
ship with  John  and  the  apostolic  group. 
John  doesnotemploy  the  term,  church, 
in  the  entire  Epistle.  The  fellowship 
here  spoken  of  is  practically  identical 
with  church  fellowship.  If  this  fel- 
lowship had  been  perfect  John  would 
not  have  added  the  closing  words,  and 
the  blood  .  .  .  sin.  This  is  a  preg- 
nant sentence.  It  declares  that  Jesus 
had  a  real  body,  otherwiise  there  would 
be  no  blood.     It  declares  that  this  cru- 


40 

I.  JOHN                                      [Ch.  I. 

8 

•If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  |      say  that  we  have  no  siu,  we  deceive 

0  1  Kings  8  :46;  Job  9  :  2  ;  25  ;  4. 

cified  one  was  a  divine  being,  the  very 
Son  of  God.  It  declares  that  salvation 
rests  upon  the  ofiering  made  by  Jesus. 
Jesus,  in  John's  view,  is  not  simply  an 
exemplar,  a  martyr,  but  his  death  is  a 
vicarious  otlering  for  sin.  Does  the 
cleansing  spoken  of  here  refer  to  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  or  to  the  eradica- 
tion of  sin  itself,  whereby  the  nature 
will  have  a  growing  conformity  to 
God's  nature,  or  does  it  include  both? 
In  ver.  9  forgiveness  and  cleansing 
from  unrighteousness  are  looked  upon 
as  distinct  features  of  God's  gracious 
work.  It  is  best,  therefore,  to  limit 
the  meaning  here  to  the  gradual  cleans- 
ing from  siu  itself.  In  the  life  of  the 
believer  the  controlling  tendency  is  to 
a  walking  in  the  light.  Yet  the  dark 
and  sinful  mingle  with  the  light  their 
disturbing  influences.  If  there  is  a 
fellowship  with  God  and  with  the 
brethren  the  blood  of  Jesus  will  make 
known  its  purifying  efficacy,  its  power 
to  cleanse  from  all  inhering  sin.  The 
blood  must  not  be  understood  in  a  lit- 
eral sense;  only  a  spiritual  cleansing 
can  be  meant,  and  a  spiritual  method  of 
cleansing.  It  stands  for  the  entire 
work  and  influence  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Cleanseth  is  in  the  present  tense, 
showing  the  continuous  character  of 
the  work.  The  work  will  go  on  until 
all  the  sinful  elements  in  the  heart 
have  been  removed.  The  forgiveness 
of  past  sins  is  completed,  once  for  all, 
upon  repentance.  The  remaining  sin- 
fulness IS  more  and  more  removed  by  a 
f)rogressive  purification  of  the  entire 
ife.  The  redemption  through  Jesus 
is  completed  once  for  all ;  the  regen- 
eration and  forgivene.ss  of  sins  are 
completed  once  for  all  ;  the  work  of 
building  up  holiness  in  the  life  goes 
on  gradually  until  the  work  is  com- 
plete. Among  good  and  saved  men 
there  are  gradations  in  faithfulness,  in 
service,  in  holiness.  Every  believer  is 
a  sanctified  man,  set  apart  for  Christ, 
but  there  are  varying  degrees  of  con- 
formity to  Christ  (I'hii.  1.1).  All 
marks  the  completion  of  the  work. 
Any  religion  that  does  not  make  pro- 
vision for  both  parts  of  tlie  work,  the 
forgiveness  and  the  sanctification,  must 


be  a  failure.  The  more  refined  and 
pure  a  soul  becomes  the  more  sensitive 
it  will  be  to  any  taint  of  sin  remain- 
ing. Paul  had  a  growing  sense  of  sin- 
fulness (1  Tim.  1  ;  15).  The  Christ  who 
works  for  us  will,  in  time,  be  a  Christ 
fully  formed  within  (Gai.  4  :  19).  This 
verse  refutes  many  heresies.  It  refutes 
that  of  Cerinthus,  that  Jesus  was  not 
the  Christ ;  that  of  the  Ebionites,  that 
he  was  not  the  Son  of  God  ;  that  of  the 
Docetse,  that  the  Christ  did  not  really 
die  ;  that  of  the  Novatians,  who  denied 
pardon  to  deadly  sin  after  baptism ; 
that  of  the  Autinomians  who  denied 
the  necessity  of  moral  obedience  to  the 
Christian. 
Walking  in  the  light  includes 
8-10.  A  SENSE  OF  6IN  AND  THE 
CONFESSION  OF  IT.  Theoretically  a 
fellowship  with  God  involves  sinless- 
ness;  practically  the  one  who  has  a 
conscious  fellowship  with  God  has  a 
constant  need  of  forgiveness. 

8.  Purification  from  sin  implies  the 
existence  of  siu  even  in  believers.  The 
denial  of  this  is  an  act  of  self-decep- 
tion. The  prayer  taught  by  the  Sa- 
viour implies  a  con.stant  need  of  for- 
giveness. If  we  say.  John  may  be 
alluding  to  some  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians who  denied  any  sinfulness  since 
conversion.  No  sin.  John  does  not 
stop  to  distinguish  here  between  the 
sinful  nature  that  yet  remains  and  the 
actual  sin  that  comes  out  specifically  in 
the  life.  He  speaks  in  a  general  way 
of  sin.  Christians  have  so  far  ceased 
from  sin  that  they  do  not  walk  in  the 
darkness  (vcr.  6),  but  they  have  not 
ceased  from  actual  sin.  Ideally  they 
are  saints  and  perfect ;  in  reality  they 
are  struggling  with  daily  imperfections 
and  have  not,  by  any  means,  attained 
unto  the  measure  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ.  If  those  walking  in  the  light 
think  themselves  freed  entirely  from 
sin,  do  not  have  the  constant  conscious- 
ness of  it  yet  as  an  indwelling  factor, 
this  is  a  token  that  the  truth  has  not 
yet  gotten  a  complete  control  of  the 
life.  In  all  ages  .some  have  maintained 
that  they  live  without  sin.  In  some 
cases  they  afl^irm  this  from  the  belief 
that  no  violation  of  a  moral  law  by  a 


Ch.  I.] 


I.  JOHN 


41 


deceive  ourselves,  p  and  the  truth  is  not 

9  in  us.    1 1f  we  confess  our  sins,  'lie  is 

faitliful  "and  just  to  forgive  us  oi«r  sins, 

and  to  'cleanse  us  from  all  uuriglit- 

10  eousness     If  we  say  that  we  have  not 


ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us. 

9  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful 
and  righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins, 
and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  uurighteous- 

10  uess.     If    we  say  tliat  we   have    not 


p  2:i 


q  Lev.  26  :  40. 


r  Ueut.  7  :  9. 


8  Isa  45  i  21  i  Rom.  3  :  26 


Christian  is  reckoned  as  a  sin.  Iii 
some  cases  the  chiim  arises  from  a  mis- 
taken definition  of  sin,  referring  it  to 
some  flagrant  act  alone.  Sometimes 
tliere  is  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  one's 
own  heart,  so  that  a  proud  self-sutii- 
ciency  arise.s.  John  embraces  himself 
in  the  term  nve.  Deceive.  This  is 
a  more  forcible  term  than  "making  a 
mistake."  We  mislead  ourselves,  de- 
part from  the  truth,  have  wrong  views 
about  our  spiritual  condition.  lie 
does  not  state  that  this  self-deception 
is  wilful,  but  that  it  is  a  fact.  Truth 
not  ill  us.  This  is  the  negative  side 
of  the  statement.  John  does  not  here 
allude  to  veracity  or  truth  telling,  but 
to  a  lack  of  conformity  to  the  actual 
facts  of  the  case.  Augustine,  Judson, 
Brainerd,  in  their  writings,  show  con- 
trite hearts  over  their  own  sins.  If  any 
believer,  from  any  reason,  asserts  that 
his  nature  is  in  entire  conformity  with 
the  truth,  it  is  plain  that  the  truth  is 
not  in  him. 

9.  This  ver.se  has  reference  to  the 
Christian's  ever-abiding  need  of  for- 
giveness and  perfection,  and  reveals  the 
foundation  of  his  confidence  through 
the  faithfulness  and  righteousness  of 
God.  If  we  coufess.  Forgiveness 
is  ever  conditioned  upon  repentance 
and  confession.  God  has  given  no 
promises  except  to  those  opening  their 

hearts  to  him  (Pa.  S2  :  5  ;   51  :  3  ;    Luke  15  :  18). 

Pardon  is  not  the  act  of  a  God  who  is 
almighty  alone,  but  of  a  right-dealing 
God,  taking  the  heart  into  account. 
Tlie  true  confession  may  also  involve 
a  confession  to  men  and  restitution. 
Wins.  The  reality  of  sin  does  not  de- 
pend on  the  size  or  quality  of  it,  but 
upon  its  want  of  conformity  to  God's 
will.  Faithful.  God  cannot  be  un- 
true to  his  promises  (Heb.  e  :  is).  No 
one  will  seek  his  face  in  vain  (isa.  45 : 
19).  More  unchanging  than  the  laws 
of  the  physical  universe  are  the  laws 
of  the  spiritual  world  (Mark  13  ;  31). 
Just.  Faithfulness  implies  the  har- 
mony of  God's  action  with  God's  na- 
ture.   Righteousness  implies  that  God 


will  observe  the  laws  which  he  has 
him.self  established.  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  gift  of  God's  love  and  mercy.  Sal- 
vation, in  its  inception,  does  not  spring 
from  obligation  on  God's  part,  but  is 
an  act  of  mercy.  The  original  pro- 
vision is  the  outcome  of  the  divine  love, 
but  having  once  been  ealablished  its 
fulfilment  is  guaranteed  by  the  divine 
righteousness.  It  is  implied  that  if  the 
believer  complies  with  the  condition 
named,  if  he  confesses  his  sin,  it  would 
be  an  act  of  unrighteousness  in  God 
not  to  bestow  forgiveness.  God's  right- 
eousness is  allied  to  his  faithfulness, 
and  is  a  pledge  that  forgiveness  will 
come  to  the  confessor.  The  confession 
alluded  to  is  an  inward  act,  the  inward 
confession  of  sin  as  sin,  involving  also 
the  outward  confession.  The  heart  and 
mouth  are  joined  together  (Kom.  10  :  10). 
A  twofold  work  is  spoken  of.  The 
pardon  is  complete,  though  often  the 
defilements  of  past  sins  will  injure  the 
life ;  while  there  goes  on  in  the  nature 
of  the  believer  a  work  of  renovation. 
There  is  no  chance  work  in  the  secur- 
ing of  salvation  and  holiness.  The 
sense  of  sin,  the  repentance,  the  con- 
fession are  met,  on  God's  part,  by  a 
forgiveness  based  on  his  faithfulness 
and  righteousness.  The  expression  to 
forgive,  is  literally  in  order  to  forgive. 
In  tills  one  particle  {'ina)  lies  the  most 
comprehensive  and  the  highest  witness 
of  God's  love  that  it  is  possible  to  con- 
ceive. 

10.  This  verse  is  a  strengthening  of 
the  statement  in  ver.  8.  As  ver.  8  is 
connected  with  ver.  7,  this  verse  is  con- 
nected with  ver.  9.  The  reference  is 
not  to  a  denial  of  sins  before  conver- 
sion ;  for  the  Christian  life  becomes 
Christian  by  receiving  Chri.st's  forgive- 
ness for  past  sins.  The  statement  here, 
in  the  perfect  tense,  is  substantially 
equivalent  to  that  in  ver.  8  in  the 
present  tense.  Meyer  distinguishes  be- 
tween them  by  saying  that  ver.  10  de- 
scribes a  sinful  activity  and  ver.  8  a 
sinful  state.  The  use  of  the  perfect 
tense  indicates  a  life  up  to  and  iuvolv- 


42 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  I. 


sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar,  and  bis  | 
word  is  uot  in  us.  I 


sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar,  and  his 
word  is  not  iu  us. 


ing  the  present.  The  sinful  activity  is  ; 
shown  in  the  use  of  the  plural  term 
sins,  and  also  by  the  use  of  the  term 
unrighteousness  (ver.  9) .  An  additional 
thought  is  now  introduced :  the  denial 
of  sin  is  not  only  an  act  of  self-decep- 
tion, but  is,  in  reality,  the  assertion 
that  God  is  a  liar,  make  him  a  liar. 
God's  word  everywhere  affirms  the 
sinfulness  of  human  nature  (Rom.  s  :  9- 
20 ;  Gal.  3 :  21).  We  must  accept  as  true 
God's  statements  concerning  ourselves. 
God,  in  sending  his  Son  into  the  world, 
thereby  declared  that  all  are  in  need 
of  redemption.  Iu  John's  view  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  for  right 
living  and  correct  thinkiug  about  God 
that  we  have  a  constant  sense  of  our 
sinfulness.  His  Avord.  This  term 
corresponds  with  the  term  truth  in 
ver.  8.  The  truth  of  God  is  made 
manifest  in  the  terms  and  proclama- 
tions of  the  gospel.  A  denial  of  the 
believer's  sinfulness  shows  that  the 
mind  is  not  illumined  by  the  teachings 
of  Christ.  There  is  salvation  only  for 
the  sinful.  A  large  sense  of  sin  will 
beget  a  large  need  of  a  Saviour  who 
forgives  and  makes  holy.  The  two 
things,  the  constant  forgiveness  and 
the  constant  growth  in  holiness  must 
go  hand  in  hand. 

Note. 
The  teachings  of  John,  in  the 

FIRST  chapter,  CONCERNING  GOD. 
In  a  marvelous  way  John,  in  his  ap- 
parently simple  and  disconnected  writ- 
ings, reveals  God  in  his  innermost 
nature  and  in  his  gracious  relations  to 
men.  He  does  not  make  logical  state- 
ments in  the  manner  of  theologies  and 
creeds,  but  incidentally  he  gives  a  large 
insight  into  God's  nature  and  dealings. 

1.  We  have  God's  gracious  nature 
devising  salvation.  Salvation  is  not  of 
man's  devising.  Back  of  salvation, 
the  cross,  the  Saviour,  the  forgiveness, 
was  the  person  of  a  gracious  and  mer- 
ciful Gocf.  Jolin  reveals  a  God  whose 
heart  goes  out  after  men  (ver. :), 

2.  The  believer  may  have  fellowship 
with  the  Father.  God  is  at  an  infinite 
remove  from  man  in  the  largeness  of 
his  person,  but  the  godlike  man  may 
share  in  God's  very  thoughts  and  life 


and  joy  and  peace  and  holiness.  God 
will  have  fellowship  with  him,  calling 
him  sou ;  the  believer  will  have  the 
spirit  of  adoption  and  call  him  Father 

(ver.  2). 

3.  God,  in  the  essence  of  his  being, 
is  light.  The  Parsees  of  India  cliose 
the  fiuest  of  all  created  things  as  the 
oliject  of  worship,  the  sun,  the  light. 
God  does  uot  simply  dwell  in  light  or 
give  light,  he  is  light.  John's  decla- 
ration is  not  made  with  the  formality 
or  definiteness  of  a  creedal  statement, 
but  it  is  understood  at  once  by  all  as 
asserting  a  complete  holiness  of  char- 
acter and  conduct.  He  is  purity, 
holiness,  joy.  The  conscience  in  man 
that  condemns  the  slightest  infraction 
of  right  doing  is  a  faint  reproduction 
of  that  which  exists  in  its  fulness  in 

God  (ver.  5). 

4.  Because  God's  nature  is  light,  he 
is  holy.  In  all  his  dealings  there  is 
absolute  spotlcssness.  The  heathen 
deities  were  limited  in  intelligence,  in 
morality,  in  power.  The  Bible  reveals 
a  God  whose  surpassing  claim  to  the 
reverence  of  men  is  his  holiness.  Every- 
thing in  God  is  subordinate  to  this, 
which  is  not  a  quality  in  God,  but  the 
essence  of  his  being.  He  is  more  than 
the   almighty,  he    is   the    Holy  One 

(ver.  5). 

5.  God  is  faithful.  He  is  true  to  his 
nature  and  to  his  word.  His  laws  for 
the  physical  world  are  so  unchanging 
that  an  eclipse  can  be  foretold  a  hun- 
dred years.  Jesus  declared  that  his 
words  are  more  firm  than  the  laws  of 
nature  (.Mark  is :  31).  The  assurance  of 
forgiveness  rests,  not  upon  an  emotional 
experience,  but  upon  the  faithfulness 
of  God  to  his  promise.  The  "  I  will  " 
of  God  is  the  foundation  for  the  laws 
of  the  moral  universe  (ver.  9). 

6.  God  is  righteous.  He  is  a  moral 
God.  He  is  under  obligation  to  his 
own  nature  and  to  his  own  promises. 
He  is  faithful  because  he  is  righteous. 
If  God  were  to  prove  unfaithful  to  any 
promise,  he  would  thereby  destroy  his 
holiness  and  lay  aside  his  scepter  of 
righteousness.  Every  believer  may 
rely  upon  his  rigliteousness  as  an  as- 
surance of  salvation.  Every  penitent 
may  find  in  this  the  assurance  of  his 


Ch.  I.] 


I.  JOHN 


43 


own  forgiveness  upon  repentance  (^er.9). 

7.  God  the  Father  forgives  sins  on 
account  of  the  atoning  work  of  Jesus 
his  Son  ('^  :  12).  This  is  in  harmony 
with  the  teaching  of  Paul  that  forgive- 
ness is  through  and  on  account  of  the 
work  of  Christ  (Rom-  »  =  2»).  It  is  also 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  (Matt.  26  :  js). 
The  cross  is  an  essential  element  in  the 
salvation    that   God    brings    to    men 

(ver.  9). 

8.  God  the  Father  works  sanctifica- 
tion  in  the  heart  of  the  believer.  There 
is  more  than  tlie  forgiveness  that  frees 
from  peualty.  There  is  a  cleansing,  a 
renovation  that  goes  on  in  the  moral 
nature.  This  work  will  be  complete 
when  Christ  is  seen  (3 : 2).  The  Holy 
Spirit,  secured  through  the  work  and 
intercession  of  the  ascended  Christ, 
brings  power,  guidance,  a  growing 
holiness,  a  final  completion  into  the 
heart  and  life  of  the  believer  (ver.  9). 

The  teachings  of  Johx,  ix  the 

FIRST  CH.\PTER,  CONCERNING  JESUS. 
John's  writings  are  full  of  Jesus  the 
Christ.  His  main  intention  in  this 
letter  is  to  lead  believers  to  think  right 
about  Christ  and  liis  work,  and  to  make 
their  lives  correspond  to  his  teachings 
and  life- 

1.  He  teaches  the  eternal  preexist- 
ence  of  Christ.  In  his  view  Jesus  can- 
not be  classified  among  men.  There 
was  no  time  when  he  did  not  exist.  A 
merely  human  Christ  would  empty 
John's  writings  of  all  their  meaning 
(ver.  1,  J). 

2.  He  teaches  an  incarnation,  a  com- 
ing of  the  Word  into  union  with  human 
nature.  The  nature  of  Jesus  was  not  a 
phantasm,  an  unreal  existence  ;  he  had 
a  real  body.  The  eye,  the  ear,  the 
hand  all  testified  to  his  real  physical 
life  (t".  1). 

3.  He  teaches  that  .Jesus  is  the  mani- 
festation of  God.  He  is  the  Logos,  the 
Word.  He  is  the  one  through  whom 
God  is  seen  and  made  known  (ver.  1, 2). 

4.  He  teaches  that  Jesus  is  Son,  hav- 
ing a  peculiar  relation  to  God  whereby 
Father  and  Son  are  terms  appropriately 
used,  showing  a  peculiar  and  unique 
relation.  John  does  not  use  the  term 
trinity,  but  he  believed  and  taught 
these  abiding  distinctions  within  the 
Godhead  (^er.  3). 

5.  He  teaches  that  this  divine  Son, 
the    incarnate  Word,   is    that    person 


known  to  us  as  Jesus  the  Christ.  Some 
errorists  taught  that  the  divine  in 
Christ  was  separated  from  Jesus  during 
his  sufi'erings.  It  was  a  divine-human 
person  that  brought  redemption 
through  his  sacrifice  ("er.  3). 

6.  He  teaches  that  we  may  have  fel- 
lowship with  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  a  per- 
sonal Christ  whom  he  presents  to  men, 
not  a  dead  Saviour.  John  had  seen 
Jesus  living,  he  thinks  of  him  as  j'et 
living.  There  is  a  kinship  of  Christ 
\yith  his  people  insomuch  that  the  be- 
liever and  tlie  Saviour  are  one  in  life 
and  destiny  (^cr.  3). 

7.  He  teaches  that  the  suflerings  of 
Jesus  were  vicarious  and  atoning.  "They 
were  not  the  suflerings  of  a  good  man 
simply  or  of  a  martyr  dying  for  the 
truth.  They  were  the  suflerings  of  one 
whose  death  stood  in  a  vital  relation  to 
forgiveness  of  sins  and  acceptance  with 
God.    In  Jesus  we  are  accepted  (ver.  7). 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Eternal  life  is  manifested  in  Christ. 
It  is  not  a  pardon  for  sin  begotten  by  any 
native  goodness  in  man,  it  is  the  gift  of 
God  (ver.  2). 

2.  Only  through  Christ  is  there  fellow- 
ship with  God  and  salvation  (ver.  3). 

3.  Sin  separates  from  God.  There  can 
be  no  alliance  between  tlie  light  and  the 
darkness.  They  are  mutually  exclusive 
(ver.  6). 

4.  Sin  exists  in  all  men.  The  univer- 
sality of  sin  is  evident  from  universal 
sinfulness.  John  does  not  use  the  term 
depravity,  but  he  knows  no  man  who 
does  not  need  Christ  (ver.  8). 

5.  Sin  exists  even  in  believers.  Sin  as  a 
controlling  principle,  dominating  the  life 
is  destroyed  at  conversion,  but  sin  as  a 
disturbing  principle  remains  (ver.  8  ; 
Rom.  7  :  14-25). 

6.  On  repentance  for  sin  and  confession 
comes  the  forgiveness  of  sins  in  and  for 
Christ's  sake.  There  is  created  also  a 
power  against  sinning  (ver.  9). 

7.  The  deniul  of  sin  by  making  its  seat 
in  the  flesh  for  which  we  are  not  respon- 
sible, or  by  affirming  that  sin  in  the  be- 
liever is  not  reckoned  as  sin,  or  by  de- 
fining all  sin  as  only  the  good  In  the 
making,  or  by  regarding  as  sins  only  gross 
outbreaking  sins ;  such  denial  shows  only 


44 

I.  JOHN                                    [Ch.  11. 

2 

"MY  little    children, 

these    things  |  3      MY  little  children,  these    things  I 

t(  Johu  13  :  33. 

blindness  of  mind,  and  is,  in  reality,  a 
charging  of  falsehood  upon  God  (ver.  10). 
8.  The  emphasis  laid  by  Jolm  upon  the 
existence  of  sin  in  the  believer,  shows  a 
deepening  sense  of  sin  as  a  marli  of  a 
deepening  religious  life.  The  apostle  had 
a  quickened  sense  of  his  own  siu  because 
he  had  a  quickened  sense  of  his  fellow- 
ship with  God  and  with  Jesus  (ver.  lo;. 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  opening  part  of  tins  chapter,  e.-c- 
teudiug  to  ver.  14,  continues  the  thought 
of  the  preceding  chapter — what  a  walk- 
ing in  the  light  includes,  viz.,  an  aiming 
at  sinlessness,  with  no  despair  or  de- 
spondency when  failures  come,  since 
there  is  an  Advocate  with  God,  the 
righteous  Jesus  Christ  (ver.  i,  2).  Tlie 
test  of  such  a  life  is  doing  God's  will. 
Knowing  God  means  the  keeping  of 
the  commandments ;  abiding  in  God 
means  a  life  like  God's  (ver.  3-6).  An- 
other test  of  the  life  in  tlie  light  is  a 
love  for  the  brother,  having  a  new 
motive  from  the  life  and  love  of  Christ. 
Not  10  love  is  to  hate  ;  to  hate  is  to  be 
in  the  darkness;  to  be  in  tlie  darkness 
means  a  life  of  stumbling  (ver.  7-11). 
The  forgiveness  of  siii^  in  the  past  is  a 
reason  for  walking  in  tlie  light.  He 
regards  all  his  readers  as  little  children, 
dividing  them  into  the  mature  and  im- 
mature, giving  the  characteristics  of 
each  class  ('er.  12-n). 

Having  considered  the  Christian  life 
on  its  positive  side,  he  now  looks  at  it 
on  its  negative  side  (ver.  15-29). 

Walking  in  the  light  excludes  the 
spirit  of  worldlincss.  God  and  the 
wicked  world  are  mutually  exclusive 
(ver.  15-17).  It  excludes  antichrists. 
Over  against  tlie  one  true  Christ  are 
many  false  teachers  who  assail  hira, 
undermining  his  authority  and  in- 
fluence by  denying  the  reality  of  his 
person  and  falsifying  the  purport  of 
Ills  mission.  JIany  of  the.se  had  sprung 
from  the  church  itself  (ver.  is,  10).  It 
excludes  spiritual  l)lindness  on  the  part 
of  tlie  believer.  A  spiritual  anointing 
belongs  to  him.     The   believer   is  a 

priest  (ver.  20-59). 

1,  2.  An  aiming  at  sinlessness. 


but  with  no  added  despondency  at  the 
failure  to  attain  at  once  the  end  in  view. 
The  opening  verse  of  this  chapter 
ought,  from  the  connection  of  thought, 
to  be  joined  to  the  preceding  chapter. 
John  is  discussing  the  question,  what 
walking  in  the  light  includes,  the  dis- 
cussion extending  from  1:5  to  2  :  14. 
He  has  shown  that  it  includes  a  sense 
of  fellowship  with  God  and  with  the 
brotherhood  (1  :  5-7) ;  a  sense  of  sin 
with  a  consequent  confession  (1  ^  810) ; 
that  the  blood  of  Christ  and  the  faith- 
fulness and  righteousness  of  God  (1  :  9. 
10)  secure  the  forgiveness  and  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  believer;  that  repent- 
ance and  confession  of  sin  are  the 
human  prerequisites  for  securing  God's 
blessings.  He  now  shows  how  the  con- 
trition in  the  heart  end  the  sacrifice  of 
Jesus  on  the  earth  are  complemented 
by  the  work  of  Jesus  on  high.  The 
historical  Christ  is  merged  into  the 
heavenly  Christ,  these  two  making 
one  continuous  life,  involving  the  com- 
pletion of  the  work  of  forgiveness  and 
purification. 

Augustine,  who  himself  had  sinned 
deeply,  thought  this  passage  was  added 
lest  some  persons  might  pervert  the 
faithfulness  and  righteousness  of  God 
into  an  excuse  for  light  views  as  to  sin 
and  sinning,  knowing  the  facility  of 
pardon.  But  this  cannot  be  the  only 
reason.  John  adds  an  additional  ele- 
ment to  the  believer's  relation  to  sin  ; 
he  must  not  only  repent  of  sin  and 
confess  it,  but  he  must  also  aim  to  live 
a  life  without  sin  and  strive  to  keep  all 
God's  commands. 

1.  My  little  children.  The  di- 
minutive denotes  afi'ection.  He  speaks 
in  this  tender  manner  on  account  of  his 
age,  and  his  venerable  cliaractcr  as  a 
father  in  Chri.st.  Many  of  those,  to 
whom  he  writes,  had  doubtless  been 
led  into  the  Christian  life  through  his 
ministry;  they  were  his  spiritual  chil- 
dren. Paul  writes  in  a  like  manner 
(nai.  4:19).  Eu.scbius  in  his  history, 
written  in  .324  A.  D.,  gives  the  beautiful 
story  of  .John  in  his  old  age  running 
after  a  young  man,  a  confessor  of  Christ, 
who  had  departed  from  the  faith,  cry- 
ing out,  "  Why  dost  thou  flee  from  thy 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


45 


write  I  utito  you,  «that  ye  sin  not. 
And  if  any  man  sin,  J  we  have  an  Ad- 
vocate with  the  l^'ather,  Jesus  Christ 


write  to  you,  that  ye  may  not  sin.  And 
if  any  one  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate 
with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  right- 


X  Erck.  3  ;  21 ;  Rom.  6:1,2;  Titus  2  :  11-13. 


y  Isa,  53  :  VI ;  Kph.  2  :  18 ;  1  Tim.  2  :  5. 


father  "  ?  John  unites  tenderness,  trust 
in  his  readers,  and  tact,  with  great 
boldness  in  statement.  The  expression 
these  things,  refers  not  to  the  entire 
letter,  but  exclusively  to  what  he  has 
just  written.  Tiie  deep>  sense  of  sin 
in  its  nature  antagonistic  to  God,  the 
consciousness  of  remaining  sin  as  a 
source  of  grief  to  the  believer,  the 
assurance  that  the  work  of  Christ  Avill 
bring  al)out  a  complete  moral  cleansing 
(1  :  9),  these  thoughts  lead  naturally  to 
the  precept  about  to  follow.  The  moral 
judgment  passed  by  the  believer  upon 
himself  differs  very  widely  from  the 
light  and  superficial  judgments  of  the 
world.  The  divine  forgiveness  creates 
a  resolution  to  break  away  from  sin, 
the  reliance  upon  a  constantly  bestowed 
renovating  power  gives  confidence. 
That  ye  sin  not,  rather,  ??i«yno<>'!?n. 
The  aorist  tense  shows  that  the  refer- 
ence is  to  particular,  definite  acts  of 
sin.  The  very  act  of  regeneration  and 
conversion  makes  a  complete  and  defi- 
nite break  between  the  believer  and 
the  controlling  power  of  sin  as  a  prin- 
ciple of  life.  It  is  an  unconditional 
exhortation.  Such  a  command  springs 
from  the  very  nature  of  the  holy  life, 
the  fellowship  with  Christ.  No  com- 
promise with  sin  can  be  allowed  in  the 
government  of  a  holy  God,  no  division 
of  sins  into  trivial  and  mortal  can  be 
made,  no  permission  to  modify  the 
moral  laws  can  be  granted.  God's 
commands  must  be,  like  God,  very 
high.  He  adds,  at  once,  a  ground  of 
consolation  to  those  who  fall  under  the 
power  of  temptation,  and  commit  sins 
of  infirmity,  of  ignorance,  of  weakness. 
Had  John  stopped  with  his  exhorta- 
tion, the  believer  might  be  tempted  to 
despair.  John  connects  the  sentences 
with  And,  where  another  would  natu- 
rally write  6«<.  Any  man  sin.  Pro- 
vision is  here  made,  not  for  tlie  wilful 
sinner,  but  for  the  one  who  sins  against 
his  own  inner  and  true  nature  (Rom.  7  : 
17).  John  does  not  dLscuss  the  question 
whether  we  may  live  in  a  sinless  state, 
but  passing  straightway  to  this  state- 
ment implies  that  each  believer  will 
have  need  of  a  present  divine  helper. 


The  believer  who  sins  must  not  sink 
into  a  slough  of  despond  or  be  shut  up 
in  a  doubting  castle.  He  may  turn 
with  confidence  to  a  Mediator  on  high. 
Having  spoken,  in  a  general  way,  he 
now  by  returning  to  the  use  of  we, 
shows  that  he  hiin.self  is  included.  The 
present  tense  shows  that  Christ  belongs 
to  the  believer  who  has  yet  about  him 
the  remains  of  sin.  Advocate.  The 
Revised  version  has  in  the  Margin, 
Helper,  Paraclete.  'The  word  is  found 
in  John  14  :  16,  26 ;  15  :  26 ;  16  :  7.  In 
all  the.se  cases  the  reference  is  to  the 
personal  Holy  Spirit  whom  Christ 
would  send  to  his  people  as  a  helper 
within  the  heart.  It  is  implied  by 
Jesus  that  he  himself  is  a  Paraclete,  a 
Helper,  inasmuch  as  he  says:  "He 
shall  give  you  another  Comforter  "  (John 
u  :  16).  A  present,  living  Jesus,  who 
at  the  first  forgave  and  helped,  will 
now  be  a  perpetual  helper.  The  idea 
of  comforter,  in  the  sense  of  giving 
consolation,  nowhere  inheres  in  the 
word.  The  Advocate  is  a  helper,  a 
strengthener  in  the  upper  sphere  before 
God,  just  as  an  advocate  in  an  earthly 
tribunal  would  plead  for  a  consciously 
guilty  man.  Spiritual  things  are  placed 
before  us  in  a  way  in  which  we  can 
understand  them,  through  the  use  of 
figures  common  to  men.  The  advocacy 
is  before  the  Father.  He  is  not 
spoken  of  as  God,  but  as  one  who 
stands  to  us  as  a  Father ;  the  believer 
is  in  a  filial  relation.  The  term  Father 
itself  is  one  of  encouragement.  Jesus 
was  an  advocate  for  Peter  when  tempted 
by  Satan  (Luke  22: 32).  He  was  inter- 
cessor for  those  crucifying  him  (Man. 
23 :  3i).  Applied  to  the  Lord  Jesus  it 
is  a  figurative  expression  since  the 
pleading  may  not  be  understood  as  a 
literal  pleading  in  heaven.  It  is  ex- 
pressive of  the  great  truth  that  Jesus 
has  undertaken  our  cause  with  God, 
and  that  he  perfinns  for  us  all  that  a 
counselor  or  advocate  would  perform 
for  us  in  a  like  position  in  the  earthly 
sphere.  Jesus,  in  heaven,  through  his 
intercession  supplements  and  completes 
the  work  begun  on  the  earth.  With- 
out the  cross  the  advocacy  would  not 


46 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


2  «the  rigliteous.  And  "he  is  the  pro- 
pitiatiun  for  our  sius :  and  not  for  ours 
only,  but  ""also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world . 

3  And   hereby  we  do  know  that  we 


2  eous.  And  he  is  a  propitiation  for,  our 
sins ;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also 
for  the  whole  world. 

3  And  in  this  we  know  that  we  know 


X  2  Cor.  5  :  21 ;  Ueb.  7  :  26  ;  1  Peter  3  :  18. 


1  4  ;  10 ;  Rom.  3  :  25.        6  *  :  14  ;  John  1  :  29  ;  2  Cor.  5  :  15, 18-21. 


avail ;  without  the  advocacy  the  cross 
would  not  avail  to  bring  to  an  ultimate 
salvation.  The  cross  and  the  advocacy 
taken  together  mean  a  completed  sal- 
vation. There  has  always  been  in  the 
human  heart  conscious  of  sin  and  of 
the  great  chasm  between  the  heart  and 
the  holy  God,  a  desire  for  a  mediator. 
Hence  everywhere  a  priesthood  has 
sprung  lip.  Jesus  is  fitted  to  act  as 
mediator,  the  term  u.sed  by  Paul  (i  Tim. 
»  :  5)  because  he  is  divine-human  in  his 
person,  knowing  the  temptations  of 
men,  also  because  he  is  righteous. 
The  term  righteous  reveals  that  nature 
of  Jesus  by  which  he  becomes  fitted  to 
be  the  helper  to  imperfect  believers  on 
the  earth  ;  he  is  one  whose  life  satisfies 
perfectly  the  will  of  God.  As  the  holy 
One  he  can  stand  as  the  substitute  for 
sinners  before  the  throne,  as  in  like 
manner  the  symbolically  holy  high 
priest  entered  into  the  holiest  of  all, 
having  made  an  offering  for  himself. 
A  sinning  advocate  would  be  a  mock- 
ery and  a  failure. 

2.  The  ever-continuing  mediation 
of  Jesus  is  based  upon  the  previous 
work  of  Jesus  as  a  propitiation.  There 
had  been  a  sense  of  guilt,  of  estrange- 
ment, of  condemnation,  of  ob.stacles  in 
the  way  of  finding  God's  favor.  Jesus 
is  called  the  propitiation  because  he 
has,  by  his  blood,  expiated  the  guilt  of 
sin.  It  is  to  his  blood  that  John  at- 
tributes the  cleansing  power  (i  :  i). 
The  reconciliation  is  by  means  of  his 
blood.  Aleyer  says:  "This  term  does 
not  denote  the  reconciliation  of  God 
with  himself  or  with  men,  but  the  jus- 
tification or  reconciliation  of  the  sinner 
with  God  because  it  is  never  stated  in 
the  New  Testament  that  God  is  recon- 
ciled, but  ratlier  that  we  are  reconciled 
to  God."  This  is  not  strictly  correct, 
because  it  is  asserted  that  without  sucli 
an  oflering  God  could  not  grant  pardon 
for  sins.  He  was  restrained  by  his  own 
holy  nature  from  granting  forgiveness. 
The  cross  had  an  influence  God  ward  as 
well  as  manward.  The  death  of  Jesus 
has  reference  to  our  sius.    His  death 


was  vicarious,  having  reference  not 
only  to  sins  before  conversion  but 
afterward.  The  preposition  for  does 
not  here  mean  in  behalf  of,  but  means 
more  generally,  concerning.  The  pro- 
pitiation is  not  for  the  Christian  only, 
but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  rather,  for  the  whole  world. 
It  is  a  violent  perversion  of  the  mean- 
ing of  this  expression  to  attempt  to 
limit  it  to  the  world  of  believers. 
John  affirms  a  universal  atonement,  a 
death  for  all,  by  which  every  man  be- 
comes savable.  It  does  not  become  a 
universal  salvation  unless  there  be  a 
universal  acceptance  of  Christ.  The 
term  world  must  not  be  limited  to  the 
entire  number  of  believers  only,  but  it 
includes  the  entire  race  of  fallen  man. 
If  all  do  not  obtain  the  blessings  of  the 
reconciliation  it  is  not  through  anj'  de- 
fect or  weakness  in  the  provision  made. 
It  is  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  all 
men,  it  is  efficient  only  for  those  who 
accept  it.    The  widenessof  God's  mercy 

is  shown  elsewhere  (John  S  :  16  ;   Heb.  2  :  9). 

No  one  may  therefore  doubt  whether 
for  him  Jesus  died,  whether  for  him 
is  salvation  through  faith  in  the  Re- 
deemer. There  is  to  be  noted  this  dif- 
ference between  the  propitiation  and 
the  advocacy,  the  one  is  for  all  men,  the 
other  is  for  the  believer  only. 
3-6.  The   test  of  walking   in 

THE  LIGHT  IS  THE  DOING  OF  GOD'S 
WILL.  John  has  presented  three  proofs 
of  the  possession  of  eternal  life,  the 
forgiveness  of  past  guilt  (i  :  s-io) ;  the 
deliverance  from  the  power  of  sin  (i  =  6, 
7) ;  the  aim  to  live  beyond  sin  (ver.  i,  2). 
These  are  proofs  that  we  are  walking 
in  the  light  with  reference  to  God 
mainly.  He  now  shows  how  this  life 
is  evidenced  to  the  inner  life  of  the  be- 
liever, hisown  con.sciousness.  Having 
warned  them  against  discouragement 
and  despair,  he  now  counsels  against  a 
false  confidence  and  security. 

3.  Hereby.  The  reference  is  to 
what  follows.  The  test  of  knowing 
Christ  is  keeping  his  commandments. 
KnoAV.    John  does  not  use  the  term 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


know  him,  if  we  keep  his  command- 

4  ments.  "He  that  saitn,  I  know  him, 
aud  keepeth  not  his  commandments, 
is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him. 

5  But* whoso  keepeth  his  word,  'in  him 
verily  is  the  love  of  God  perfected. 
'Hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him. 


him,  if  we  keep  his  commandments. 

4  He  that  says.  1  know  him,  and  keeps 
not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  aud 

5  in  him  the  truth  is  not.  But  whoever 
keeps  his  word,  truly  in  him  the  love 
of  God  is  perfected.    lu  this  we  know 


c  1  :  6,  8 :  4  :  29. 


d  3  :  24;  John  14  :  21,  23 ;  15  :  14. 


/  4  :  13. 


on  its  intellectual  side,  meaning  a  the- 
oretical knowledge.  He  does,  how- 
ever, desire  a  right  intellectual  appre- 
hension of  Christ  in  order  that  he  may 
be  loved  and  his  work  understood.  He 
explains  the  historical  proofs  of  Chris- 
tianity ;  a  true  religion  must  rest,  not 
on  feelings,  but  oil  facts  (i  ■  i-s).  John 
uses  the  term  know  in  its  highest, 
spiritual  sense,  the  knowledge  of  the 
heart,  a  fellowship  with  Christ.  True 
knowledge,  with  John,  means  a  walk- 
ing in  the  light,  a  doing  God's  will. 
The  Old  Testament  wisdom  consists 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  (p>.  "i  =  lo). 
John's  knowledge  is  the  holy  percep- 
tion by  the  heart.  Him,  is  the  refer- 
ence to  God  or  to  Christ  or  to  both.  If 
the  verse  is  a  continuation  of  ver.  2  the 
allusion  must  be  to  Christ.  But  it  is 
better  to  regard  John  as  going  back  to 
the  thought  of  the  entire  preceding 
portion,  a  fellowship  with  God  in  a 
walking  in  the  light.  But  undoubt- 
edly John  has  Jesus  also  in  mind,  for 
through  Jesus  alone  is  God  fully  made 
known  to  us.  Commandments. 
The  commands  are  revelations  of  him- 
self, eacii  one  separately  illustrating 
God's  nature.  But  the  life  of  no  be- 
liever presents  an  example  of  perfect 
fulfilment  of  God's  commands.  In  all 
believers,  however,  there  is  a  marked 
purpose,  distinguishing  them  from  all 
others,  whereby  there  is  an  earnest 
aim  after  a  complete  obedience.  Obe- 
dience is  a  test  of  a  holy  life.  No  one 
may  know  God  unless  he  obeys  God 
from  the  heart.  It  is  also  true  among 
believers  that  there  will  be  varying 
degrees  of  knowledge  as  there  are  vary- 
ing degrees  of  the  spirit  of  obedience 

(1  Cor.  3:1). 

4.  This  verse  is  an  inference  from 
ver.  3,  presenting  a  contrast  between 
the  utterance  and  the  life.  There  is  a 
similarity  with  the  thought  of  1:6. 
Having  shown  the  positive  side  of  the 
truth,  he  now  presents  the  negative. 
There  is  inconsistency  in  professing  to 


know  Christ  and  yet  disobeying  his 
commands.  A  divorce  between  the 
creed  aud  the  life  shows  that  the  gov- 
erning principles  of  the  life  are  wrong ; 
fal.sehood,  a  want  of  conformity  to  the 
truth,  rules  in  the  heart.  A  con- 
fession of  Christ  that  does  not  include 
a  life  in  the  light  and  truth  arises 
from  a  want  of  earnestness,  from  self- 
deception,  and  in  time  from  con- 
scious falsehood.  John  pronounces 
this  man,  on  the  positive  side,  a  liar, 
on  the  negative  side  he  declares,  the 
truth  is  not  in  him.  God  is  truth, 
the  believer  in  him  must  be  in  accord 
with  him. 

5.  This  verse  is  in  contrast  with  the 
preceding,  aud  is  an  expansion  of  ver. 
3.  The  word  embraces  the  command- 
ments spoken  of  in  ver.  3.  All  tlie 
separate  commands  of  God  are  em- 
braced in  this  term,  the  entire  revela- 
tion through  Christ.  John  does  not 
here  mean  the  Word,  the  Logos  of  John 
1  :  1,  but  the  entire  teaching  of  and 
concerning  God,  covering  the  faith 
and  conduct  of  the  believer.  He  now 
introduces  a  new  thought,  love  of 
God,  which  is  synonymous  with  walk- 
ing in  the  liglit,  knowing  God,  doing 
his  commandments,  having  the  truth 
in  the  heart.  This  expression  does  not 
mean  God's  love  to  us,  but  our  love  to 
God.  Verily  means  truly,  in  truth, 
and  is  opposed  to  the  life  deceptive, 
existing  in  appearance  only,  spoken 
of  in  ver.  4.  Is  .  .  .  perfected, 
rather,  hath  been.  The  one  who  truly 
obeys  God's  commands,  in  him  the 
love  of  God  has  reached  its  completion. 
John  does  not  declare  that  in  any  be- 
liever there  has  been  a  complete  love 
of  God,  leading  to  a  complete  obedience. 
He  is  dealing,  in  a  general  way,  with 
principles,  giving  the  ideal  conception 
of  every  Christian  life,  showing  also 
what  it  will  be  when  the  life  has 
reached  its  completion.  In  the  present 
life  there  are  gradations  of  love  and 
consecration,  hence  of  obedience,  con- 


48 


1.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


6  BHe  that  saith  he  abideth  in  him 
•'ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as 
he  walked. 

7  Brethren,  I  write  no  new  command- 
meut  unto  you,  but  an  old  command- 
ment '  which  ye  had  from  the  begin- 
ning. The  old  commandment  is  the 
word  which  ye  have  heard  from  the 
beginning. 

8  Again,  k  a  new  commandment  I  write 
unto  you,  which  thing  is  true  in  him 


6  that  we  are  in  him.  He  that  says  he 
abides  in  him  ought  himself  also  to 
walk  even  as  he  walked. 

7  Beloved,  I  write  not  to  you  a  new 
commandment,  but  an  old  command- 
ment which  ye  had  from  the  begin- 
ning.   The  old  commandment  is  the 

8  word  which  ye  heard.  Again,  a  new 
commandment  I  write  to  you,  which 
thing  is  true  in  him  and  in  you ;  be- 


3  3:6.  Johu  15    4-6. 


ft  .Matt.  11  :  29.  i  3  :  11  .  2  John  5. 


k  ver.  9-11  ,  John  13  ;  3* ;  15  ;  12-15. 


formity  to  God's  will,  and  of  fruitful- 

ness  (Matt.  13  .  8). 

6.  In  this  verse  John  defines  what  is 
implied  in  obedience  to  the  commands 
of  God.  The  term  abideth  is  stronger 
than  the  expression  to  be  in  him  (ver.  5). 
It  denotes  a  permanent  life-union  with 
God,  holding  fast  by  faith  what  has 
been  received.  Ought.  The  profes- 
sion implies  obligation.  Him.  The 
different  term  here  used  shows  that  the 
reference  is  not  now  to  God  but  to 
Christ.  The  pattern  of  the  Christian 
life  is  the  Christ  life. 

7-11.  The  test  of  walking  in 
the  light  is  the  love  of  the 
BROTHERHOOD.  In  a  general  way- 
John  has  defined  the  keeping  of  God's 
commandments  as  the  evidence  and 
completion  of  love  to  God.  He  now 
proceeds  to  declare  that  God's  com- 
mandments are  summed  up  in  love, 
and  this  love  will  be  manifested  out- 
wardly in  a  love  for  the  brotherhood. 
The  essence  of  God's  commands  is 
found  in  brotherly  love. 

7.  Brethren,  ratlier,  beloved.  This 
word,  beloved,  prepares  for  the  utter- 
ance of  some  emphatic  statement.  I 
.  .  .  commandment,  rather,  )io  new 
commandment  write  I.  The  einpliatic 
position  occupied  by  the  words  no  new 
command,  shows  that  .Jolin  is  insisting 
that  he  is  introducing  no  novel  teach- 
ing. He  wishes  to  guide  them  in  the 
right  application  of  what  they  had  long 
known.  It  is  wortliy  of  notice  tliat 
John  does  not  here  use  the  word  com- 
mandments, but  refei-s  them  all  l)aek 
to  one  command,  the  law  of  love  wliich 
embraces  them  all.  Tlie  command  has 
reference  to  tlie  injunction  to  walk  as 
Christ  walked  (ver.  6) ;  liis  walk  was 
supremely  one  of  love.  From  the 
beginnin^r  marks  the  beginning  of 
the  Christian  dispensation,  the  intro- 
duction of  the  gospel.     There  is  no 


allusion  to  the  Old  Testament  times,  to 
the  law  given  by  Moses,  or  the  original 
creation  of  the  race,  although  all  the 
commands  of  the  former  dispen.sation 
were  summed  up  in  love  to  God  and 
love  to  one's  neighbor  (Matt.  22  :  37-40 ). 
The  expression,  which  ye  heard,  in 
the  aorist  tense,  indicates  a  definite 
time  of  hearing,  that  time  when  the 
gospel  was  proclaimed  to  them.  The 
second  expression,  from  the  begin- 
ning, is  to  be  omitted.  John  has  in- 
vented no  new  teachings,  prescribed 
no  new  duties,  but  simply  taught  what 
was,  of  necessity,  bound  up  in  their 
received  beliefs,  and  held  by  them 
frf)m  the  first. 

8.  He  represents  the  old  command- 
ment as  in  a  certain  sense  new.  The 
term  new  would  at  once  .suggest  to  his 
readers  the  solemn  occasion  at  the  Last 
Supper,  when  Jesus  had  said,  "  A  new 
commandment  I  am  giving  unto  you" 
(John  13:34).  John  had  heard  the.se 
words  of  the  Saviour.  It  would  be 
new  to  them  as  something  distinctively 
Christian,  inasmuch  as  the  command 
to  brotherly  love  is  founded  upon  the 
imitation  of  Jesus.  It  would  be  per- 
petually new  to  them,  inasmuch  as 
with  their  constantly  enlarging  spir- 
itual life  the  command  would  have  a 
new  power  over  them.  The  person  and 
character  of  Christ  have  a  constantly 
enlarging  horizon  to  the  believer.  A 
larger  fellowship  with  Christ  would 
give  a  perpetual  impulse  to  the  repro- 
ducing of  Christ's  life  toward  others. 
Which  thing.  Tlie  reference  is  to 
the  contents  of  the  new  commandment, 
the  walking  in  brotherly  love.  In 
him.  In  .Jesus  Christ  was  the  com- 
plete fulfilment  of  love  for  others;  he 
gave  it  a  new  meaning,  a  new  range,  a 
new  motive  (Joim  13  :  34).  True  shows 
that  the  love  is  a  reality,  not  a  seeming 
merely.    The  sentence  introduced  by 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


49 


and  in  you:  'because  the  darkness  is 

past,  and  mthe  true  light  now  shineth. 

9  "He  that  saith  he  is  iu  the  light,  and 

hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness  even 

10  until  now.    He  that  loveth  his  brotlier 
abideth  in  the  light,  and  "there  is  none 

11  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him.    But  he 


cause  the  darkness  is  passing  away, 

9  and  the  true  light  is  now  shining.    He 

that  says  he  is  in  the  liglii,  and  hates 

his  brother,  is  in  tlie  durkness  until 

10  now.    He  that  loves  his  brother  abides 
in  the  liglit,  and  there  is  no  occasion 

11  of   stumbling  in  him.     But    he   tliat 


I  Rom   13  :  12  ;  Eph.  5  :  8. 

n  3  ;  14-17  ;  1  Cor.  13  : 


m  Mai.  4:2;  John  1  :  4,  5,  9 ,  2  Tim.  1 
2  i  2  Peter  1:9.  o  2  Peter  1  :  10. 


because  explains  the  expression  in 
you.  Christians  were  the  children  of 
light.  Since  Christ  had  come  into  the 
world,  the  darkness  had  largely  passed 
away.  Is  past,  rather,  is  passing. 
Paul  in  Rom.  13  :  11  speaks  of  the  end- 
ing of  the  night  and  tlie  drawing  near 
of  the  day  of  the  Lord.  The  command 
which  they  have  always  known  will 
constantly  be  a  growing  power  with 
them.  The  darkness  of  sin  aiul  igno- 
rance will  pass  away,  and  the  true  light 
will  take  the  place  of  the  darkness. 
Jesus  is  the  true  light  (John  i  :  9)  shi- 
ning in  the  heart,  driving  away  the 
darkness  gradually  (i  ^  ').  In  the  world 
at  large  Christianity  has  largely  dis- 
pelled the  darkness,  idolatry  has  been 
driven  away,  intellectually  Christian- 
ity has  gotten  hold  of  the  world's  best 
thought,  and  the  character  of  Christ 
has  won  a  unique  place  in  the  minds  of 
men  (Mait.  is :  n). 

9.  The  mention  of  light  in  ver.  8 
leads  John  to  speak  of  the  life  of  light 
as  a  life  of  love.  The  new  command 
is  a  command  to  exhibit  and  cultivate 
brotherly  love.  In  like  manner  the 
opposite  of  love,  the  spirit  of  selfish- 
ness, is  designated  as  darkness.  He 
that  saith.  The  confession  of  being 
in  Christ,  being  in  the  light,  is  a  con- 
fession of  brotherly  love.  Hateth. 
The  intensity  of  John's  nature  is  shown 
in  this,  that  he  finds  nothing  inter- 
mediate between  love  and  hatred.  Love 
is  the  characteristic  of  the  Christian  ; 
hate  is  the  characteristic  of  the  un- 
believer. John  is  looking  at  life,  not 
as  it  is  seen  in  its  present  fragmentary 
condition,  but  as  it  exists  in  its  ruling 
principle,  and  as  it  will  appear  when 
It  has  reached  its  fulfilment,  when  the 
controlling  principle  has  come  to  its 
proper  fruition.  'The  heart,  apart  from 
Christ,  is  under  the  control  of  dark- 
ness, selfishness,  worldliness.  How- 
ever much  the  life  may  be  covered  over 
at  present  by  a  decorous  exterior,  it  is 


a  life  of  hate  in  reality,  and  will  in 
time  be  seen  to  be  such.  A  man  must, 
in  the  final  result,  be  either  for  or 
against  Christ,  and  therefore  moved  by 
love  or  hate.  The  term,  brother,  ap- 
plies primarily  to  the  fellow-Christian, 
for  John  is  writing  to  Christians  only  ; 
but  it  is  equally  true  that  hatred  to- 
ward any  fellow-man  is  a  sign  that  the 
heart  is  abiding  in  the  darkness.  There 
is  always  a  special  duty  toward  the 
Christian  brother  (oai.  6  :  lo).  Until 
now.  Even  if  there  had  been  an  out- 
ward union  with  the  people  of  Christ, 
and  an  outward  change  in  the  life 
manifest  to  all,  yet  the  heart  remains 
in  a  real  union  with  the  darkness.  It 
is  the  inner  life  alone  which  ultimately 
decides  where  a  man  is  in  his  moral 
standing  before  God.  Christ  recog- 
nizes but  two  grades  among  men,  those 
serving  him  and  those  serving  the 
world,  those  building  on  the  rock  and 
those  on  the  sand  (Matt.  7  :  24-37). 

10.  This  verse  takes  up  the  case  of 
the  man  who  loves  his  brother.  It  is 
■said  of  him  first  that  he  abideth  in 
the  light.  The  exhibition  of  broth- 
erly love  is  a  proof  of  dwelling  in  the 
light,  it  is  also  a  help  to  the  development 
of  a  larger  brotherly  love.  The  light 
in  the  heart  becomes  love  to  the  breth- 
ren. Second,  no  stumbling  iu  hinj. 
The  word  rendered  stumbling  means 
literally  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way, 
over  which  one  might  fall  in  tlie  dark. 
It  does  not  mean  tliat  this  man  will  so 
walk  in  love  that  others  will  not  stum- 
ble over  his  wayward  life,  though  this 
is  also  a  governing  principle  of  the  life 
(Rom.  14 :  21).  Jt  mcans  the  man  him- 
self will  not  stuml)le,  his  pathway 
being  illumined  by  such  light  that  he 
will  walk  in  safety.  Love  will  keep 
the  heart  pure,  keep  down  pas.sions, 
clarify  the  judgment,  and  so  give  se- 
curity to  the  believer.  Compare  the 
words  of  Je.sus  in  John  11  :  10  for  the 
same  figure  of  stumbling. 


50 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


that  hateth  his  brother  is  in  darkness, 
and  1' walketh  iu  darkness,  and  know- 
eth  not  whither  he  goeth,  because  that 
darkness  liath  blinded  his  eyes. 

Exhortations,  warnings,  and  encouragements _ 

12      I  WRITE  unto  you,  little  children, 

because  i  your  sins  are  forgiven  you  for 

1.3  his  name's  sake.     I   write  unto  you, 


hates  his  brother  is  in  the  darkness, 
and  walks  in  the  darkness,  and  knows 
not  where  he  is  going,  because  the 
darkness  blinded  his  eyes. 


12  I  write  to  you,  little  children,  be- 
cause your  sins  have    been    forgiven 

13  you  for  his  name's  sake.    I  write  to 


p  John  12  :  35. 


7  1  ;  7  :  Luke  2i  :  47  ;  Acts  10  .  43 ;  13  :  38. 


11.  The  opposite  case  is  now  pre- 
sented, that  of  the  man  hating  his 
brother.  Of  him  three  things  are  as- 
serted, he  is  in  darkness,  rather,  in 
the  darkness;  he  walks  in  darkness, 
he  knows  not  whither  he  is  going. 
The  first  statement  reveals  his  moral 
conditioa ;  the  second  alludes  to  his 
deportment;  the  third  implies  that  he 
walks  in  a  life  subject  to  stumblings, 
not  knowing  the  goal  of  life,  the  end 
toward  which  he  is  going.  There  is  a 
hint  in  this  of  the  punishment  to  which 
he  will  be  subject  when  the  end  is 
reached.  Compare  the  words  of  Jesus 
on  the  same  point  in  John  12  :  35.  This 
man  has  false  views  of  life,  walks  in 
an  aimless  way,  comes  to  destruction. 
Sin  is  its  own  punishment.  The  wilful 
remaining  in  the  darkness  takes  away 
the  eyesight.  Jesus  speaks  of  the  law 
of  growth  by  use,  the  law  of  deci<ease 
by  non-use  (Matt.  13 :  u).  The  fish  in 
Mammoth  Cave  have  no  eyes,  only 
sightless  eyeballs   (oomp    johu  12  :  40 ;    2 

Cor.  4  :  4). 

12-14.  The  forgiveness  of  sins 
already  secured  furnished  a 
reason  for  continued  walking 
IN  THE  LIGHT.  Having  depicted  the 
Christian  life  in  its  essential  features, 
its  aiming  at  siulessness,  its  conformity 
to  God's  will,  its  love  for  the  brethren, 
John  now  passes  on  to  an  exhortation, 
an  appeal  to  steadfastness  in  the  Chris- 
tian life  based  on  past  experience.  It 
is  a  sixfold  appeal,  constructed  in  a 
methodical  and  orderly  way.  The  first 
three  classes  are  introduced  by  the  pres- 
ent, I  write,  the  second  group  of  three 
by  the  aorist,  I  wrote.  The  structure 
of  the  paragraph  is  as  follows : 

1.  An  appeal  to  all  Christians  in  the 
present  tense,  I  write,  ver.  12. 

(1)  An  appeal  to  fathers,  ver.  13. 

(2)  An  appeal  to  young  men,  ver.  13. 

2.  An  appeal  to  all  Christians  in  the 
aorist  tense,  I  wrote,  ver.  13. 


(1)  An  appeal  to  fathers,  ver.  14. 

(2)  An  appeal  to  young  men,  ver.  14. 

12.  Little  children,  rather,  7ny 
little  children.  There  is  here  a  tender 
personal  appeal.  He  calls  them,  using 
the  same  term  employed  in  ver.  1,  28 ; 
3  :  7,  18;  4:4;  5:21;  John  13:33.  It 
is  a  term  used  by  John  alone.  That 
the  reference  is  not  to  children  in  years 
is  evident  from  the  order  employed  by 
John :  children,  fathers,  young  men. 
All  believers  are  spoken  of  as  children. 
Of  these  there  are  the  two  groups,  the 
more  and  the  less  mature.  If  he  had 
meant  little  children  in  years,  as  many 
writers  have  supposed,  he  would  have 
written  children,  young  men,  fathers. 
Are  forgiven.  The  verb  is  in  the 
perfect  tense,  meaning  have  been  for- 
given;  a  forgiveness  complete  in  the 
past  and  extending  up  to  the  present. 
Name's  sake.  The  name  stands  for 
the  entire  person  and  work  of  Jesus,  the 
divine-human  mediator  and  redeemer. 
There  is  implied  the  reconciliation 
effected  by  Christ,  and  also  his  inter- 
cession on  high  spoken  of  in  ver.  2. 
John  knows  nothing  of  any  salvation 
by  church  or  baptism,  salvation  in  his 
thought  is  only  through  Christ,  the 
personal  Saviour.  All  in  the  churches 
are  spoken  of  and  regarded  as  believers 
in  Christ,  and  hence  forgiven.  That 
unworthy  persons  secured  entrance  into 
the  early  churches  is  evident  from  ref- 
erences in  this  letter  (ver.  J9),  but  they 
came  into  the  churches  as  professed  be- 
lievers. John  takes  their  profession  as 
real,  and  therefore  their  forgiveness  as 
real. 

13.  Having  addressed  believers  as  a 
whole,  he  now  turns  to  the  classes 
which  collectively  made  up  the  church. 
Fathers.  This  has  reference  to  those 
who  for  a  long  time  had  been  in  the 
Christian  life,  embracing  naturally  the 
older  members  of  the  churches.  The 
essential  characteristic  of  the  fathers 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


51 


fathers,  'because  ye  have  known  him 
that  is  from  the  beginning.  I  write 
unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  have 
overcome  the  wicked  one. 


you,  fathers,  because  ye  know  him  who 
is  from  the  beginning.  1  write  to  you, 
young  men,  because  ye  have  overcome 


is  their  knowledge.  Knowledge  does 
not  come  at  once,  this  is  the  fruit  of 
years.  It  is  not  always  true,  prac- 
tically, that  growth  in  knowledge  is 
proportioned  to  the  years  of  open  con- 
fession of  Christ.  But  John  is  here 
looking  at  men  and  things  in  an  ideal 
way,  in  the  light  of  what  should  be 
true  in  the  Christian  life.  Have 
known,  rather,  know.  The  knowl- 
edge will  be  historical  as  well  as  tliat 
deeper  heart-knowledge  that  comes 
from  fellowship  with  Christ.  To  know 
him  means  vastly  more  than  to  know 
about  him  (?"!•  s :  lo).  With  John 
there  is  no  true  knowledge  that  is  not 
associated  with  holiness.  From  the 
beginning.  This  may  be  understood 
in  a  limited  sense  as  applying  to  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  on  the 
earth.  Some  of  the  older  members  in 
the  churches  had  seen  Christ  in  the 
flesh,  or  had  seen  and  heard  the  apostles 
of  Christ.  It  is  better,  however,  to 
understand  this  term  as  alluding  to 
the  eternal  existence  of  Christ  (i  ;  i). 
Knowing  the  divine  and  eternally  ex- 
isting One,  this  fellowship  would  natu- 
rally create  a  holy  life,  a  spiritual 
knowledge.  The  second  address  is  to 
young  men.  John  applies  this  term 
to  those  less  mature  in  the  Christian 
life,  embracing  naturally  the  young 
disciples,  immature  in  years,  or  imma- 
ture in  character.  Young  life  is  fitted 
for  conflict  and  conquest.  The  young 
man  is  full  of  life,  enthusiasm,  energy. 
Overcome.  The  conflicts  of  life  come 
in  the  early  years ;  the  life  will  then, 
as  a  rule,  overcome  or  be  overcome. 
He  does  not  assert  that  there  will  be  no 
struggles  in  after  years ;  but  the  same 
overcoming  spirit  should  lead  them  to 
a  final  overcoming.  Wicked  one. 
The  assaults  of  the  evil  one  will  be  es- 
pecially against  the  young.  Their 
passions  and  inexperience  make  them 
open  to  his  assaults  (Ps.  25:  ?;  2  Tim.  s;  22). 
John  elsewhere  alludes  to  the  works  of 
Satan  (s :  8,  10, 12)  and  to  his  power  over 
the  world  (5  :  19).  We  may  be  assured 
that  the  devil  who  left  even  Jesus  for 
a   season    only    (Luke  *  =  is),   will    not 


abandon  his  attacks  as  long  as  life 
lasts.  But  Jesus  Christ  and  the  young 
disciple  taken  together  will  be  stronger 
than  any  evil  being  or  agency.  We 
now  come  to  the  second  division  of  this 
group  of  appeals.  The  tense  is  now 
changed  from  the  present  to  the  aorist, 
/  wrote.  The  Received  version  has  I 
Avrite  four  times,  hence  this  appeal  is 
embraced  in  ver.  13.  A  new  verse 
ought  to  begin  here.'  Many  explana- 
tions of  this  change  have  been  given. 
Some  have  attributed  the  appeals  in 
the  present  teuse  to  the  present  and 
following  parts  of  this  letter,  and  the 
appeals  in  the  past  tense  to  the  parts 
already  written.  This  is  the  view  of 
Meyer.  Some  refer  the  past  tense  to 
John's  other  and  previous  writings. 
It  is  better  to  regard  both  tenses,  the 
present  and  the  aorist,  as  referring  to 
this  letter  in  its  entirety,  but  regarding 
it  from  difierent  standpoints.  _  The 
present  tense  applies  to  John's  imme- 
diate act  of  writing ;  the  aorist  to  the 
reader's  act  of  reading  when  completed. 
This  is  sometimes  called  the  epistolary 
aorist,  used  when  regarding  the  letter 
as  a  whole  when  finished.  Little 
children.  This  is  a  difierent  term 
from  that  employed  in  ver.  12  (paidia). 
Some  regard  the  term  used  in  ver.  12 
(teknia)  as  more  personal  and  afiiec- 
tionate,  the  Revised  version  rendering 
it  my  liltle  children.  But  the  terms 
have  substantially  the  same  meaning, 
and  both  refer  to  the  same  class  of 
persons — all  believers — the  Christians 
to  whom  John  wrote.  Have  known, 
rather,  know.  The  term  little  children 
suggests  thecorresponding  term  Father. 
In  the  first  division  their  sins  are  de- 
clared to  be  forgiven  through  Christ, 
here  they  stand  in  a  personal  relation 
to  God  as  their  Father.  As  children 
they  know  the  Father,  have  fellowship 
with  him  through  the  Son.  God  is 
theirs,  Christ  is  theirs,  a  conscious, 
spiritual  life  is  theirs.  They  cannot 
be  Ciiristians  unless  they  have  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  the  Son. 
Paul  gives  us  a  deep  insight  into  the 
interior  relations  in  the  Godhead  when 


52 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


14  I  write  unto  you,  little  children,  'be- 
cause ye  have  kiiowu  the  Father.  I 
have  written  unto  you,  fathers,  be- 
cause ye  have  kuown  him  titat  is  from 
the  beginning.  I  have  written  unto 
you,  young  men,  because  'ye  are 
strong,  "and  the  word  of  God  abideth 
in  you,  and  ye  have  overcome  the 
wicked  one. 

15  »Love  not   the  world,  neither   the 


the  evil  one.    I  have  written  to  you, 
little  children,  because  ye  know  the 

14  Father.  I  have  written  to  you,  fathers, 
because  ye  know  him  that  is  from  the 
beginning.  I  have  written  to  you, 
young  men,  because  ye  are  strong,  and 
the  word  of  God  abides  in  you,  and  ye 

15  have  overcome  the  evil  one.  Love  not 
the  world,  neither  the  things  in  tlie 


e  John  H  :  7. 


t  Eph.  6  :  10;  2  Tim.  2:1.  u  Ps.  119  :  11 ;  John  15  :  7. 

I  Rom.  12:2;  Col.  3  :  1,  2 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  16. 


he  speaks  of  God  being  the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  (Coi.  i  :  3). 

14.  As  in  the  first  division  there  is  a 
twofold  distinction.  Fathers.  He 
describes  the  same  classes  as  in  ver.  13, 
the  more  mature  and  the  less  mature 
iu  the  churches.  He  attributes  to  the 
fathers  the  same  quality  before  given,  a 
knowledge  of  Christ,  the  divine  One. 
Jesus  declared  the  knowledge  of  God 
to  be  the  essence  of  eternal  life  (Joim 
17 :  »).  The  young  men  overcome  the 
devil  because  they  are  strong  in  God's 
strength.  The  old  men  are  for  counsel, 
the  young  men  are  for  war,  indicating 
that  the  victory  of  the  entire  life  is  to 
be  gained  in  the  early  part  of  the 
Christian  life.  The  word  of  God, 
meaning  the  teachings  of  God,  the 
revelations  of  God  in  every  form,  abide 
in  and  control  the  life.  When  Jesus 
overcame  Satan,  it  was  by  the  use  of 
the  Scriptures  (Matt.  4  :  4,  7,  10).  The 
terms,  fathers  and  young  men,  embrace 
all  the  membership  of  the  church,  men 
and  women.  Unless  the  word  of  God 
abide  in  them  they  will  be  overcome. 
The  New  Testament  gives  many  ex- 
amples of  professing  Christians  who 
made  shipwreck  of  their  faith  and  life 

(1  Tim.  1  :  20  ;    2  Tira.  1  :  15  ^    i  :  10).        Satail 

is  strong  and  full  of  wiles ;  but  a  young 
disciple,  with  an  indwelling  Christ 
and  an  open  New  Testament,  is  stronger. 
15-29.  What  walking  in  the 
LIGHT  EXCLUDES.  A  walking  in  the 
light,  of  necessity,  shuts  out  certain 
forms  of  erroneous  thinking  witli  the 
consequent  erroneous  living.  A  life  of 
godliness  is  both  inclusive  and  ex- 
clusive. Jesus,  vhile  a  compassionate 
Saviour,  was  utterly  intolerant  of  any 
claim  to  equality  or  partnership  with 
himself.  There  mu.st  l)e  an  acceptance 
of  himself  alone,  the  wearing  of  liis 
yoke  alone,  the  confession  of  him.self 
alone  (Matt,  lo  :  32,  ss).     John   has  de- 


scribed the  constituent  classes  of  Chris- 
tians, in  their  ideal  aspect,  possessing 
a  full  knowledge  and  full  strength. 
But  they  are  not  yet  in  glory,  but  liv- 
ing in  bodies  assailed  by  temptations,  in 
a  world  that  leads  men  astray.  They 
are  all,  therefore,  warned  against  the 
surrounding  perils. 
15-17.  Walking  in  the   light 

EXCLUDES  WORLDLINESS. 

15.  The  Christian  must  love  God 
who  is  love,  must  love  the  brother 
(ver.  10)^  but  he  must  love  not  the 
world.  The  term  world  is  used  in 
several  senses  in  the  New  Testament : 
(1)  It  means  the  creation,  the  outward 
physical  system ;  the  earth  is  a  place 
trodden  by  the  feet  of  the  Redeemer 
(John  17  :24).  (2)  It  is  applied  to  the 
race  of  men  inhabiting  the  world.  God 
loved  the  world  and  gave  his  Son  (John 
3  :  16).  (3)  There  is  a  darker  use  of  the 
term  alluding  to  the  perverted  in- 
fluences and  tendencies  of  the  present 
iile,  under  which  view  Satan  is  looked 
upon  as  corrupting  the  minds  of  men 
(2  Cor.  4:4).  The  hearts  of  men  are 
largely  against  God ;  are  not  moved 
by  his  will  (John  17  :  25).  The  material 
splendor  of  the  present  outward  world 
blinded  the  eyes  of  men  to  the  spiritual 
life  (2  Cor.  4:18).  The  course  of  this 
world,  its  tendencies  and  habits,  are 
regarded  as  evil,  making  war  upon 
the  spiritual  life  (Eph.  2  : 2).  It  is  evil, 
not  because  God  so  made  it,  but  be- 
cause perverted  by  the  evil  self-will 
residing  in  man.  It  is  not  wrong  to 
love  the  phy.sical  world,  for  its  mani- 
festations of  design  reveal  God's  power 
and  wisdom  (!•»•  «).  Through  nature 
the  devout  mind  should  see  God,  who  is 
manifest  in  the  creation  (Rom.  1  :  so). 
Notice  the  Saviour's  use  of  the  grass, 
the  lily,  the  bird,  in  his  teachings  (M»tt. 
6  :  26,  30).  It  is  right  to  love  men,  in- 
asmuch as  God  loves  them.    There  is 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


53 


things  thai  are  in  the  world.  J  If  any 
man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the 
16  Father  is  not  in  him.  For  all  that  is 
in  the  world,  »the  lust  of  the  flesh, 
•and  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  '■and  the 


world.  If  any  one  loves  the  world, 
the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him. 
16  Because  all  that  is  in  the  world,  tlie 
desire  of  the  flesh,  and  the  desire  of  the 
eyes,  and  the  vain  glory  of  life,  is  not 


y  Matt.  6  :  24.  z  Matt.  5  :  28  ;  Rom.  U  :  U. 

a  Josh.  7  :  21 ;  Job  31  :  1 ;  Kocl.  5  :  11 ;  Malt.  4:8.  6  Isa.  39  :  2-7. 


no  blessing  on  a  man  for  retiring  from 
society  and  living  apart  from  men  in 
order  to  get  additional  sanctity.  Je- 
rome, who  lived  iu  a  cave  at  Beth- 
lehem, took  his  worst  enemy  with  him 
in  his  own  heart  with  its  evil  tenden- 
cies. Jesus  meant  his  people  to  be 
light  and  salt,  to  be  among  men  to 
help  them.  Read  the  words  of  Paul 
in  Phil.  1  :  24 ;  also  the  words  of  Jesus, 
John  17  :  15.  There  isa  perverted  way 
of  looking  at  outward  things  so  that 
they  get  control  of  the  heart.  Paul 
exhorts  Christians  not  to  be  conformed 
to  the  world,  but  to  be  transfigured 
(Rom.  12  : 2).  John  is  here  speaking  of 
the  world  in  its  bad  sense  as  alienated 
from  God,  in  its  influence  against  spir- 
ituality in  the  life,  in  its  antagonism 
to  the  control  of  the  life  by  the  unseen 
spiritual  forces,  in  its  subjection  to  the 
controlling  power  of  the  evil  one.  Jesus 
alludes  to  tlie  prevailing  evil  course  of 
things  in  the  present  life,"  I  pray  not  for 
the  world  "  (John  n  :  9,  i6).  Love  to  God 
must  be  supreme.  This  love  must  rule 
everything  else,  must  use  everything 
to  God's  glory.  What  cannot  be  so 
used  must  not  be  loved,  but  hated. 
The  prohibition,  not  to  love  the  world, 
is  strengthened  by  neither . . .  world. 
This  denotes  the  specific  objects  in  life 
which  are  the  aims  of  the  ungodly.  In 
its  entirety  and  in  its  parts  the  world 
is  not  to  be  loved.  The  tendencies  that 
lead  to  a  perversion  of  the  right  uses  of 
life  and  of  present  things  are  alluded 
to  in  the  next  verse.  Love  of  the 
F'ather.  This  is  a  tenderer  term  than 
God.  John  had  spoken  of  Christians 
as  children  (ver.  12).  The  Christian  life 
cannot  be  conceived  of  without  a  deep, 
abiding,  controlling  love  for  God  the 
Father.  Worldliness  depends  on  the 
state  of  the  heart,  not  on  the  sur- 
roundings or  possessions.  Thomas 
£l  Kempis,  in  his  "  Imitation  of  Christ," 
creates  the  impression  that  tliere 
must  be  a  physical  separation  from 
the  world  in  order  that  a  fitting  un- 
worldliness  may  be  attained.    A  true 


fellowship  with  Christ  will  make  pos- 
sible a  real  imitation  of  Christ  in  busi- 
ness, in  society,  iu  the  leadership  of 
communities. 

16.  This  verse  gives  a  reason  for 
ver.  15,  showing  that  the  world  is 
alienated  from  God,  and  showing  also 
the  elements  of  the  world's  power. 
For  assigns  a  reason  why  the  world 
must  not  be  loved.  He  mentions  three 
temptations  in  the  world  which  con- 
stitute a  sinful  trinity.  As  the  world  is 
against  God,  so  is  this  anti-trinity  in 
enmity  to  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit. 
All  three  find  their  dwelling-place  in 
the  heart,  but  are  called  into  activity 
by  the  outward  surroundings.  A  holy 
being  might  live  iu  the  same  surround- 
ings and  find  no  harm  to  the  soul. 
Lust,  in  both  cases  in  this  verse,  has 
a  perverted  sense,  meaning  unhallowed 
and  corrupted  desires.  Flesh  stands  for 
the  physical  man,  for  all  the  sins  which 
spring  from  or  find  their  home  in  the 
physical  organization.  Such  sins  are 
drunkenness,  gluttony,  licentiousness, 
all  sins  of  uncleanness  and  sensuality 
are  included  here.  The  term  flesii  does 
not  of  itself  assert  selfishness  or  sinful- 
ness, for  John  declares  again  and  again 
that  Jesus  had  a  body  of  flesh  (J"b°  6  ; 

51;    1  John  4  :  2,  3,  25,  27).        NowherC    doCS 

John  incline  to  the  first-century  heresy 
that  all  matter  is  sinful  in  itself;  he 
always  stoutly  opposes  this  notion. 
There  are  instincts  of  body  that  are 
not  wrong,  the  feeling  of  hunger,  of 
thirst,  of  pleasurable  sensations.  But 
a  sinful  and  sinning  agency  has  per- 
verted the  nature  so  that  it  is  not  only 
a  minister  of  evil  thoughts,  but  it  is,  in 
turn,  a  creator  of  evil  thoughts.  So 
much  has  this  nature  been  debased 
that  the  term  flesh  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  almost. always  opposed  to  the 
term  spirit,  and  stands  for  weakness 
and  sinfulness.  Eyes.  Through  the 
eyes  the  outer  world  is  brought  into 
relation  to  the  spirit  within.  The  en- 
ticements of  life  that  allure  and  deceive 
the  soul,  the  power  of  things  seen  to 


54 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father,  but 
17  IS  of  the  world.  And  "the  world  pass- 
eth  away,  and  the  lust  thereof:  ""but 
he  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth 
for  ever. 


of   the  Father,   but  is  of   the   world. 
17  And  the  world  is  passing  away,  and 
the  desire  thereof ;   but  he  that  does 
the  will  of  God  abides  forever. 


c  1  Cor.  7  :  31. 


d  Matt.  1  :  21,  24,  25. 


crowd  out  the  power  of  things  unseen, 
ail  these  make  a  menace  to  the  soul. 
An  unclean  picture,  an  evil  page,  a 
sinful  gesture,  may  work  irreparable 
injury.  The  eye  was  made  to  drink  in 
beauty^  to  come  into  a  loving  fellow- 
ship with  outward  things  bringing  God 
nearer,  but  a  perverted  eye  brings  ruin. 
The  flesh  within,  the  world  outside, 
and  Satan,  constitute  a  sinful  trinity. 
In  John's  day  were  the  unclean  siglits 
at  the  theaters  and  the  savage  contests 
in  the  arena.  Our  first  parents  looked 
longingly  upon  the  forbidden  fruit  be- 
fore they  took  it;  Jesus  beheld  the 
glory  of  the  world's  kingdoms,' but  he 
kept  his  faith  steadfast.  Fride,  rather, 
vainglory.  This  is  a  vainglorious 
pride  arising  usually  from  the  posses- 
sion of  material  things.  It  includes 
vanity,  ostentation,  delight  in  show. 
The  word  here  rendered  life  is  not  the 
highest  term  indicating  the  spiritual 
life,  but  hios,  meaning  the  course  or 
manner  of  life.  Two  things  are  af- 
firmed of  these  corrupting  manifesta- 
tions, they  are  not  of  the  Father, 
they  are  of  the  world.  The  of 
means  out  of,  springing  from  as  their 
source.  They  do  not  derive  their  origin 
from  the  Father,  but  from  the  world. 
It  requires  rare  wisdom  to  use  the 
■world,  its  forces  and  opportunities,  the 
body  with  its  powers  and  passions,  in 
such  a  way  as  to  fulfil  one's  mission 
here  and  find  God's  favor  at  last. 

17.  John  now  gives  an  additional 
reason  for  not  loving  the  world :  be- 
cause it  is  but  a  fleeting  show,  and  the 
desires  which  it  inHames  can  have  but 
a  momentary  gratification.  Passeth 
away.  The  present  tense  indicates 
the  constant  change  now  in  progress. 
The  allusion  may  not  perhaps  be  so 
much  to  the  passing  away  of  the  ma- 
terial world  which  is  spoken  of  in  2 
Peter  3  :  10,  but  to  the  constant  chatige 
in  life  whereby  it  so  much  resembles 
the  stage  (comp.  i  Cor.  7:3i).  The  one 
who  seeks  his  highest  good  in  the  per- 
ishable will  find  nothing,  in  the  end, 
but  disappointment.    All  that  isearthly 


is  fleeting,  only  invisible  things  deceive 
not.  The  things  that  cannot  be  shaken 
by  convulsions  in  nature  are  the  un- 
seen things  (Heb.  12 :  27).  Lust  there- 
of. Under  this  term  he  embraces  the 
three  lusts  spoken  of  in  the  preceding 
verse.  It  is  a  lust  not  after  the  world, 
but  a  lust  that  springs  from  it.  When 
he  speaks  of  the  world  passing  away, 
he  means  in  reality  the  ungodly  men 
who  live  in  an  ungodly  manner.  In 
complete  contrast  with  these  is  he  that 
doeth  .  .  .  abideth  forever.  God 
is  eternal,  his  counsels  and  plans  will 
stand  forever.  He  who  does  God's  will 
has  in  himself  the  power  of  an  endless 
life.  Confusion  and  final  disaster  be- 
long to  those  who  are  not  in  harmony 
with  God.  Passeth  away  and  forever 
are  contrasted  with  each  other,  as 
also  doing  the  will  of  God  is  contrasted 
with  the  lust  of  the  world.  An  eter- 
nally blessed  life  belongs  to  the  man 
who  sides  with  God.  Dives  owned  the 
outward  things  of  this  life ;  Lazarus 
owned  all  the  next  life,  and  the  best 
things  of  this  life. 

18, 19.  Walking  in  the  light 
excludes  the  control  of  the 
life,  its  beliefs  and  conduct,  by 
ANTICHRISTS.  This  section  is  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  preceding. 
John  now  proceeds  to  consider,  not 
principles,  but  persons  who  rise  up  in 
antagonism  to  Christ  and  Christianity, 
and  subvert  the  faith  of  the  unguarded. 
The  first  centuries  were  fruitful  in 
heresies  that  tended  to  destroy  tlie 
foundations  of  Christianity  by  attack- 
ing the  true  conceptions  of  the  person 
and  work  of  Christ.  False  teachers 
had  arisen  and  were  at  their  destruc- 
tive work,  the  names  of  some  of  whom 
we  know  from  current  history.  John  ap- 
plies to  them  a  most  expressive  phrase, 
summing  up  in  one  word,  their  char- 
acter, their  teachings,  their  ultimate 
destiny— antichrists.  These  words 
will  be  of  use  in  all  ages,  making  a 
call  upon  the  church  to  be  on  its  guard 
against  false  teachings.  Christ  in  his 
person  is  the  foundation  of  Christianity, 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


55 


18     Little  children, « it  is  the  last  time :  I 
and  as  ye  have  heard  that  'antichrist  | 


18     Little  children,  it  is  the  last  hour; 
and  as   ye   beard  that  antichrist  is 


e  1  Tim.  4:1;  Heb.  1  :  2. 


/  2  Thess.  2  :  3,  etc. 


the  essence  of  the  truth,  the  source  of 
revelation,  the  founder  and  ruler  of 
the  church,  the  exemplar  of  the  true 
life.  Errors  vary  with  the  passing 
centuries,  but  it  will  be  found  that  all 
heresies  and  misconceptions  of  funda- 
mental truths  will  find  their  correc- 
tion in  a  more  accurate  knowledge  of 
Christ's  person,  work,  and  authority. 

18.  In  proportion  to  the  gravity  of 
the  situation  does  John  manifest  his 
tender  regard  for  his  spiritual  children, 
little  children.  Last  time,  rather, 
last  hoar.  Two  interpretations  of  this 
passage  are  given.  Calvin  and  others 
regard  this  term  as  applicable  to  the 
entire  Messianic  period,  from  the  per- 
sonal coming  of  Jesus  to  his  second 
advent.  In  the  Old  Testament  the 
Messiah  was  promised  in  the  last  times 
(is».  2:2;  Acts  2 :  17).  The  Jcws  there- 
fore spoke  of  the  age  before  Christ  as 
the  present  age,  and  the  age  after 
Christ  as  the  coming  age.  In  the  New 
Testament  (Heb.  i  :  2;  i  Petcr  1  :  20)  it  is 
represented  that  Christ  has  appeared 
in  the  last  times.  There  can  be  no 
other  Christ,  no  other  redemption,  no 
further  display  of  God's  grace  for  sal- 
vation— these  are  all  centered  in  Christ. 
There  will,  therefore,  be  no  further 
kind  of  age  than  the  present  so  far  as 
redemption  is  concerned.  The  view  of 
Alford  and  Meyer  is  that  the  reference 
is,  not  to  the  entire  Messianic  period, 
but  to  a  part  that  immediately  precedes 
the  final  coming  to  judgment.  It  is 
urged,  first  from  ver.  28,  that  the  speedy 
personal  coming  of  the  Lord  was  before 
his  mind  at  this  time ;  secondly,  that 
not  the  entire  period  was  meant ;  third- 
ly, in  the  Gospel  of  John  the  resurrec- 
tion, accompanying  the  last  things,  is 
placed  in  the  last  day  (John  11  :  24) ; 
fourthly,  many  passages  in  the  New 
Testament  correspond  with  this  view 

( 2    Tim.    S  :  1 ;    1    Peter    1:5;    2    Peter   S  :  1 )  ; 

fifthly,  the  signs  of  approaching  dis- 
solution, together  with  the  presence  of 
rank  heresies,  impressed  John  with 
the  belief  of  an  age  almost  run.  It  was 
taught  by  Jesus  that  the  times  and 
seasons  God  had  reserved  for  himself, 
no  angel,  not  even  the  Son  of  man, 
when  on  the  earth,  knowing  the  time 


of  the  end  (Mark  13  :  32).  The  ability 
to  compute  the  time  of  the  final  con- 
summation, or  of  the  definite  parts  of 
it,  is  not  promised  to  the  teachers  of 
the  Christian  era.  Alford  has  these 
words:  "We  understand  the  apostle 
to  be  speaking,  as  any  one  in  any  sub- 
sequent age  of  the  church  might  have 
spoken,  and  as  we  may  speak  now,  of 
his  time  as  being  the  last  time,  seeing 
that  the  signs  of  the  last  time  were  rife 
in  it.  How  long  it  may  please  God  to 
prolong  this  last  hour,  how  long  to 
permit  the  signs  to  continue  which 
demonstrate  each  age  of  the  church  to 
have  this  character,  is  a  question  to 
which  it  was  not  given  to  him,  and  is 
not  given  to  us  to  reply."  Ve  heard. 
This  refers  to  their  first  hearing  of  the 
gospel  from  Paul,  John,  and  others. 
John  speaks  of  the  contents  of  that 
preaching  as  containing  the  testimony 
concerning  these  times  of  lalse  teach- 
ers. What  is  now  come  to  pass  ought 
not  therefore  to  surprise  them.  The 
fulfilment  of  prophecy,  whether  writ- 
ten or  unwritten,  is  a  strong  proof  of 
the  inspiration  of  the  prophecy.  Jesus 
foretold  coming  events,  by  the  fulfil- 
ment of  which  they  would  be  assured 
not  only  of  his  wisdom  but  of  his 
knowledge  (Joha  is  :  19).  Antichrist 
shall  come,  rather,  cometh.  This  is 
the  present  tense,  indicating  a  fixity  in 
the  coming:  the  coming  may  not  be, 
so  far  as  the  form  of  the  words  is  con- 
cerned, for  centuries  hence.  What  is 
meant  by  the  term  antichrist?  So  far 
as  the  etymology  goes  it  may  mean  one 
who  comes  in  the  place  of  Christ,  a 
false  Christ  (Matt.  24 :  5,  11),  or  an  enemy 
of  Christ.  In  favor  of  the  meaning, 
against  Christ,  is  John's  usage.  If  he 
had  meant  one  coming  in  place  of 
Christ  he  would  have  said  pseudo- 
christ  as  he  uses  the  term  pseudo  or 
false  prophet  {^^  ■  i)-  The  Greek  inter- 
preters nave  always  understood  the 
meaning  to  be  enemies  of  Christ.  The 
reference  here  seems  to  be  to  one  dis- 
tinct person  who  should  appear,  sum- 
ming up  in  himself  all  the  opposition 
to  Christ.  It  is  agreed  by  almost  all 
interpreters  that  John  understands  by 
this  enemy  the  same  person  spoken  of 


56 

I.  JOHN 

[Ch.  II. 

shall  come, 
antichrists 

seven  now  are  there  many  1 
whereby  we  know  that  it  | 

coming,   even   now 
have  arisen ;  whence 

many  antichrists 
we  know  that  it 

g  Matt.  H  :  S 

24;  i  John  7. 

by  Paul  iu  2  Thess.  2  :  3.  There  is  a 
close  correspondence  between  the  defi- 
nitions of  the  two,  in  the  form  of  the 
words  and  in  the  general  features. 
Meyer  says :  "  Like  tlie  second  coming 
of  Christ,  so  the  appearance  of  anti- 
christ also  belongs  to  the  future ;  of 
antichrists,  as  they  had  appeared  in 
tiie  time  of  John,  there  has  never 
since  been  any  lack;  but  the  anti- 
christ has  not  yet  come.  It  is  arbitrary 
to  regard  Mohammed  or  the  pope  as 
the  antichrist."  Neander  declares  that 
equally  with  the  development  of  Chris- 
tianity the  evil  will  gradually  increase 
in  its  contest  with  Christ  until  at  the 
last,  when  it  has  attained  its  highest 
summit,  it  will  find  expression  in  a 
person,  and  will  be  overcome  by  Christ. 

(Seeou2The68.  2:3,  4, 12.)    Eveil  .  .  .  auti- 

christs,  rather,  even  noto  have  there 
arisen  many  antichrists.  We  are  not 
to  infer  that  these  antichrists,  taken 
collectively,  constitute  the  one  anti- 
christ spoken  of,  rather  are  they  fore- 
runners of  that  personal  being  yet  to 
come,  filled  with  his  spirit.  These 
teachers  are  enemies  of  Christ  in  teach- 
ing and  in  life.  He  defines  them  after- 
ward as  those  denying  the  Father  and 
the  Son  (2 ;  22)^  denying  also  the  incar- 
nation (*  :  3).  An  antichrist  may  be  a 
Nero,  a  Simon  Magus,  a  Voltaire,  a 
priest  usurping  powers  that  belong  to 
Christ  only ;  those  described  by  John 
in  this  immediate  connection  had  been 
nominally  Christian.  This  evil  prin- 
ciple had  long  been  working  in  the 
churches.  When  Paul  took  leave  of 
the  elders  of  Ephesus  in  A.  D.  55,  he 
said:  "From  among  your  own  selves 
shall  men  arise  speaking  perverse 
things  to  draw  away  the  disciples 
after  them"  (Acts  20  :  30).  The  first 
century  was  peculiarly  fertile  in  her- 
etical teachings,  arising  from  the  intro- 
duction of  many  into  the  churches  who 
wished  to  combine  their  former  re- 
ligious and  philosophical  notions  with 
Christianity.  The  power  of  the  false 
teachers  would  consist  in  the  seductive 
character  of  their  teachings,  having  a 
mixture  of  truth  and  reason  whereby 
the  error  would  get  an  entrance  into 
their  hearts.    The  heresies  of  recent 


centuries  are,  in  the  main,  only  new 
forms  of  the  old  errors  that  made  their 
attack  upon  the  church  in  the  earlj' 
centuries.  In  general  the  antichrists 
are  not  to  be  identified  with  heathen  or 
Jewish  opponents,  for  these  had  been, 
from  the  first,  the  open  and  avowed 
opponents  of  Christianity.  The  dis- 
ciples had  always  lived  in  the  midst  of 
their  opposition.  The  strength  of  the 
false  teachers  would  arise  from  their 
possession  of  partial  truths.  History 
has  not  preserved  the  names  of  their 
mauy  false  teachers.  Cerinthus  stands 
out  the  most  prominent.  The  ency- 
clopedias under  the  title,"  Gnosticism," 
will  show  how  the  first  two  or  three 
centuries  were  influenced  and  corrupted 
by  enticing  perversions  of  the  truth. 
Irena;us,  who  died  in  A.  D.  190,  writes : 
"And  there  are  those  still  living  who 
heard  Polycarp  relate  that  John,  the 
disciple  of  the  Lord,  went  into  a  bath 
at  Ephesus,  and  seeing  Cerinthus  with- 
in, ran  out  without  bathing,  and  ex- 
claimed :  '  Let  us  flee  lest  the  bath 
should  fall  in,  as  long  as  Cerinthus, 
that  enemy  of  the  truth,  is  within.'  " 
Whereby  we  know.  These  teachers 
have  the  characteristics  which  it  was 
foretold  that  many  would  have  before 
the  final  close  of  this  age.  Jesus  had 
foretold  the  coming  of  such  teachers 
(Matt.  24:5,24-27).  Their  coming  is  a 
proof  that  it  is  the  last  dispensation. 
Paul  mentions  certain  events  that 
would  precede  the  final  appearance  of 
Jesus  (2  These.  2 :  1-9).  That  "  his  Com- 
ing "  was  not  far  remote  was  a  belief 
that,  in  all  probability,  filled  the  minds 
of  the  early  disciples. 

19.  This  verse  describes  the  origin 
of  the  false  teachers.  They  once  had 
an  outward  connection  with  the  church, 
but  John  aflSrms  that  they  never  had 
the  inner  fellowship  with  Christ.  A 
solemn  crisis  had  arrived  in  the  history 
of  the  church ;  there  were  defections 
on  the  part  of  members,  leaders  in  the 
church.  A  crisis,  like  it  in  nature,  had 
occurred  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  (John 
6:66).  This  verse  is  also  an  encour- 
agement to  the  remaining  disciples 
who  might  fear  from  the  defection  of 
these  teachers  that  the  entire  church 


Ch.  IL] 


I.  JOHN 


57 


19  is  the  last  time.  iiThey  went  out  from 
us,  but  they  were  not  of  us  ;  for  '  if  they 
had  been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt 
have  continued  with  us  :  but  they  iicnt 
out,  ''that  tliey  might  be  made  mani- 

20  fest  that  they  were  not  all  of  us.  But 
lye  have  an  unction  ™from  the  Holy 
One,  and  "ye  know  all  things. 


19  is  the  last  hour.  Tliey  went  out  from 
among  us,  but  Ihey  were  not  of  us  ;  for 
If  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would 
have  abode  with  us  ;  but  it  was  in 
order  that  they  might  be  made  mani- 

20  fest.  that  tlicy  are  not  all  of  us.  And 
ye  have  an  anointing  from  the  Holy 


h  Deut.  13:13;  Acts  20  :  SO.         t  Jer.  32  :  39-40  ;  John  6  :  37  ,  1  Peter  1  :  2-5. 
2  Vcr.  2T ;  4  :  13 ;  2  Cor.  1  :  21,  22.  m  Mark  1  :  24 ;  Acts  3  ;  11. 


k  Rom.  9  :  6  ;  1  Cor.  11  :  19. 
John  U:  26;  16:  13. 


was  in  danger  of  going  to  pieces. 
Went  out  from  us.  They  had  been 
members  of  the  outward  church,  re- 
ceiviug  and  teaching  its  doctrines. 
This  enhanced  their  guilt  and  also 
added  to  their  power.  Their  secession 
from  the  church  would  confuse  both 
the  remainiug  members  and  also  those 
who  were  outside.  Of  us.  John  dis- 
tinguishes between  the  true  and  the 
false  member.  In  appearance  they 
both  were  in  fellowship  with  Christ, 
in  nature  they  were  different.  The 
unreality  of  their  life  is  shown  in  their 
leaving  the  church,  for  if  .  .  .  with 
us.  The  expression,  no  doubt,  is  to 
be  omitted.  John  speaks  confidently 
on  this  point.  If  they  had  been  true, 
they  would  have  endured.  These  teach- 
ers had  known  the  church,  they  had 
not  known  Christ.  With  John,  to  deny 
the  coming  of  Chri.st  in  the  flesh,  an 
incarnate  Son  of  God,  is  to  deny  Christ 
himself,  to  destroy  Christianity,  and 
to  pass  out  of  the  domain  of  truth  and 
life.  It  is  not  ours,  however,  to  declare 
that  even  for  such  an  one  there  is  no 
salvation.  One  may  trust  in  Clirist  as 
Saviour  even  while  mistakenly  and 
illogically  denying  his  divinity.  While 
declaring  that  these  teachers  had  not 
known  the  truth,  he  does  not  make  the 
universal  statement  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  one  to  fall  away  from  the 
truth.  But  .  .  .  manifest.  Paul 
declares  that  there  must  be  heresies, 
defections,  divisions,  that  it  may  be 
made  manifest  who  are  the  genuine 
members  of  the  church  (i  Cor.  ii  :  i9). 
That  which  produces  heresies  is  an 
evil,  but  the  evil  being  present  it  is  a 
wholesome  necessity  that  it  should  be 
openly  manifested  that  it  may  be  sep- 
arated from  the  true  church  life.  That 
they  were  not  all  of  us,  ratlier, 
how  that  they  all  were  not  of  tis.  The 
meaning  is  that  the  defection  of  these 
false  teachers  shows  that  all  of  them 


had  uo  real  fellowship  with  Christ, 
rightly  conceived  of  and  regarded.  It 
has  this  lesson  for  the  future  tliat  there 
is  a  possibility  of  further  defections; 
when  they  come  they  need  not  over- 
whelm tlie  church  with  surprise  or 
sorrow. 

20-29.  Spiritual  anointing 
should  give  protection  against 
DECEIVERS.  John  turns  from  the  de- 
ceptions of  the  antichrists  to  the  se- 
curity of  the  believer.  The  mind  of 
the  believer  is  not  unguarded,  open  to 
every  attack  of  the  evil  one.  As  Jesus 
was  anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
(Acts  10 :  ss),  as  prophet,  priest,  and 
king  were  anointed  of  old,  in  like 
manner  all  Christians  are  anointed  by 
the  same  Holy  Spirit.  They  therefore 
are  fitted  to  discern  between  Christ  and 
antichrist.  Jesus  had  promised  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  would  lead  them  into 
all  the  truth  (Joho  i6 -.  13).  What  was 
included  in  this  promise  would  be  a 
reality  in  their  thinking  and  living. 
The  Holy  Spirit,  sent  in  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  Christ,  would  lead  to  right 
beliefs  about  Christ. 

20.  But  .  .  .  Holy  One,  rather. 
And  ye  have  an  anointing  from  the 
Holy  One.  The  anointing  refers  not 
to  the  act  of  anointing,  but  to  the  oil 
or  ointment  by  means  of  which  the 
anointing  takes  place.  The  reference 
here  is  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  Old 
Testament  the  oil  of  anointing  (E.xod. 
29  :  7, 21)  was  the  symbol  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  set  apart  the  person  so  an- 
ointed, and  symbolically  consecrated 
him.  The  anointing  here  spoken  of 
signifies  that  the  person  belongs  to 
Christ  as  opposed  to  antichrist,  and 
also  has  received  the  same  prophetic 
.spirit  as  the  Lord  Jesus.  What  was 
restricted  in  the  Old  Testament  to  the 
leaders  is  now  given  to  all  believers  (• 
Peter  2 : 5.  9).  Christ  is  preeminently 
the  anointed  one,  the  terms  Messiah 


58 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


21  I  have  not  written  unto  you  » because 
ye  know  not  the  truth,  but  because  ye 
know  it,  and  that  no  lie  is  of  the  truth. 

22  p\Vho  is  a  liar  but  he  thatdenieth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ?  He  is  antichrist, 
that  deuieth  the  Father  aud  the  Son. 


21  One,  aud  ye  all  know ;  I  have  not 
written  to  you  because  ye  know  not 
the  truth,  but  because  ye  do  know  it, 
and    because   no  lie  is  of   the  truth. 

22  Who  is  the  liar,  but  he  that  denies  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ  ?  This  is  the  anti- 
christ, he  that  denies  the  Father  and 


0  Rom.  15  :  U,  15 :  2  Peter  1  :  ii. 


p  i  iS:  2  John  T. 


and  Christ  both  alike  having  this  sig- 
nification. The  term  Holy  One  does 
not  refer  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  to  the 
Father  or  the  Son,  both  of  whom  are 
absolutely  holy  in  nature.  Believers 
are  thereby  placed  in  fellowship  with 
God,  and  are  guarded  in  their  inner 
lives  from  unholy  and  seducing  in- 
fluences. KnoAV  all  things.  John 
is  describing,  as  is  his  manner,  the 
ideal  conception  of  the  Christian.  The 
natural  result  of  the  Spirit's  presence 
and  teaching,  when  his  work  is  com- 
plete, will  be  a  complete  and  full 
knowledge  of  all  essential  Christian 
truth.  Asa  matter  of  fact  large  limi- 
tations must  be  made  in  the  applica- 
tion of  this  statement  to  the  practical 
life,  inasmucli  as  it  remains  true  that 
all  Christian  life  is  far  below  its  proper 
level  and  its  consequent  privileges. 
The  reference  here  is  not  to  all  knowl- 
edge, but  only  to  spiritual  knowledge. 
The  Holy  Spirit  reveals  to  a  man  the 
nature  of  lus  own  heart,  leads  him  to 
love  moral  and  spiritual  truth,  enlarges 
his  mind  that  he  may  see  more  truth, 
gives  him  clearness  of  view  and  stead- 
fastness in  l)elief.  Having  spoken  pre- 
viously of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  he 
now  speaks  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  There 
is  in  the  Greek  a  play  on  the  words 
that  cannot  well  be  rendered  into  Eng- 
lish ;  having  received  a  chrism,  ren- 
dered an  anointing,  they  are  to  be 
Christian  that  the  antichrist  may  not 
lead  them  astray.  To  get  a  knowledge 
of  God  and  the  holy  Scriptures  the 
knowledge  of  books  must  be  supple- 
mented by  spiritual  enlightenment. 

21.  This  verse  is  apologetic,  assuring 
the  readers  that  in  writing  to  them  the 
authordoes  not  disparage  or  doubt  their 
knowledge.  The  have  written  re- 
fers most  probably  to  what  he  has  just 
written.  The  Christian  truth  is  already 
known  by  them.  He  writes  to  awaken 
i  n  them  their  consciousness  of  the  truth. 
Know  the  truth.  Jesus  Christ  is 
himself  the  truth.    The  facts  received 


concerning  Christ  and  their  own  con- 
sciousness united  in  giving  them  a  firm 
possession  of  the  truth.  He  writes  to 
them  for  this  reason,  because  they  know 
the  truth  and  because  no  lie  is  of 
the  truth.  John  seeks  to  awaken  the 
inward  perception  of  the  truth,  and 
the  love  for  the  truth,  in  order  that 
falsehood  may  be  rejected.  With 
John,  a  falsehood  is  not  a  modified 
truth  but  a  lie. 

22.  We  now  pass  from  the  general 
consideration  of  falsehood  as  opposed 
to  truth,  to  a  particular  form  of  the 
untruth.  Who  is  a  liar,  rather, 
Who  is  the  liar.  The  one  especial 
form  of  falsehood  at  that  time  most  to 
be  feared,  that  to  which  his  readers 
were  most  &pen,  was  the  one  now 
spoken  of.  The  central  falsehood  is 
denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ. 
To  this  formula  may  be  reduced  most 
of  the  heresies  of  the  age,  especially 
that  of  Gnosticism,  with  its  manifold 
variations,  which  made  Christ  an  ema- 
nation or  aeon  who  joined  the  man 
Jesus  for  a  season.  John  makes  this 
earnest  appeal,  passing  from  the  ab- 
stract lie  of  ver.  21  to  the  concrete  liar 
of  this  passage.  If  any  one  maintained 
that  Jesus  was  only  a  man,  not  the 
divine,  incarnate  Son  of  God ;  if  any  one 
denied  his  humanity,  making  him  only 
an  appearance ;  if  any  one  declared 
that  he  was  not  the  fulfilment  of  the 
Old  Testament  proj^hecy ;  if  any  one 
denied  that  the  divine  nature  always 
dwelt  in  Jesus,  such  persons  were,  in 
John's  mind,  guilty  of  denying  the 
real  Jesus.  He  .  .  .  denieth,  rather, 
This  is  the  antichrist,  even  he  that  de- 
nieth. John  does  not  declare  that  these 
persons  denied  the  existence  of  God 
or  his  general  attributes.  To  think 
wrongly  about  Christ  is,  as  a  result,  to 
think  wrongly  about  God.  (See  John 
1  :  18.)  Where  Christ  is  not  known  as 
a  historical  person,  God  is  not  rightly 
viewed  as  God,  much  less  as  Father. 

23.  John  reaflirms  in  this  verse  the 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


59 


23  1  Whosoever  denieth  the  Son,  the  same 
hath  uot  the  Father:  [but]  'he  thai  ac- 
knowledgelh  the  Hon  hath  the  Father  also. 

24  Let  that  therefore  abide  in  you, 
•  which  ye  have  heard  from  the  begiu- 
ning.  If  that  which  ye  have  heard 
from  the  begiuning  shall  remain  in 
you,  « ye  also  shall  continue  in  the  Son, 

25  and  in  the  Father.  "And  this  is  the 
promise  that  he  hath  promised  us,  evai 
eternal  life. 

26  These  things  have  I  written  unto  you 
» concerning   them   that  seduce   you. 


23  the  Son.  Every  one  that  denies  the 
Sou  has  not  the  Father  either  ;  he  that 
confesses  the  Son  has  the  Father  also. 

24  As  for  you,  let  that  which  ye  heard 
from  the  beginning  abide  in  you.  If 
what  ye  heard  from  the  beginning 
shall  abide  in  you,  ye  also  will  abide 
In  the  Son,  and  in  the  Father.     And 

25  this  is  the  promise  which  he  himself 
promised  us,  the  life  eternal. 

26  These  things  I  have  written  to  you 
concerning  those  who  are  leading  you 


q  John  5  :  33 ;  15  :  23  ;  2  John  9.  r  4  :  15 ;  John  14  :  7.  t  Ver.  7  ;  2  John  6.  t  1:1;  John  14  ;  23. 

u  1  :  2  ;  5  :  11-13 ;  John  17  :  3.  i  Mark  13  ;  22  ;  2  Pcler  2  :  1-3 ;  2  John  7. 


teaching  of  the  preceding.  He  makes 
his  statements  in  both  the  negative 
and  positive  forms.  The  antichristian 
spirit  makes  three  denials,  the  denial 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  denial  that 
he  is  the  manifestation  of  God  as  Son, 
and  therefore  the  denial  that  God  is 
Father.  Whosoever  does  this  hath 
not  the  Father.  No  one  knows  the 
Father  but  the  Son  (M»tt.  u  :  27).  The 
hnth.  not  refers  uot  merely  to  right  in- 
tellectual conceptions  of  God,  but  to 
the  possession,  the  having  spiritual  fel- 
lowship with  God.  It  may  rightly  be 
said  of  the  believer  that  he  has  God, 
and  is  in  loving  fellowship  with  him. 
He  .  .  .  also.  In  the  Received  ver- 
sion these  words  are  in  italics,  signify- 
ing that  they  form  no  part  of  John's 
writings,  but  were  supplied  by  the 
translators. 

24.  The  false  teachers  introduced 
novelties  in  their  teachings ;  their  doc- 
trines were  opposed  to  the  steadfast 
message  of  the  gospel.  John  now  in- 
troduces the  apostolic  teaching  as  the 
standard  to  which  all  teachings  must 
correspond.  Let  .  .  .  beginning, 
rather,  As  for  yon,  let  that  abide  in  you 
which  ye  heard  from  the  beginning. 
Many  had  fallen  away  and  estranged 
themselves  from  fellowship  wnth  God 
and  with  the  Son.  By  way  of  contrast 
he  appeals  to  the  faithful  followers. 
As  for  you  .  .  .  abide.  The  teachings 
which  they  had  heard  should  be  al- 
lowed to  influence  them  permanently. 
The  truth  concerning  the  Father  and 
the  Son  will,  if  that  truth  be  kept  in 
mind,  constantly  enlighten  their  hearts. 
Beginning.  The  Christian  teaching, 
concerning  Christ,  had  been  uniform. 
The  words  they  heard  at  the  beginning 
were   the    unwritten    scriptures   with 


which  everything  must  be  compared. 
We  now  have  the  written  New  Testa- 
ment with  which  every  teaching  must 
be  compared.  A  promise  is  joined 
with  the  appeal.  Continue,  rather, 
abide.  The  abiding  in  God  is  the  sub- 
stance of  the  promise.  God's  word 
being  in  them  will  result  in  their  being 
in  God.  The  dwelling  in  God  means 
securitj',  fellowship,  a  blessed  oneness. 
Jesus  speaks  of  his  words  abiding  in 
them  (John  14  :  20).  Thcsc  words  of 
.John  are  to  be  interpreted  in  a  spiritual 
manner.  John  teaches  that  the  use  of 
means  is  essential  to  the  highest  spir- 
itual life,  the  spiritual  life  will  never 
take  care  of  itself. 

25.  This  verse  is  the  unfolding  of 
the  latter  part  of  ver.  24.  The  abiding 
in  Christ  means  life,  eternal  life.  The 
promises  of  God  all  rest  on  fellowship 
with  Christ.  Eternal  life,  rather, 
the  life  eternal.  It  is  life  in  its  fullest 
sense,  a  large,  abounding  life  akin  to 
God's,  a  participation  in  the  highest 
and  truest  existence. 

36,  27.  Before  closing  this  section 
John  makes  another  statement  concern- 
ing his  purpose  in  writing  and  concern- 
ing their  security.  These  things. 
Tlie  reference  is  to  all  that  he  has  just 
said  concerning  false  teachers.  Se- 
duce you,  rather,  that  tcould  lead 
you  astray.  The  present  tense  shows 
that  these  evil  teachers  were  then  at 
their  work.  Ilis  readers  had  been  kept 
from  the  power  of  their  seductive  teach- 
ings. John's  faithfulness  in  teaching 
and  in  writing  may  have  been  one  of 
the  agencies  whereby  they  were  pre- 
served. He  notes  ngain  his  former 
teaching  (ver.  20)  that  the  presence  in 
them  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  teacher 
would  be  to  them  a  source  of  knowl- 


60 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


27  But  J  the  anoiuting  which  ye  have  re- 
ceived of  him  abideth  in  you,  and  '^  ye 
need  not  that  any  man  teach  you :  but 
as  the  same  anointing  "teacbeth  you 
of  all  things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no 
lie,  aud  even  as  it  hath  taught  you, 
''ye  shall  abide  in  him. 

28  And  uow,  little  children,  abide  in 
him  ;  that, "  when  he  shall  appear,  we 
may  have  confidence,  ^and  not  be 
ashamed  before  him  at  his  coming. 

29  'If  ye  know  that  he  is  righteous,  ye 


27  astray.  And  the  anointing  which  ye 
received  from  him  abides  iu  you,  and 
ye  have  no  need  that  any  one  teach 
you  ;  but  as  his  anointing  teaches  you 
concerning  all  things,  and  is  truth, 
and  is  not  a  lie,  and  even  as  it  taught 
you,  ye  abide  in  him. 

28  And  now,  little  children,  abide  in 
him  ;  that,  if  he  be  manifested,  Ave 
may  have  confideuce,  and  not  turn 
away  from  him    with   shame   at   his 

29  coming.    If  ye  know  that  he  is  right- 


V  Ver.  20 ;  1  Peter  1  :  23. 
c  3  :  2  ;  Col.  3  : 1. 


z  Jer.  31  :  33,  31.  a  Vers.  20,  21.  5  John  15  :  4-7. 

d  ■*  :  17  ;  Isa.  25  :  9.  e  Ver.  1 ;  Acts  22  :  U. 


edge.  This  anointing,  the  possession 
of  all  Christians,  was  secured  through 
Christ.  But  .  .  .  received,  rather, 
and  as  for  you  the  anointing  which  ye 
received.  The  emphatic  position  in  the 
sentence,  and  as  for  you,  emphasizes 
the  vast  difference  between  his  readers 
and  the  false  teachers.  The  abiding 
presence  of  this  holy  chrism  or  anoint- 
ing oil  in  them  would  render  super- 
fluous any  other  teaching.  John  now 
makes  three  statements:  first,  as  the 
same  anointing,  rather,  as  his  an- 
ointing, alluding  to  Christ's  Holy  Spirit 
sent  into  the  heart;  the  Spirit  teaches 
all  things  needful.  Secondly,  the 
teaching  is  truth,  rather,  is  true. 
The  Spirit  will  not  lead  into  foolish- 
ness or  falsehood.  Thirdly,  there  is 
the  gracious  statement  that,  in  their 
case,  there  had  been  a  walk  in  accord 
with  the  Spirit's  teaching.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  ye  shall  abide, 
rather,  ye  abide.  There  was  a  present 
walk  with  Christ  and  a  dwelling  in 
Christ  because  there  had  been  a  recep- 
tion of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  had  taught 
of  Christ  (John  16  :  li).  In  him  refers 
to  dwelling  in  Christ. 

28.  While  John  refers  all  of  knowl- 
edge and  salvation  to  the  Son  and  the 
Spirit,  yet  he  recognizes  the  need  of 
human  watchfulness.  Salvation  is  of 
grace,  but  not  by  force  ;  so  that  no  one 
is  saved  apart  from  watchcaie,  con- 
stancy, piety,  purity.  He  now  exhorts 
them  to  a  steadfast  perseverance  in  the 
direction  of  the  true  life,  until  they 
attain  the  goal.  Little  children, 
rather,  my  little  children.  Abide  is 
one  of  the  favorite  words  of  John  oc- 
curring twenty-three  times  in  this  letter. 
.John  had  heard  his  Master  use  this 
word  eleven  times  in  the  teaching  con- 
cerning the  vine  and  the  branch  (John 


16 : 1-16).    When  .  .  .  appear,  rather, 

■(/  he  shall  be  manifested.  Jesus  is  now 
in  glory,  he  will  come  again  in  person. 
Having  had  a  personal  fellowship  with 
him  there  was  a  longing  desire  in  the 
first  century  to  see  him  again.  The 
persecutions  to  which  the  church  was 
exposed  added  to  this  desire.  This 
feeling  should,  to  a  large  degree,  be 
found  in  the  church  in  all  ages.  John 
does  not  here  indicate  when  he  will 
come.  Whether  in  that  age  or  in  far 
after  ages,  the  life  should  be  so  lived 
that  there  may  be  confidence,  rather, 
boldness,  before  him.  If  they  should 
follow  the  false  teachers  and  deny 
Christ  or  have  unworthy  conceptions 
of  him,  there  could  be  no  boldness. 
John  draws  an  argument  from  the  end 
of  all  things  as  a  help  to  a  daily  guid- 
ance in  life.  The  opposite  of  boldness 
is  ashamed,  (comp.  nan.  12  : 2.)  A  false 
life  or  hope  will  bring  confusion  and 
destruction  (Mutt.  7 :  21-23).  It  is  notice- 
able that  John  joins  himself  with  his 
readers  in  using  we.  All  alike  needed 
a  life  that  should  welcome  Christ's 
coming  with  joy. 

29.  With  tlie  preceding  verse  the 
first  section  closed.  The  keyword  of 
that  section  is,  "God  is  light"  (1  :  6). 
This  verse  is,  in  reality,  the  introduc- 
'tion  to  the  second  section,  the  keyword 
of  which  is,  "  God  is  righteous"  (3 :  s). 
It  ought  to  be  joined  to  the  next  chap- 
ter. It  follows  as  a  matter  of  course 
from  God's  righteousness  that  every 
Christian  should  be  righteous.  It  was 
a  part  of  their  common  stock  of  knowl- 
edge that  the  life  lived  in  the  light 
(1  : 7)  must  be  a  holy  life,  ye  know. 
Doeth  righteousness  defines  the 
life  that  springs  from  forgiveness.  This 
is  the  result  of  the  new  birth,  not  the 
occasion  or  cause  of  it.    He  refers,  not 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


61 


know  that  'every  one  that  doeth  right- 
eousuess  is  born  of  him. 


eous,  ye  know  that  everyone  that  does 
righteousness  has  been  begotten  of 
him. 


/3  :  7-10;  4  :  7  ;  5  : 1. 


to  Christ,  but  to  God.  (See  s  -.  s.)  Born, 
rather,  begotten.  Jesus  is  the  only  be- 
gotten Son,  all  Christians  are  sons 
through  regeneration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  They  thereby  become  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  It  is  a  correct  and  neces- 
sary inference  that  a  life  of  godliness 
is  the  best  evidence  of  a  relation  to 
God  as  a  child. 

Note  1.  The  work  of  Christ 
IN  atonement  and  intercession. 

1.  In  his  person  Christ  is  sinless. 
He  requires  neither  expiation  for  his 
sin  nor  an  advocate  before  the  Father 

(Heb.  7  :  27). 

2.  His  work  on  the  earth  is  expressed 
by  expiation  (2-2).  The  expiation 
makes  a  reconciliation,  an  at-one-ment 

(2  Cor.  5  :  20). 

3.  This  expiation  is  universal  in  its 
scope.  Through  his  death  all  men 
stand  in  a  different  relation  toward 
God. 

4.  The  atonement  remains  as  a  per- 
manent fact,  needing  no  repetition, 
having  a  perfect  efficacy. 

5.  His  work  in  heaven  is  indicated 
by  the  term  advocate  ('  =  i).  He  is  the 
ever-living  Redeemer. 

6.  The  advocacy  in  heaven  concerns 
the  need  of  help  after  the  expiation, 
arising  from  our  infirmity  and  the  re- 
mains of  indwelling  sin, 

7.  This  work  is  a  real  work,  not  sim- 
ply a  figure  of  speech.  It  excludes  of 
necessity  all  intercession  of  saints, 
angels,  and  that  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
They  are  needless,  and  declare,  in 
reality,  the  insufficiency  of  the  inter- 
cession of  Jesus  (John  16  :  26). 

8.  The  atonement  and  the  advocacy 
supplement  each  other.  Without  an 
atonement  the  work  of  intercession 
would  be  valueless.  Without  the  in- 
tercession the  atonement  would  be  in- 
adequate and  weak.  His  perfect  life, 
his  vicarious  death,  his  presence  before 
the  Father,  are  all  equally  essential. 

9.  Every  New  Testament  writer, 
under  differing  terms,  expresses  the 
need  and  the  fact  of  a  sacrifice  for  sin. 
Jesus  alludes  to  his  vicarious   death 


with  its  blessed  fruits  (m«".  26 :  28).  Paul 
speaks  of  the  one  death  as  the  means 
of  human  salvation  (Koni.  3  :  21).  Peter 
speaks  of  Jesus  bearing  the  sinsof  men 
in  a  real  way  (1  Peier  2  :  24),  The  entire 
book  of  Hebrews  is  full  of  the  expla- 
nation of  the  Old  Testament  rites  in 
the  light  of  the  cross  and  intercession 
of  Jesus. 

Note  2.  John's,  ideal  concep- 
tion OF  the  Christian  life.  John 
is  very  practical,  dealing  with  love  for 
the  brethren,  giving  counsel  concern- 
ing false  teachings,  enforcing  the 
claims  of  a  pure  and  holy  life.  But 
he  deals  also  largely  in  ideals.  He 
writes  of  the  Christian  life ;  not  so 
much  as  it  is  now,  but  as  it  ought  to 
be — its  ideal  character. 

He  describes  the  outlines  of  the 
Christian  life  as  drawn  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  giving  the  plans  on  which  a 
life  is  to  be  built.  As  a  matter  of  ex- 
perience we  see  no  man  who  is  all 
black  in  motive,  and  no  man  all  white. 
John  looks  at  the  man  in  his  funda- 
mental character  as  a  child  of  God 
who  is  light,  or  as  a  child  of  the  devil 
who  is  all  darkness.  In  the  present 
life  we  see  the  mistakes  of  the  highest 
saint.  Even  Paul,  in  whom  Christ 
dwelt,  was  only  a  man  clothed  with 
infirmity.  We  see  the  dark  spots  in 
the  life  of  John  (Mark  10  :  37).  In  like 
manner  John  has  no  middle  ground 
between  love  and  hate  (2 :  10, 11).  John 
sees  the  heart  of  things.  The  control- 
ling principle  of  the  believer  is  love, 
because  God  dwells  in  him  in  the  center 
of  this  life.  In  time  he  will  be  dom- 
inated by  love,  the  beginnings  of  which 
now  dwell  in  him.  That  which  is  not 
love  is  hate.  This  will,  in  time,  ripen 
into  the  absence  of  all  love.  In  the 
moral  world  things  go  according  to 
their  tendencies.  The  tendency  of  the 
believer  is  toward  love ;  the  tendency 
of  the  unbeliever  is  toward  hate. 

John  looks  upon  the  Christian  as  a 
possessor  of  the  truth.  In  time,  un- 
doubtedly, when  Christ  has  finished 
his  work  in  the  believer,  the  creed  and 


62 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  II. 


the  conduct  will  be  in  entire  accord 
■with  Christ's  revealed  will.  The  Holy 
Spirit  will  create  a  holy  life  and  a 
correct  belief. 

In  the  same  manner  we  must  inter- 
pret John's  teachings  concerning  sin 
(2 : 9).  The  Christian  is  a  Christian 
because  he  is  regenerated  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  whose  work  is,  of  necessity,  a  holy 
work.  The  Christian  man  must,  there- 
fore, of  necessity  be  a  holy  man  of  God. 
At  the  center  of  his  being  there  is  a 
love  for  God  that  is  irreconcilable  with 
a  life  in  sin  or  a  love  for  sin.  This 
principle  must  ultimately  result  in  a 
life  that  is  beyond  sin  and  sinning. 
John  looks  upon  the  Christian  as  one 
who  has  in  him  the  principle  of  a  sin- 
less life.  He  therefore  speaks  of  him 
as  existing  in  that  state  now.  At  the 
present  time  no  one,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  is  in  that  state.  John  is  looking 
at  the  Christian  life  and  its  opposite  in 
the  light  of  the  ruling  motives  that 
characterize  them.  John  is  preemi- 
nently the  idealist  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, though  this  method  of  presenting 
the  truth  is  used  by  Paul.  Writing  in 
a  general  way  of  the  Christian  life, 
Paul  declares  that  the  believer  has 
died  to  sin,  has  been  buried  out  of 
sight,  has  risen  to  a  resurrection  life  on 
the  earth._  (see  Rom.  e  :  i-i.)  This  de- 
scription is  not  actually  true  of  anj' 
believer,  but  it  is  the  ideal  to  which 
the  Christian  life  is  constantly  approx- 
imating. 

Note  3.  Heresies  of  the  apos- 
tolic AGE.  We  must  not  think  of 
the  first  centuries  of  the  church  as 
ages  of  undimmed  piety  and  incorrupt 
doctrine.  That  the  members  brought 
into  the  churches  would  bring  in 
traces  of  their  former  heathenism  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at.  The  letters 
to  the  Corinthians  show  how  much 
of  this  element  was  in  the  church, 
and  how  vigorous  was  the  fight  to 
keep  the  church  pure  in  life  (>  Cor.  6: 
«-u).  The  letters  of  Paul  reveal  the 
long  and  hard  struggle  to  maintain  the 
teaching  of  salvation  by  faith  alone 
through  Christ  without  the  works  of 
the  law.  In  the  letters  of  John  other 
errors  present  themselves.  Paul, 
years  before,  addressing  the  elders  of 
the  Ephesian  church,  had  predicted 
the  birth  of  dangerous  heresies  (Aet» 


20  :  30).  The  letters  to  Timothy  at 
Ephesus,  showed  false  teachings  as 
widely  prevalent  (i  Tim.  i  :  s-t).  We 
find  the  names  of  two  of  these  false 
teachers  (i  Tim.  i  :  20).  In  the  letter  to 
the  church  at  Ephesus  in  the  Revela- 
tion (2  :  6)  there  is  allusion  to  a  sect  of 
Nicolaitans.  This  letter  reveals  an 
idolatrous  and  licentious  element  in 
their  religious  life.    John,  in  his  first 

and  second  letters  (1  John  2  :  is  ;  2  John  7), 

speaks  of  deceivers  in  the  world.  It 
was  asserted  that  to  maintain  the  sin- 
less nature  of  Jesus  it  must  be  affirmed 
that  he  did  not  possess  a  material  or- 
ganization. With  this  as  an  assumed 
truth  large  consequences  follow  as  a 
matter  of  course.  If  Jesus  had  no  real 
body,  then  there  was  no  complete  atone- 
ment wrought  for  sin,  for  there  was  no 
divine  human  person  who  suffered. 
Therefore  also  Jesus  was  not  for  us  a 
perfect  example,  for  he  was  not  him- 
self a  person  like  ourselves  who  had 
passed  through  temptation.  Jesus  could 
be  neither  redeemer,  mediator,  nor 
brother.  The  effect  of  the  denial  of  a 
real  body  to  Jesus  would  be  to  make 
all  knowledge  uncertain.  If  the  teach- 
ings of  sight,  hearing,  and  touch  are 
worthless  in  establishing  a  belief  in 
the  real  existence  of  an  object  there 
can  be  no  foundation  for  any  facts  in 
nature,  and  all  knowledge  becomes  a 
no-knowledge  or  an  uncertainty.  John 
lays  great  stress  upon  Jesus  having 
come  in  the  flesh  {*  ■  3),  upon  the  reality 
of  his  person  (1  =  i-s).  In  Timothy 
Paul  alludes  to  a  practical  result  of 
the  admission  that  matter  is  sinful,  in 
the  forbidding  of  marriage  (1  Tim.  *  :  s). 
If  the  body  forms  no  part  of  the  real 
self  then,  on  the  other  hand,  the  com- 
mission of  sensual  excesses  are  not  in 
themselves  immoral,  inasmuch  as  the 
body  that  commits  these  violations  of 
law  is  not  of  itself  any  part  of  the  real 
man.  And,  therefore,  in  the  early  ages 
it  was  maintained  that  it  was  not  im- 
moral for  professing  Christians  to  in- 
dulge in  any  desired  bodily  pleasures. 
An  abominable  licentiousness  was  the 
result  of  this  teaching.  It  was  vastly 
important  for  John  to  safeguard  the 
reality  of  the  person  of  Christ  as  well 
as  his  divinity,  to  maintain  his  exist- 
ence in  the  flesh,  to  declare  that  with 
the  giving  up  the  real  Christ  that  God 
himself  would  in  reality  be  given  up 


Ch.  II.] 


I.  JOHN 


63 


(»  :  2S).  The  center  of  Christianity  is 
Clirist.  To  pervert  the  rigiit  teachings 
about  Christ  is  to  corrupt  Christianity 
itself. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Sin  is  a  wicked  and  destructive  thing. 
It  is  not  forced  upon  us  from  outside,  but 
springs  up  from  witliiu.  Its  wilfuluess 
malces  its  guilt  (ver.  1). 

2.  It  is  a  cause  for  rejoicing  that  Jesus 
has  made  provision  for  tlie  forgiveness  of 
sins.  Every  one  in  the  world  may  say, 
Jesus  died  for  me.  No  one  is  shut  out 
from  Christ's  salvation  unless  he  shuts 
himself  out  by  his  own  unbelief  and  rejec- 
tion of  Christ  (ver.  2). 

3.  Jesus  did  not  cease  to  love  and  help 
men  when  he  died  on  the  cross.  He  is 
still  concerned  for  men,  especially  for 
those  who  are  his.  We  need  no  human 
mediators,  nosaiuts  in  heaven,  no  angelic 
intercession  when  we  have  Jesus  as  an 
ever-living  advocate  (ver.  2). 

4.  Right  knowing  should  lead  to  right 
doing.  Works  are  not  the  ground  of  jus- 
tification, but  the  evidence  of  it  (ver.  3). 

5.  A  conformity  to  Christ  who  is  the 
truth  meaus  far  more  than  veracity,  truth- 
telling.  A  man's  life  must  be  in  har- 
mony, not  only  with  his  confession,  but 
with  Christ's  teachings  and  Christ's  life 
(ver.  4). 

6.  Love  to  God  is  the  only  motive  that 
can  compel  to  a  right  keeping  of  God's 
commands.  Fear  may  produce  an  out- 
ward keeping  of  God's  laws;  other  mo- 
tives may  conspire  to  the  same  end.  The 
law  of  God  needs  back  of  it  the  love  of 
God  (ver.  5). 

7.  8.  The  death  of  Christ  was  a  ransom, 
an  atonement.  Christ,  in  person,  con- 
tinues his  work  for  the  salvation  and  per- 
fection of  believers.  The  life  of  Christ  in 
heaven  furnishes  a  motive  for  comfort 
and  an  overcoming  life  (ver.  6).  Duties 
in  him  arise  from  new  motives,  and  are 
enforced  by  new  examples  (ver.  7). 

9.  Sin  is  darkness,  holiness  is  light.  In 
regeneration  light,  as  a  prevailing  prin- 
ciple, comes  into  the  heart,  but  al  1  through 
the  life  the  light  is  getting  a  new  power 
in  the  life.  Duty  will  have  a  stronger 
hold,  the  conscience  will  be  more  tender, 
sin  will  seem  more  ugly  as  the  heart  grows 
in  grace  (ver.  8).  I 


10.  Brotherly  love  is  an  evidence  of  love 
to  God.  But  a  mere  philantiiropy  can 
never  take  the  place  of  piety  (ver.  9). 

11.  Life  is  a  journey,  needing  open  eyes 
and  careful  feet.  Sin  gives  wrong  views 
of  life,  dulls  the  understanding,  blinds 
the  eyes,  leads  to  carelessness.  Only  a 
God-guided  being  can  pass  through  life 
aright  (ver.  11 ;  Matt.  22  :  1.3). 

12.  The  forgiveness  of  sins  is  God's  gift 
through  Christ.  Not  even  repentance 
alone  can  secure  forgiveness  apart  from 
Christ.  Forgiveness  is  never  found  apart 
from  repentance,  regeneration,  adoption, 
a  holy  life  (ver.  12). 

13.  Every  age  should  cultivate  the  graces 
peculiar  to  it.  Years  of  confession  should 
impart  strength  of  soul,  a  vigorous  char- 
acter, a  larger  knowledge  (ver.  13). 

14.  Satan  is  strong.  It  requires  a  strong- 
er one  to  overcome  him.  This  the  young 
disciple  can  do  through  Christ  helping 
him.  The  young  disciple  will  often  have 
his  hardest  struggles  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Christian  life  (ver.  14). 

15.  The  unbeliever  lives  for  the  things 
that  are  seen,  he  is  a  man  whose  portion 
is  in  this  life.  The  believer  lives,  or 
should  live,  for  the  unseen  things — for 
Jesus,  for  the  Father.  The  fitting  occu- 
pant of  the  throne  in  the  heart  is  God 
(ver.  15). 

16.  The  world  is  unsatisfactory,  passing, 
deceitful.  He  is  a  foolish  man  whose 
only  wealth  is  material  things  (Luke  12  : 
20).  The  Christian  must  keep  the  world 
under  his  feet,  not  in  his  heart  (ver.  16). 

17.  The  Christian  is  living  for  an  assured 
and  indestructible  future.  Only  the  man 
who  lives  in  and  for  Christ  will  share  in 
God's  blessedness  (ver.  17). 

IS.  The  temptations  to  an  ungodly  life 
and  to  a  corrupted  teaching  must  be  re- 
sisted. If  overcome  they  will  make  the 
life  stronger  (ver.  18). 

19.  The  most  dangerous  errors  are  those 
having  a  large  admixture  of  truth.  The 
most  dangerous  teachers  are  those  who 
have,  at  some  time,  named  Christ.  Those 
errors  which  affect  the  deity  of  Christ, 
the  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  the  salva- 
tion through  Christ,  the  claims  of  morality 
upon  the  life,  the  reality  of  the  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  these 
are  fundamental  questions  (ver.  19). 


G-4 

I.  JOHN 

[Ch. 

III. 

3 

BEHOLD, 

what 

manner 

of  love  the  |  3      BEHOLD 

what 

manner 

of  love  the 

20.  Every  Christian  is  an  anointed  priest 
and  prophet.  The  Holy  Spirit,  if  yielded 
to,  will  lead  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth 
(John  16  :  13).  Holiness  is  essential  for 
a  right  knowledge  of  God's  teachings 
(ver.  20). 

21.  Eternal  life  is  a  life  begun  here;  it 
is  a  present  possession  (John  10  :  28) .  In  its 
full  sense  it  is  completed  and  glorified  on 
the  other  side  (Matt.  19  :  29).  Even  Jesus 
■was  encouraged  by  the  joy  of  the  life  to 
come  (ver.  21 ;  Heb.  12  :  2 ;  6  :  IS). 

22.  The  touchstone  of  right  thinking 
and  living  is  Christ  (Luke  2  :  35).  A  con- 
fession with  the  heart  and  life  brings  a 
present  ownership  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  He  who  does  not  confess  Christ  is, 
in  reality,  denying  him  (ver.  23). 

23.  Abiding  in  Christ  is  essential  to 
safety  and  growth.  Not  the  man  who 
begins  well,  but  the  man  who  keeps  on 
will  attain  the  blessed  life  (ver.  24). 

24.  Satan  and  false  teachers  may  tempt, 
but  only  the  weakened  nature  can  be  led 
to  yield.  Little  deviations  from  the  truth 
should  be  guarded  against.  Jesus,  the 
Bible,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  being  held 
fast  to,  the  feet  will  be  in  safety  (ver.  26). 

25.  The  anointing  spoken  of  as  vouch- 
safed to  all  Christians,  is  a  permanent 
gift,  leads  to  the  truth,  contributes  to 
holiness  and  peace,  and  creates  assurance, 
the  privilege  of  all  believers  (ver.  27). 

Part  two.  The  result  op  fel- 
lowship WITH  God  is  holiness. 
Chap.  3-4 : 6. 

Having  considered  the  nature  of 
fellowship  with  God,  who  is  light, 
John  now  passes  to  consider  the  result 
of  fellowship  with  God,  which  is  holi- 
ness. Tlie  design  of  this  holy  fellow- 
ship with  God  is  not  the  creation  of 
peace  and  joy  in  the  soul,  though  they 
are  natural  results,  but  something 
vastly  larger  and  higher,  the  forma- 
tion of  a  holy  character.  A  fellowship 
with  (iod  that  does  not  result  in 
godlikeness  is  a  fellowship  only  in 
seeming.  The  keyword  of  this  sec- 
tion is  found  in  3  :  3,  eve^i  as  he  -is 
pure.  The  highest  attribute  in  God  is 
his  holiness.  Ilia  majesty  might  over- 
awe us,  but  it  would  furnish  no  rea.son 
for  worship.    The  highest  quality  in 


the  believer,  in  John's  view,  is  a  like 
holiness  of  character,  a  life  that  shall 
reflect  God's  character.  The  radical 
difference  between  the  believer  and  the 
unbeliever  is  the  holy  character.  That 
which  constitutes  heaven  is  not  the 
gold  or  the  pearl  or  the  palm,  but  the 
jjure  heart. 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  opening  thought  of  this  chapter 
follows  closely  the  last  verse  of  chap.  2. 
To  be  begotten  of  God  (2 :  29)  is  to  be  a 
child  of  God;  to  be  a  child  of  God 
implies  a  likeness  to  God.  Believers 
are  now  the  children  of  God.  This 
must  inspire  to  holy  living  (ver.  i-s) ; 
holiness  is  the  mark  of  the  children  of 
God,  unholiness  is  the  mark  of  the 
children  of  the  devil  (ver.  9-13) ;  holi- 
ness will  lead  to  brotherly  love,  ban- 
ishing hatred  (ver.  n-is) ;  the  holy  life 
begets  a  confidence  in  the  heart,  dis- 
pelling doubt  and  fear  (ver.  19-24). 

1-8.  The  high  destiny  of  the 
children  op  god  and  the  duty 
of  keeping  themselves  pure. 
John  develops  the  thought  of  sonship 
with  its  attendant  results.  Since  God 
is  so  largely  unknown  by  the  world, 
tlie  child  of  God  will  not  be  loved  by 
the  world.  Because  they  are  children 
there  will  come  a  complete  likeness  to 
Christ,  who  is  God  manifest  in  the 
flesh,  and  a  purification  of  the  life  that 
now  is. 

1.  Behold  calls  attention  to  a  mar- 
velous statement  now  to  be  made. 
John  had  been  a  disciple  for  many 
years;  in  his  old  age  the  thought  of 
God's  personal  relation  to  the  believer 
awakens  astonishment  and  admiration. 
What  manner.  God  is  a  God  of 
love.  This  is  manifest  in  God's  pro- 
vision for  the  welfare  of  man.  There 
is  a  love  of  God  toward  all  men,  mani- 
fest in  the  gift  of  the  Son  for  their  sal- 
vation (Johu  s  :  16).  This  is  the  love  of 
redemption — God's  love  for  the  guilty, 
the  undeserving,  the  need.v,  and  apos- 
tate children  of  men.  How  great  the 
love  that,  springing  out  of  itself,  sought 
the  welfare  and  salvation  of  men,  that 
gave  the  Son,  that  led  to  humiliation 
in  the  Son's  life  (Puii.  2 : 8).  There  is  a 
great  chasm  between  God's  infinity 
and   man's  creaturely  life,  a  greater 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


65 


Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us  that 
B  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God. 
Therefore  the  world  knoweth  us  not, 
2  i"  because  it  knew  him  not.  Beloved, 
'  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and  ''  it 


Father  has  given  to  us,  that  we  should 
be  called  children  of  God  ;  and  such 
we  are.  For  this  cause  the  world 
knows  us  not,  because  it  knew  him 
2  not.    Beloved,  now  are  we  children  of 


g  John  1  :  12;  2  Cor.  6  :  18. 


A  John  15:  18,  19;  17  ;  25. 
k  Rom.  8  :  18 ;  1  Cor.  13  :  12. 


i  Rom.  8:  15;  Gal.  3;  26. 


chasm  between  God's  holiness  and 
man's  guilt,  yet  God  sought  and  found 
man.  This  love  is  unique  in  its  kind 
and  in  its  degree.  It  is  love  itself,  not 
some  proof  of  it  that  is  given.  This 
love  finds  its  expression  in  what  fol- 
lows. Father.  John  is  not  speaking 
of  the  relation  of  the  Creator  to  his 
creatures  whereby  all  are  his  children 
(Acta  17  ;  28),  whereby  he  is  also  called 
the  "Father  of  spirits"  (Heb.  12  :  »), 
but  of  that  closer  relation  existing  be- 
tween the  father  and  the  child,  with 
the  spirit  of  sonship.  Bestowed. 
This  refers  to  the  definite  act  whereby 
God  gave  himself  to  us  in  Christ.  The 
incarnation,  the  entire  work  of  the 
atonement,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
are  all  included  in  this  one  bestow- 
ment.  Called.  To  be  called  and  to 
be  are  often  used  interchangeably  in 
the  Bible,  but  here  the  being  called  is 
contrasted  with  the  being  children  in 
the  same  sentence.  The  aorist  tense 
signifies  that  we  have  received  once 
for  all  the  title  of  children.  Sons, 
rather,  children.  Paul  uses  the  term 
sons ;  John,  looking  not  so  much  at 
the  process  of  adoption,  but  at  the  re- 
newal of  nature,  uses  the  term  chil- 
dren. The  Revised  version  adds  an 
expressive  phrase  at  this  point,  and 
such  xve  are.  The  designation  of  chil- 
dren is  not  an  empty  or  fictitious  one, 
it  does  not  exist  in  name  merely.  They 
are  called  children,  they  are  children. 
They  are  not  simply  adopted  as  such, 
tliey  are  born  such.  The  point  of  view 
of  John  is  ditferent  from  that  of  Paul. 
According  to  Paul  believers  receive  for 
Christ's  sake  the  rights  of  children  by 
adoption  (g»i-  * :  a).  According  to  John 
the  believer  receives  through  Christ 
the  child's  nature.  In  Paul's  view  the 
old  nature  of  man  is  transformed  into 
the  new ;  in  John's  view  an  altogether 
new  principle  of  nature  takes  the  place 
of  the  former.  In  the  present  life  there 
is  a  vital  relation  between  the  believer 
and  God.  Sonship  does  not  begin  in 
heaven,  it  is  completed  there.    There 

K 


is  involved  m  the  conception  of  child- 
hood the  idea  of  growth  ;  the  spiritual 
life  begins  with  a  spiritual  infancy, 
and  goes  on  to  the  stature  of  full  man- 
hood in  Christ  (Epb-  * :  i3).  It  is  the 
highest  honor  that  can  come  upon  a 
person,  the  right  to  be  called  a  child 
of  God,  to  be  such  in  reality.  There- 
fore, rather,  for  this  cause.  The  world 
does  not  understand  the  believer,  hia 
aims,  purposes,  plans,  method  of  liv- 
ing, his  joys  and  hopes.  Jesus  was 
misunderstood;  the  followers  of  Christ 
were  regarded  as  enthusiasts.  Carey, 
with  his  plan  of  world-wide  missions, 
was  a  laughiug-stock  to  the  worldly 
wise  men  of  his  age.  Even  when  vio- 
lent persecution  has  passed  away  there 
will  remain  the  settled  antagonism  of 
the  world  to  the  decided  Christian.  A 
fashionable  and  cultured  world,  not  in- 
fluenced by  the  spirit  of  Christ,  can  be 
an  intolerant  and  persecuting  world. 
Sneers  and  ridicule  are  as  efiective 
weapons  of  persecution  as  the  stake 
and  the  jail.  The  world,  as  here 
used,  is  the  world  as  fixed  and  hard- 
ened in  sin.  Knew  him  not.  The 
him  refers  primarily  to  God  who  was 
manifested  in  Christ.  Christians  are 
not  recognized  or  known  because  God 
is  not  recognized  or  known.     See  the 

words  of  Jesus  ( Jobn  15  :  is  ;   18  -.25).    The 

world,  so  long  as  it  is  under  the  control 
of  the  ungodly  spirit,   cannot    know 

God  (Rom.  8  :  7). 

2.  This  verse  repeats  the  statement 
of  ver.  1,  that  there  is  a  present  son- 
ship,  and  contains  also  the  prophecy 
of  a  completed  sonship.  Beloved 
marks  the  beginning  of  an  appeal  to 
the  sharers  in  this  common  love  of 
God.  Though  the  world  did  not  recog- 
nize them,  yet  they  were  the  children 
of  God.  As  children  they  have  a 
future.  Appear,  rather,  inade  7na)it- 
fest.  We  look  for  an  inheritance  in 
character  and  surroundings  not  yet 
revealed.  John  had  not  seen  what 
God  would  do  for  his  children.  Paul 
speaks  of  groanings  in  the  present  life 


66 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be : 
but  we  kuow  that,  when  he  shall  ap- 
pear, 'we  shall  be  like  him;  for  "Mve 
3  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  "And  every 
man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  puri- 
fieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure. 


God,  and  it  was  never  yet  manifested 
what  we  shall  be.  We  know  that  If 
he  be  manifested,  we  shall  be  like  him, 
because  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is. 
3  And  every  one,  that  has  this  hope  on 
him,  purifies    himself   even  as  he  is 


J  Pa.  17  :  15 ;  1  Cor.  15  :  49 ;  2  Peter  1  ;  4. 


m  Matt.  5:8;  John  17  :  24.  n  2  Cor.  7  :  1 ;  2  Peter  3  :  14. 


that  shall,  in  time,  give  way  to  a  weight 
of  glory  (Kom.8  ;  23).  John  luid  spoken 
in  2  :  28  of  the  manifestation  of  God, 
he  here  resumes  the  same  thought. 
But  .  .  •  appear,  rather,  We  know 
that  ij  he  shall  he  manifested.  The 
Revised  version  places  it  in  the  Margin. 
However  much  of  indefiniteness  may 
be  about  the  future,  we  know  that  the 
manifestation  of  God  in  Christ  will 
create  a  perfect  conformity  in  body, 
soul,  and  spirit  to  his  image.  There 
■was  the  promise  of  Jesus,  which  John 
had  heard,  that  there  should  be  a  sight 
of  the  glorified  Christ  and  fellowship 
with  him  (John  17  :  24).  The  sonship 
will  be  no  more  real  then  than  now, 
but  it  will  be  complete  in  character 
and  in  conditions.  John  does  not  in- 
dicate when  this  manifestation  shotikl 
occur.  So  far  as  the  words  themselves 
are  concerned,  they  might  be  fulfilled 
in  John's  day  or  not  for  centuries  after- 
ward. The  manifestation  refers  to  the 
personal  appearance  of  Jesus  a  second 
time.  The  term  manifested  implies 
his  real  existence  at  the  present  time. 
The  glory  desired  by  John  is  a  spiritual 
character.  We  shall  be  like  him. 
Everything  else,  all  material  concep- 
tions of  heaven,  are  unthought  of.  The 
design  of  the  Chri.stian  life  is  a  con- 
formity to  Christ  (Roii>.  8  :  29).  Heaven 
is  not  so  much  place  as  condition.  The 
likeness  .spoken  of  is  not  equality,  nor 
absorption  in  the  Godhead,  nor  identifi- 
cation, but  similarityin  character.  For. 
Tliis  gives  the  reason  for  the  spiritual 
conformity,  a  sight  of  God  as  lie  really 
is.  Tiie  time  at  which,  and  the  method 
by  which  the  conformity  will  be  re- 
alized, are  both  expressed.  Purity  of 
heart  is  essential  to  the  sight  of  God 
(Matt.  5  :  8),  and  the  sight  of  God,  as  he 
is,  on  the  other  hand,  completes  the 
glorification.  No  one  can  look  upon 
God  as  he  is  in  himself,  (see  k.\oci.  33 :  20; 
1  Tim.  6 :  i«.)  "What  Capacities  a  glorified 
body  may  have  we  do  not  know.  There 
is  a  physical  si^ht  of  God  tliat  will 
bring  no  spiritual  transformation  (Matt. 


22  :  13  ;     25  :  31-46  ;     Rev.  6  :  16).        As    JcSUS 

walked  among  men  some  were  even 
repelled  from  a  holy  life,  and  became 
harder  in  nature.  For  the  method  of 
spiritual  transformation  here  by  a  sight 
of  the  glorified  Christ  see  2  Cor.  3  :  18. 
The  sight  of  God  here  meant  is  a  spir- 
itual fellowship.  In  the  unseen  life  no 
corrupted  body  will  pull  the  soul  down, 
no  bad  influences  will  weaken  the  holy 
desires,  no  environments  will  entice, 
the  surroundings  will  inspire  to  a  holy 
life  and  large  impartations  of  grace 
will  be  given. 

3.  The  eflect  of  this  hope  of  future 
glory  will  be  evidenced  in  the  present 
life.  Hope  in  him,  rather,  hope  set 
on  him.  The  hope  rests  on  him  as  on 
a  foundation.  The  Christian  life  does 
not  exhaust  itself  in  dreams  of  heaven, 
but  shapes  the  life  that  now  is  into 
accord  with  the  life  that  is  to  be. 
Purifieth.  This  springs  from  a  hope 
fixed  on  God.  The  will  to  do  this 
springs  from  God's  will  inworking  (Heb. 
13  :  21).  Apart  from  Christ  nothing  can 
be  done  (Jo'm  JS  =  5).  The  life  of  purity 
means  a  will  co-operating  with  God's 
will,  responding  to  its  claims.  The 
term  used  here  and  in  1:9  means  a 
cleansing  from  all  spiritual  unclean- 
ness.  The  quality  and  extent  of  the 
purification  is  found  in  the  phrase,  as 
he  is  pure.  This  is  both  motive  and 
rule.  As  all  the  allusions  here  are  to 
tlie  Father,  it  is  better  to  refer  this  to 
him,  meaning  the  essential  divine  ele- 
ment of  purity  which  dwells  primarily 
in  God.  John  does  not  teach  that  this 
purity  is  attained  in  this  life.  It  may 
be  asserted  that  the  tendency  of  tliis 
hope  is  toward  puritj'  in  life ;  all  who 
have  this  hope  will  aim  to  become 
holy ;  this  hope  will  be  consummated 
in  time.  The  same  kind  of  purity  that 
makes  heaven  exists  now  in  the  be- 
liever; it  will  be  enlarged  in  degree 
hereafter,  and  all  impurities  elimi- 
nated. All  Christians  should  be  holier 
than  they  are ;  the  best  Christians  feel 
this  the  most.    It  is  a  mistake  to  affirm 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


67 


4  Whosoever  committeth  sin  trans- 
gresseth  also  the  law:  for  "sin  is  the 

5  transgression  of  the  hiw.  And  ye 
know  p  that  he  was  manifested  i  to  take 
away  our  sins ;  and  ■•  in  him  is  no  sin. 

6  '  Whosoever  abideth  in  him  sinueth 
not ;  <  whosoever  sianeth  hath  not  seen 
him,  neither  known  him. 


4  pure.  Every  one  that  commits  sin 
commits    transgression   of    law    al.so ; 

5  and  sin  is  transgression  of  law.  And 
ye  know  that  he  was  manifested  that 
he  might  take  away  sins  ;  and  in  him 

6  is  no  sin.  Every  one  that  abides  in 
him  sins  not ;  whoever  sins  has  not 
seen  him,  nor  does  he  know  him. 


0  Rom.  7  :  7-13  ;  James  2  :  9-11.  p  I  :  i. 

<  John  15  :  4-7. 


q  Joliu  1  :  29 ;  1  Tim.  1 :  15. 
(2:4;  3  John  11. 


Isa.  53  :  9. 


sinlessness  of  the  believer's  life  at  the 
present ;  it  leads  to  light  views  of  siu ; 
it  is  a  greater  mistake  to  feel  that  sin- 
ning is  such  a  necessity  of  the  present 
life  that  the  believer  remains  iu  sin 
quiescently  and  contentedly.  The  be- 
liever must  glowingly  regard  siu  as  a 
hateful  thing,  to  be  fought  against  and 
overcome. 

John  now  passes  on  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  thought  of  purification  to 
show  that  regeneration  and  sinning  are 
incompatible  in  their  nature.  He  con- 
siders this  first  as  arising  from  our  re- 
lation to  Christ  who  was  manifested  to 
take  away  sin,  and  from  our  knowledge 
of  him.  He  considers  this  second  from 
the  relation  of  sin  to  the  devil  with 
whom  the  Christian  can  have  no  fellow- 
ship. He  considers  the  believer  in  his 
fundamental  relation  to  Christ  as  the 
source  of  his  spiritual  life,  and  in  his 
fundamental  antagonism  to  Satan  in 
whom  is  summed  up,  as  it  were,  the 
evil  in  the  world. 

4.  Whoever  .  .  .  law,  rather,  every 
one  that  doeth  sin  doeth  also  lawlessn ess ; 
and  sin  is  laic/essness.  Sin  is  looked 
upon  as  a  real  thing  involving  the  action 
of  the  will — "doeth  sin."  It  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  condition  or  state  of 
the  mind,  it  is  an  actual  doing.  However 
decorous  sin  may  be,  it  is  in  its  very 
nature  lawlessness  and  moral  anarchy. 
John  has  already  taught  (» ;  29)  that 
one  begotten  of  God  is  righteous.  Hav- 
ing thus  dwelt  on  sonship  with  its  con- 
sequent privileges  and  duties,  he  now 
comes  back  again  to  the  thought  of  the 
manifestation  of  Christ  the  righteous. 
Christ  came  to  make  an  atonement  by 
which  righteousness  is  rendered  pos- 
sible, and  to  live  a  life,  making  right- 
eousness obligatory  by  his  example. 
The  Roman  Catholic  commentators 
make  a  mistake  in  referring  this  state- 
ment to  what  are  called  mortal  sins  in 
distinction  from  venial  sins.    John  is 


dealing  with  siu  in  its  innermost  na- 
ture ;  as  such  the  statement  is  true  of 
all  sins. 

5.  He  who  sins  does  so  in  violation 
of  the  entire  purpose  of  Christ's  mani- 
festation. Ye  know  ...  take 
away  .  .  .  sins.  The  coming  of 
Christ  had  to  do  with  sin,  to  atone  for 
sin,  that  men  might  escape  from  its 
power  and  penalty,  to  remove  actual 
sin  from  tlie  heart  (Juhn  i  ;  29).  He 
came  to  take  away  sin  because  in  him 
is  no  sin.  There  was  in  Christ  a  sin- 
less nature,  and  therefore  a  sinless  life. 

6.  John  gives  his  estimate  of  the 
character  of  the  believer's  life,  the  life 
of  a  child  of  God.  He  defines  the  life 
in  a  negative  way.  Sinneth  not. 
In  ver.  7  he  gives  the  positive  side  of 
the  Christian  life,  "  is  righteous."  I17(0- 
soever  .  .  .  sinneth  not.  John  is  speak- 
ing, as  is  his  habit,  of  the  ideal  state 
of  the  Christian,  of  what  it  is  in  com- 
pleteness. In  this  ideal  state,  bound 
as  it  is  to  Christ  in  a  vital  union,  there 
is  and  can  be  no  sin.  There  is  im- 
planted in  the  soul  at  regeneration  cer- 
tain divine  principles  which  will,  in 
time,  render  sin  impossible.  The  life 
of  God  and  the  life  in  sin  absolutely 
exclude  each  other.  The  man  abiding 
in  God  must  share  in  God's  life.  In 
baptism  the  believer  confesses  that  he 
is  dead  to  sin  and  is  buried,  as  to  his 
old  nature,  out  of  sight  in  the  watery 
grave,  and  a  new  resurrection  life  at 
once  emerges.  The  believer  is  then 
called  upon  to  make  actual  in  his  life 
the  ideal  of  which  he  has  made  con- 
fession (Rom.  6:4:  8  :  13).  To  abide  in 
him,  to  know  him,  to  be  begotten  of 
him,  to  be  without  sin  are  equivalent 
expressions.  If  any  one  sin  this  is  the 
proof  that  one  has  not  seen  God,  has 
not  known  God.  Every  sin  committed 
is  a  proof  that  the  nature  is  not  yet 
entirely  under  the  control  of  the  light. 
For  every  defection  forgiveness  must 


68 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  hi. 


7  Little  children,  let  no  man  deceive 
you:  "he  tliat  doelh  righteousness  is 
righteous,  'even  as    he  is  righteous. 

8  y  He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the 
devil ;  for  the  devil  siuneth  from  the 


7  Little  children,  let  no  one  deceive 
you.     He  that  does  righteousness   is 

8  righteous,  even  as  he  is  righteous.  He 
that  commits  sin  is  of  the  Devil ;  be- 
cause the  Devil  sins  from  the  begin- 


u  2  :  29  ;  Ezek.  18  :  5-9;   Rom.  2  :  13.  x  Ver.  3;  1  Peter  1  :  15,  16.  y  Matt.  13  :  38  ;  Johu  8  :  44. 


be  sought  aud  divine  help  implored 
against  further  defection.  John  is 
urging  reasons  against  a  life  in  sin  by 
these  considerations,  sin  is  a  violation 
of  God's  law  (ver.  4);  the  object  of  the 
coming  of  Christ  is  to  take  away  sin 
(rer.  5);  those  who  are  Christ's  do  not 
siu  (ver.  6);  those  wlio  siii  are  of  the 
devil  (ver.  8);  there  is  in  every  believer 
a  principle  of  true  piety  (ver.  9). 

7.  John  is  writing  to  counteract  false 
teachings  as  in  2  :  26.  Children, 
rather,  my  little  children.  Deceive 
you,  rather,  lead  you  astray.  Various 
views  have  at  times  been  held  that  would 
lead  to  erroneous  teachings,  as  that  holi- 
ness is  not  to  be  expected  here,  therefore 
one  may  live  a  careless  moral  life ;  that 
Christ  came  to  relax  the  moral  law ; 
that  bodily  passions,  lying  outside  of 
the  soul,  might  be  indulged  without 
sin ;  that  transgression  consists  in  out- 
breaking sins  only,  not  in  the  want  of 
conformity  to  God's  laws ;  that  sins  of 
infirmity  and  venial  sins  are  not  real 
sins.  John  declares  that  every  one 
having  the  character  of  a  rigliteous 
man  must  do  the  works  of  a  righteous 
man.  The  righteous  life  is  not  an 
optional  thing,  but  a  moral  necessity. 
Doeth  righteousness  is  John's  test 
of  being  righteous.  The  righteous 
man  is  one  that  is  renewed  in  heart, 
forgiven,  walking  in  conformity  with 
God's  law.  Jesus  laid  the  same  em- 
phasis upon  doing  (Matt. 7  :  16-23).  Moral- 
ity is  an  element  of  piety,  but  not  the 
whole  of  it.  As  he  is  righteous. 
The  quality  of  the  righteousness  of  the 
believer  is  of  the  same  kind  as  that 
which  dwells  in  God,  but  far  inferior 
in  degree,  in  quantity,  Johu  here  ab- 
solutely and  unconditionally  excludes 
all  sin  from  the  Christian  life,  asserts 
that  it  must  correspond  to  the  image  of 
Christ  in  a  complete  rigiiteousness. 
In  what  precedes,  however,  he  has 
plainly  said  that  the  Christian  life 
needs  a  purifying  process  (1:7).  In 
opposition  to  all  lax  views  concerning 
sin  he  brings  out  the  full  .scope  of  what 
is  involved  in  the  essential  nature  and 


idea  of  sin  and  righteousness  to  show, 
in  all  its  majesty  and  power,  the  claims 
of  the  Christian  life  arising  from  fel- 
lowship with  Christ.  It  is  the  same 
point  of  view  presented  by  the  Saviour 
in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  (Matt.  5 :  48). 
The  Christian  life  as  such  is,  in  its  very 
nature,  a  life  of  righteousness.  Under 
this  aspect  no  diflerences  of  moral 
gradation  can  be  made,  although  in 
actual  life  such  gradations  are  found 
to  exist.  It  must  follow,  tiierefore, 
that  every  one  begotten  of  God,  in  the 
determining  influence  of  his  life,  must 
be  entirely  averse  to  sin.  It  is  owing 
to  the  results  of  the  former  life  in  sin 
that  the  believer  is  not  brought  at  once 
into  a  complete  subordination  to  the 
will  of  Christ,  and  that  disturbances 
arise  in  the  moral  life. 

8.  The  apostle  has  shown  that  being 
begotten  of  God  involves  a  righteous 
life ;  he  now  shows  further  that  a  sin- 
ful life  involves,  of  necessity,  a  moral 
fellowship  with  the  devil.  Com- 
mitteth, rather,  doeth.  Sin,  whether 
inward  or  outward,  is  regarded  as  an  act, 
a  something  done  wilfully.  Even  a  dis- 
position of  character,  as  something  held 
fast  to,  is  looked  upon  as  a  commission 
of  sin.  The  expression,  doing  sin,  indi- 
cates a  permanent,  fixed  disposition  of 
character,  diametrically  opposed  to  the 
doing  of  righteousness,  which  is  the 
mark  of  the  Christian  life.  Of  the 
devil,  is  in  contrast  with  "  of  God,"  in 
ver.  10.  John  declares  that  all  whose 
fixed  disposition  is  sinful  are  in  moral 
kinship  with  the  devil.  It  is  also  true 
of  the  believer  that  in  so  far  as  he  sins 
he  comes  under  the  temporary  influence 
of  the  devil.  See  the  words  of  Jesus 
in  Matt.  16  :  23.  There  is  a  personal 
devil,  at  the  opposite  moral  pole  from 
God.  Through  him  sin  entered  the 
moral  universe,  through  him  the  hu- 
man race  was  corrupted.  All  sin  is, 
therefore,  an  imitation  of  Satan ;  all 
who  sin  are  moved  by  the  impulses 
that  move  him.  Satan  stands  as  the 
representative  of  sin ;  those  who  sin  are 
bound  to  him  by  spiritual  ties,    John 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


69 


beginning.  For  this  purpose  the  Son 
of  God  was  manifested,  'that  he  might 
9  destroy  the  woiks  of  the  devil.  »  Who- 
soever is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit 
sin;  for  I"  his  seed  remaiueth  in  him: 
"  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born 
of  God. 


ning.    To  this  end  the  Son  of  God  was 

manifested,  that  he  might  destroy  tlie 
9  works  of  the  Devil.  Whoever  has 
been  begotten  of  God  does  not  commit 
sin  ;  because  his  seed  abides  in  him : 
and  he  can  not  sin,  because  he  has 


z  Gfin.  S  :  15  ;  Luke  10  :  18  ;  Johu  16  :  11 ;  Hob.  2  :  U. 
o  5  : 1,  4, 18.  6  1  Peter  1  :  23.  c  Matt.  7  :  18 ;  Rom.  6  :  2. 


does  not  favor  any  dualism — the  belief  i 
in  two  eternally  existing  principles  of 
good  and  evil ;  a  belief  that  had  wide 
currency  in  the  early  ages.  He  pre- 
sents a  contrast  between  the  two  fathers 
and  the  two  kinds  of  children  animated 
by  infl  uences  corresponding  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  fathers.  It  is  a  willing, 
not  an  enforced  subjection.  For  this 
purpose,  rather,  to  this  end.  The 
object  of  the  incarnation  was  to  rec- 
oncile all  things  to  God  (Coi.  i  :  20). 
This  involved  the  removal  of  all  hin- 
drances, the  destruction  of  Satan's  hold 
upon  men.  Destroy  the  works. 
There  is  a  personal  agency  of  Satan  in 
leading  men  astray,  in  begetting  sins 
of  all  kinds  (oai-  »  :  19-21),  in  blinding 
the  eyes  of  men  (2  Cor.  4  :  4),  in  alien- 
ating the  mind  from  God,  in  perverting 
men's  conceptions  of  God  (Gen.  5).  As 
Jesus  came  to  destroy  the  works  of 
Satan,  it  is  not  possible  for  one  of  God's 
children  to  be  in  alliance  with  the  op- 
ponent of  Christ.  Christ  is  Redeemer, 
Satan  is  destroyer.  Apollyon,  one  of 
the  names  of  Satan,  signifies  the  de- 
stroyer (Bev.  9  :  11).  Jesus  came  to  build 
the  foundation  of  his  kingdom  on  the 
ruins  of  Satan's  kingdom.  Only  that 
man  who  renounces  all  sin  can  share 
in  the  work  of  Christ,  can  live  in  ac- 
cord with  the  purpose  for  which  Christ 
came  into  the  world.  Christ's  triumph 
means  a  Satan  bruised  and  under  foot 
(Rom.  16  :  20).  Christ  and  the  Christian 
must  be  equally  antagonistic  to  Satan, 
and  equally  triumphant  over  him. 

9-13.  Holiness  is  the  mark  of 
difference  between  the  chil- 
DREN OF  God  and  the  children 
OF  the  devil.  There  is  a  radical 
difference  between  those  who  are  the 
children  of  God  and  those  who  are  the 
children  of  the  devil.  It  is  a  differ- 
ence arising  from  a  difference  in  con- 
trolling principles. 

9.  John  defines  the  character  of  the 
believer  as  one  born  of  C^od,  rather, 


begotten.  Of  him  it  is  affirmed,  as  his 
essential  characteristic,  he  does  not 
commit  sin,  rather,  does  no  sin.  So 
irreconcilable  is  God's  nature  to  sin 
that  it  is  impossible  for  the  child  of 
God  to  sin.  Cannot  sin.  In  ver.  6 
it  was  stated  that  the  oiie  abiding  in  God 
does  not  sin.  It  is  now  stated  that  a 
birth  from  God  begets  a  life  in  wliich 
sin  cannot  exist,  for  the  existence  of 
sin  in  a  God-begotten  child  would  be, 
in  reality,  to  make  God  the  author  of 
sin.  The  statement  is  universal  in  its 
nature.  Whosoever.  The  seed  is 
the  principle  of  the  divine  life  im- 
planted, the  permanent  change  in  the 
governing  disposition.  The  idea  is 
that  it  has  in  it  the  power  of  growth, 
gradually  controlling  the  entire  life. 
It  is  an  abiding  transformation.  Re- 
maiueth, rather,  abideth.  Cannot 
sin  does  not  refer  to  physical  but  to 
moral  impossibility.  God  cannot  deny 
himself,  his  own  supremely  holy  na- 
ture restrains  him  (2  Tim.  2  :  13).  Tlie 
only  sin  that  John  considers  possible 
to  the  real  Christian  is  an  act  wliich 
he  mourns  over  as  soon  as  recognized 
as  sin,  which,  through  the  intercession 
of  the  Advocate,  is  forgiven,  and  is  not 
followed  by  the  withdrawal  of  the 
Spirit,  as  the  ruler  of  the  inner  life. 
The  truly  regenerate  life  will  find  sin 
more  and  more  incompatible  with  itself 
as  the  life  approaches  the  ideal  state. 
Just  in  proportion  as  the  divine  life 
penetrates  the  human  life  it  will  be  as 
impossit)le  for  tlie  believer  to  sin  as  it 
is  for  the  angel  or  the  Redeemer  of 
men.  We  must  join  the  statements  of 
ver.  6,  8,  9  into  a  harmonious  relation 
with  the  passages  in  1:8  and  2:1. 
John  cannot  intend  to  contradict  him- 
self witliin  the  space  of  a  few  inches. 
These  passages  must  be  interpreted  to 
explain  each  other. 

10.  This  verse  gives  a  test  by  which 
the  children  of  God  may  be  distiii- 
guLshed  from  the  children  of  the  devil. 


70 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


10  In  this  the  children  of  God  are  mani- 
fest, and  the  children  of  the  devil. 
<^  Whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is 
not  of  God, « neither  he  that  loveth  not 
his  brother. 

Brotherly  love  essential  to  Chr-istian  character 
— its  evidences  and  fruits. 

11  FOR  'this  is  the  message  that  ye 
heard  from  the  beginning,  e  that  we 

12  should  love  one  another.   Not  as  '■  Cain, 


10  been  begotten  of  God.  In  this  are 
manifest  the  children  of  God,  and  the 
children  of  the  Devil.  Every  one  that 
does  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God, 
neither  he  that  loves  not  his  brother  ; 


11  because  this  is  the  message  which  ye 
heard    from    the   beginning,   that  we 

12  should  love  one  another.    Not  as  Cain 


d  Z:  29;  3  John  11. 


e  2  :9,  10;  4:  8. 


/I  :5;  2  :  7,  8. 


g  John  13  :  34. 


A  Gen.  4  :  4-15. 


In  society  the  children  of  God  and  un- 
believers are  mingled  together.  John's 
aim  is  to  show  how  they  may  be  dis- 
tinguished from  each  other.  Manifest 
has  reference  to  God,  who  sees  the 
heart  iu  its  innermost  workings,  also 
to  men  who  may  judge  of  the  character 
by  the  conduct.  The  doing  righteous- 
ness and  the  doing  sin  are  the  marks 
respectively  of  the  children  of  God 
through  regeneration  and  the  children 
of  the  devil.  It  is  worthy  of  notice 
that  unbelievers  are  never  said  to  be 
begotten  of  the  devil,  they  are  his 
children  by  identity  of  chai-acter  and 
imitation.  In  this  refers  to  the  con- 
cluding clause  of  this  verse.  The 
mark  of  the  believer  has  been  shown 
to  be  the  doing  righteousness  (^er.  7). 
It  is  now  further  shown  that  the  mark 
of  the  unbeliever  is  doeth  not  right- 
eousness. He  consequently  is  not  of 
God.  There  is  now  added,  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  thought  of  unright- 
eousness, that  one  of  its  main  elements 
is  the  lack  of  brotherly  love.  John  is 
writing  against  those  who  made  pre- 
tensions to  piety  and  knowledge,  but 
lacked  a  religious  life  that  controlled 
their  relations  to  each  other.  True  re- 
ligion embraces  both  God  and  man,  so 
that  no  one  can  be  right  toward  God 
who  is  not  at  the  same  time  right  to- 
ward his  fellow-man.  He  does  not  in- 
tend to  declare  that  brotherly  love  is 
synonymous  with  righteousness,  but 
no  one  can  be  righteous  who  does  not 
manifest  this  through  brotherly  love. 
It  is  to  be  noted  that  John  makes  but 
two  clas.ses  of  men,  referring  both 
clas.ses  back  to  their  controlling  prin- 
ciples. He  has  no  room  for  any  mid- 
dle or  neutral  class  of  people.  This 
must  be  a  guide  to  us  in  all  our  inter- 
pretation of  John's  writings.  He  does 
not  describe  men  as  he  actually  sees 


them,  with  all  gradations  of  character 
shading  into  each  other  imperceptibly, 
but  he  seizes  hold  of  the  essential  prin- 
ciple of  the  life,  love  to  God  or  imita- 
tion of  the  devil.  The  brother  spoken 
of  is  not  here  the  uuiversal  human 
race,  but  a  brother  in  the  household  of 
God.  The  Christian  is  under  a  deeper 
obligation  to  a  fellow-disciple  than  to 
one  not  of  the  household  of  faith  (Gai. 
6  :  10).  The  latter  part  of  this  verse 
serves  as  an  introduction  to  a  further 
discussion  of  this  subject. 

11.  This  verse  furnishes  a  proof  that 
the  absence  of  love  for  the  brethren 
shuts  a  person  out  from  the  family  of 
God.  No  one  can  love  the  Father  and 
not  love  the  Father's  child,  a  brother 
by  virtue  of  a  common  relation  to  God. 
Message.  We  are  reminded  by  this 
term  of  the  message  in  1  :  7  defining 
God  as  a  God  of  light.  That  was  a 
fundamental  teaching  in  reference  to 
God.  This  is  a  fundamental  reference 
in  relation  to  men.  A  new  command- 
ment is  spoken  of  in  2  :  7.  This  mes- 
sage is  the  substance  of  that  command- 
ment, given  from  God  at  the  first,  en- 
forced by  new  motives,  and  illustrated 
in  a  new  way  by  Jesus  and  brought  to 
the  people  by  their  early  religious 
teachers.  The  teaching  of  the  apostles 
embraced  a  correct  theology  —  right 
conceptions  about  God ;  and  a  pure 
ethics  —  right  relations  toward  men. 
Beginning-  This  refers  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Christian  dispensation. 
Brotherly  love  is  one  of  the  essential 
elements  of  the  Christian  teaching. 
John's  expression  is  very  forcible, 
literally,  "  in  order  that  we  love  one 
another."  The  purpose  of  the  apostolic 
teaching  is  defeated  if  brotherly  love 
be  not  the  practical  outcome. 

12.  The  opposite  of  brotherly  love 
is  hate,  as  represented  by  Cain*    Not 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


71 


who  was  of  that  wicked  one.  and  slew 
his  brother.  And  wherefore  slew  he 
him  ?    1  Because  his  owu  works  were 

13  evil,  and  his  brother's  righteous.  Mar- 
vel not,   my  brethren,  if  ^the  world 

H  hate  you.  '  We  know  that  we  liave 
passed  from  death  uuto  life,  "  because 


was  of  the  evil  one,  and  slew  his 
brother.  And  wherefore  did  he  slay 
him?     Because  his  own  works  were 

13  evil,  and  his  brother's  righteous.  Won- 
der not,  brethren,  if  the  world  hates 
you. 

14  We  know  that  we  have  passed  out  of 


i  Beb.  II  :  4  k  John  15 :  13,  19;  2  Tim.  3  :  12.  I  Eph.  2  :  1. 

m  4  :  7,  9, 12 ;  Matt,  25  :  40;  Eph.  I  :  15. 


.  .  .  brother,  rather,  not  as  Cain  was 
of  the  evil  one  and  sleio  his  brother. 
Brotherly  love  is  contrasted  with  hate, 
there  being  no  intervening  dispo.sition. 
Where  love  and  unselfishness  are  want- 
ing, there  hate  and  selfishness  reign. 
John  presents  hatred,  not  in  its  begin- 
nings, but  in  its  consummation  when 
it  ripens  into  murder.  The  root  of 
murder  is  hate,  the  absence  of  love. 
All  hatred,  in  the  New  Testament  view, 
has  in  it  potential  murder.  Cain  and 
Abel  are  the  first  Old  Testament  repre- 
sentatives of  the  unbelieving  and  the  be- 
lieving life.  Becau.se  Cain  was  of  the 
evil  one  he  hated  Abel.  There  is  an 
abiding  antagonism  between  righteous- 
ness and  unrighteousness.  This  is  an  il- 
lustration of  John's  expressive  phrases  : 
doing  sin,  doing  unrighteousness,  be- 
ing a  child  of  the  devil,  being  not  of 
God,  hating  the  brother,  slaughtering 
the  brother,  all  of  them  being  diflfering 
forms  of  the  one  thought. 

13.  The  apostle  makes  an  inference 
for  all  ages  from  the  unbrotherly  act  of 
Cain.  My  brethren,  omit  ??i?/.  In  all 
ages  there  will  be  the  same  relation  of 
the  believer  to  God  and  of  the  world 
to  the  evil  one  that  was  represented  in 
the  personal  lives  of  Cain  and  Abel. 
These  abiding  relationships  will  beget 
a  like  righteousness  and  unrighteous- 
ness. Therefore  believers  ought  not  to 
be  surprised  if  hatred  should  be  felt 
toward  them.  See  the  words  of  Jesus 
on  this  point  (Join  15 :  n,  is).  (The  rela- 
tion of  Cain  and  Abel  is  an  illustration 
of  the  relation  of  the  world  to  the  be- 
liever.) The  term  world  indicates 
those  who  have  a  fixed,  inveterate  op- 
position to  Christ.  In  this  manner 
Jesus  and  Paul  make  use  of  the  term 
world  (Joha  15  :  18:  Rom.  12 : 2).  The  ab- 
sence of  love  means  hate ;  and  hate 
means,  when  it  has  come  to  its  logical 
development,  murder;  and  murder 
means   the    absence    of    eternal    life 

(ver    15). 


14-18.  A  MARK  OF  HOLINESS  WILL 
BE  LOVE  FOB  EACH  OTHER.  To  love 
is  a  mark  of  life.  To  hate  is  an  in- 
fallible mark  of  abiding  in  death. 
God  is  light,  God  is  life,  God  is  love. 
To  love  is  to  be  in  the  light,  is  to  have 
life. 

14.  It  has  been  shown  in  ver.  10  that 
a  distinguishing  mark  of  the  child  of 
God  is  a  love  for  the  brethren.  The 
distinguishing  mark  of  the  world  is 
hate.  This  hate  of  the  world  comes 
upon  the  believer  (ver.  i3).  It  is  now 
shown  again  that  the  mark  of  the  tran- 
sition from  death  to  life  is  a  love  for 
the  brethren.  The  we  is  emphatic, 
though  hated  by  the  world  we  are  in 
fellowship  with  God.  Have  passed, 
in  the  perfect  tense,  shows  the  com- 
plete and  permanent  passage  into  the 
new  spiritual  relationship.  God's  work 
in  regeneration  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  manifest  in  the  conscious  free 
choice  by  which  Christ  and  his  work 
were  accepted.  Death  marks  the 
state  out  of  which  they  have  come, 
the  state  of  spiritual  alienation  from 
God.  Not  to  have  God's  fellowship  is 
to  be  dead  (Eph.  2  :  i ;  i  Tim.  5  :  6).  Life 
means  far  more  than  existence,  it 
means  a  blessed  life  springing  from 
God,  in  fellowship  with  God,  finding 
its  goal  in  God.  Love  for  the  brethren 
is  not  the  cause  of  this  passage  from 
death  to  life,  but  the  mark  and  proof 
of  it.  There  is  here  expressed  a  con- 
scious and  full  assurance  of  salvation  ; 
anas.surance  reserved  not  for  the  apos- 
tle alone,  but  for  all  di.sciples.  This 
love  is  not  a  general  love  for  all,  but  a 
holy  love  for  the  redeemed  as  such.  It 
is  a  love  for  His  sake  (Matt,  j.s  :  si-ie). 
Jesus  commanded  such  a  spirit  (John  is : 
35) .  It  is  a  sad  feature  of  the  Christian 
life  when  Christians  persecute  fellow- 
Cliristians,  because  they  do  not  follow 
Christ  in  a  manner  assumed  to  be  the 
only  right  manner.  Consult  Vedder's 
"History  of  the  Baptists"  to  see  the 


72 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


we  love  the  brethren.    "  He  that  loveth 
not    his    brother    abideth    in    death. 

15  "Whosoever  hateth  his  brother  is  a 
murderer  :  and  ye  know  that?  no  mur- 
derer hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him. 

16  1  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  of  God. 
because  he  laid  down  his  life  for  us. 
■•And  we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives 

17  for  the  brethren.  But  » whoso  hath 
this  world's  good,  and  seeth  his  brother 
have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels 
of  compassion  from  him.  'how  dwelleth 

18  the  love  of  God  in  him  ?    My  little 


death  into  life,  because  we  love  the 
brethren.    He  that  loves  not  abides  in 

15  death.  Every  one  that  hates  his  broth- 
er is  a  murderer  :  and  ye  know  that  no 
murderer  has  eternal  life  abiding  in 

16  him.  In  this  we  know  love,  that  he 
laid  down  his  life  for  us  ;  and  we  ought 
to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren. 

17  But  whoever  has  the  world's  suste- 
nance, and  beholds  his  brother  having 
need,  and  shuts  up  his  pity  from  him, 
how  abides  the  love  of  God  in  him? 

18  Little  children,  let  us  not   love  in 


2  :  0, 11.  0  See  Gen.  27  :  41 ;  Malt.  5  :  21,  22.  p  Gal.  5  :  21 ;  Rev.  21  :  8. 

8  John  15  :  13 ;  Acts  20  :  28  ;  Rev.  1:6.  r  4  :  11 ;  Rom.  16  :  4 ;  Phil.  2 :  17, 30. 

«  Deut.  15  :  7-11  j  Tsa.  58  :  7-10;   Luke  3  :  11.  t  4  :  20. 


perseciition.s  that  came  upon  sincere 
witnesses  for  a  New  Testament  church 
life,  in  Switzerland,  in  Germany,  Hol- 
land, England,  and  in  our  country. 
Every  century  has  witnessed  this  lack 
of  brotherly  love.  He  .  ,  .  brother, 
rather,  he  that  loveth  not.  _  This  refers 
to  the  absence  of  the  spirit  of  love  in 
general,  and  is  not  limited  to  love  for 
believers.  Not  to  love  is  to  dwell  in 
death,  in  hate,  away  from  God. 

15.  This  verse  emphasizes  the 
thought  of  the  preceding  verse,  and 
carries  it  to  its  logical  conclusion.  Not 
to  love  is  to  hate ;  to  hate  is,  when  it 
comes  to  its  full  growth,  murder.  John 
does  not  intend  to  say  that  no  one  hav- 
ing committed  murder  can  be  forgiven 
and  saved,  but  while  one  has  a  heart 
of  murder  there  can  be  no  divine  life 
in  the  soul.  The  case  of  Cain  is  yet  in 
John's  mind.  (See  the  words  of  .Tesus, 
John  8  :  44.)  Ye  know  shows  the 
Christian  consciousness  to  which  John 
appeals  for  a  right  verdict  on  this 
statement.  The  word  remaining  does 
not  show  that  the  murderer  had  eternal 
life  and  lost  it,  but  is  simply  a  general 
assertion  that  this  man  in  whom  mur- 
der dwells  does  not  have  the  divine  life. 

16.  The  apostle  presents  the  supreme 
example  of  love — tliat  of  Jesus  in  his 
self-sacrifice  for  men.  We  are  carried 
back  in  thought  to  the  first  verse,  "  Be- 
hold, what  manner  of  love."  From 
Cain  and  human  hate  he  passes  to 
notice  the  pure  life  and  love  of  Jesus. 
Hereby  .  .  .  God,  rather,  hereby 
knoiu  we  love.  We  find  love  in  its 
essence,  its  complete  manifestation  in 
the  love  of  Christ.  He  refers  to  Jesus. 
It  is  an  impressive  expression,  as 
though  all  would  understand,  without 


the  mention  of  the  name,  that  Jesus 
only  could  be  meant.  Know  is  the 
intellectual  deduction  from  a  survey 
of  the  love  of  Christ ;  there  is  included 
also  a  heart  knowledge,  as  no  one  could 
understand  Christ's  love  without  ex- 
periencing it.  Christ's  love  for  us 
must  be  changed  into  a  like  love  in  us 
for  others.  His  self-sacrifice  for  us 
must  create  in  us  the  spirit  of  self-sac- 
rifice for  others.  The  spirit  of  Christ 
will  always  carry  a  cross. 

17.  There  is  in  brotherly  love  the 
spirit  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  helpful- 
ness to  the  needy.  Jesus  fed  the  mul- 
titude (Matt.  15  .  32) ;  Dorcas  helped  the 
needy  (Acts9:S6);  Jesus  makes  help- 
fulness, for  his  sake,  a  test  of  salvation 
(Matt.  25  :  35).  The  strong  must  help  the 
weak,  not  only  in  spiritual  matters,  but 
in  counsel,  in  material  aid.  Jesus  and 
the  Twelve,  in  their  poverty,  helped 
those  who  were  poorer  (John  is :  29). 
Notice  also  the  sympathy  of  the  Gen- 
tile Christians  for  the  poor  saints  in 
Jerusalem  (1  Cor.  le  :  1).  If  we  must  lay 
down  even  our  lives,  how  much  more 
must  we  consider  the  smaller,  the 
physical  needs.  Shutteth  ... 
bowels,  rather,  shutteth  up  his  com- 
passioyi.  To  the  Hebrew  mind  bowels 
expresses  what  we  mean  by  heart. 
HoAV  .  .  .  him,  rather,  how  doth  the 
love  of  God  abide  in  him?  Put  as  a 
question  it  is  a  strong  assertion  that 
the  life  of  piety,  the  life  dwelling  in 
God,  must  be  one  of  helpfulness,  in 
all  ways.  The  world's  goods  must  be 
used  for  doing  good.  Neither  ortho- 
doxy alone  nor  a  morality  alone  will 
save;  true  piety  is  the  love  for  men 
that  springs  from  love  to  God. 

18.  John  appeals  for  a  sincere,  truth- 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


73 


children,  "let  us  not  love  in  word, 
neither  in  tongue  ;  but  in  deed  and  in 
truth. 

19  And  hereby  we  know  'that  we  are 
of   the  truth,   ^  and  shall    assure  our 

20  hearts  before  him.    ^  For  if  our  heart 
condemn  us,  God  is  greater  tlian  our 

21  heart,  and  kuoweth  all  things.    "Be- 


word,  neither  with  the  tongue  ;  but  in 

19  deed  and  truth.  In  this  we  shall  know 
that  we  are  of  the  truth,  and  we  shall 

20  assure  our  heart  before  him,  whatever 
our  heart  m.iy  condemn  us  for,  because 
God  is  greater   than    our  heart,   and 

21  knows   all    things.      Beloved,    if   our 


u  Ezek.  33  :  31;  Rom.  12:9;  1  Cor.  13:4-7.  i  1  :  8;  Johu  18  :  37.  y  Ucb.  6 :  10, 11. 

z  John  8  :  9 ;  1  Cor.  4:4.  a  Job  17  :  6. 


ful  life  and  love.  Jesus  loved  in  tongue, 
in  word,  in  deed.  Deed  is  opposed 
to  the  profession  which  amounts  to 
nothing ;  truth  is  opposed  to  that 
which  is  seeming  and  unreal.  Christ 
kept  nothing  back  in  his  gift;  the 
Christian  must  love  in  the  same  way, 
moved  by  the  mind  that  was  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

19-24.  The  confidence  of  the 
HOLY  LIFE.  Having  distinguished 
between  truth  and  appearance  in  re- 
spect of  love,  requiring  the  love  which 
is  truth,  John  now  connects  this  with 
the  general  statement  that  the  entire 
Christian  life  must  have  its  root  in 
truth.  Character  and  conduct  must  be 
in  accord  with  sincerity  and  knowl- 
edge ;  there  mu.st  be  no  seeming,  no 
hypocrisy.  The  believer  must  belong 
to  the  kingdom  of  reality,  and  be  in 
accord  with  Him  who  is  the  truth.  And 
this  would  beget  in  the  believer  a  con- 
fidence and  assurance  of  heart ;  a  con- 
fidence that  would  dispel  doubt  and 
fear.  A  true  brotherly  love  is  a  test  of 
the  Christian  state. 

19.  And  hereby,  rather,  hereby. 
The  reference  is  to  what  has  gone  be- 
fore, the  fulfilment  of  the  exhortation 
to  love  in  reality.  The  presence  of  a 
true  love  for  others  and  a  willingness 
to  make  sacrifices  will  beget  the  spirit 
of  assurance.  Know,  rather,  shall 
we  knoio.  This  is  a  natural  consequence 
of  the  state  of  mind  spoken  of.  Of 
thetrnth.  This  does  not  mean  merely 
that  they  are  really  what  they  appear 
to  be,  but  they  are  begotten  by  the 
truth  even  as  they  have  l)een  begotten 
of  God.  Assure  our  hearts.  The 
assurance  spoken  of  will  be  able  to  still 
the  mi.sgivings  of  the  heart  that  arise 
from  the  remembrance  of  defects  and 
failures  in  the  life.  Peter  appealed  to 
the  larger  knowledge  of  .Jesus  as  a 
source  of  justification  (John  n  -.  n).  Be- 
fore him  does  not  allude  to  the  future 


judgment,  but  to  the  continued  presence 
of  Christ  or  God  before  whom  the  life 
is  lived.  The  value  of  a  calm  con- 
sciousness in  harmony  with  itself  is 
seen  in  this  that  ev^n  in  his  presence 
is  there  confidence  (Rom.  8  :  34).  The 
term  hearts,  rather,  heart,  as  used  in 
John,  is  about  equivalent  to  conscience 
as  used  by  Paul,  when  he  speaks  of  the 
thoughts  of  men  accusing  or  excusing 
them  (R"K>-  2  ■  is).  There  will  be  con- 
scious imperfections  in  the  believer's 
life,  but  he  may  know  whether  his  love 
for  God  and  for  others  is  sincere,  and 
whether  his  desire  is  to  live  in  con- 
formity with  God's  will.  Assurance  is 
not  of  the  essence  of  salvation,  but  it 
is  a  source  of  strength  and  inspiration 
for  Christian  activity.  No  other  writ- 
ing in  the  New  Testament  uses  the 
term  knoiu  so  many  times  as  this 
letter.  It  is  designed  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  Christian  assurance.  A  Christly 
spirit  within  will  not  fear  a  Christ 
upon  the  throne. 

20.  For  if .  .  .  condemn,  rather, 
whereinsoever  our  heart  condevins  us. 
This  must  be  joined  closely  with  the 
preceding  verse.  In  the  presence  of  a 
holy  law,  commanding  perfection,  there 
will  be  a  conscious  imperfection  (1  =  8; 
2:1).  iSins  of  omission  and  commission 
will  be  remembered.  These  taken  in 
and  by  themselves  will  bring  condem- 
nation upon  tlie  heart ;  the  conscience 
will  reaffirm  the  condemnation  of  God's 
law.  From  the  condemnation  of  a 
lower  tribunal  there  is  an  appeal  to  a 
higher.  God  .  .  .  all  things,  rather, 
because  God  .  .  .  things.  This  fur- 
nishes the  reason  for  the  heart's  assur- 
ance. From  the  conscious  infirmity 
and  imperfection  of  the  individual 
heart  the  believer  may  fall  back  upon 
the  love  and  mercy  of  one  who  is  in- 
finitely greater,  and  therefore  more 
tender  than  our  self-condemning  heart. 
The  entire  passage  is  consolatory  in 


74 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


loved,  if  our  heart  condemn  us  not, 
^  then  have  we  coatidence  toward  God. 

22  And  "=  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  receive 
of  him,  because  we  keep  his  commaiid- 
meuts,  dand  do  those  things  that  are 

23  pleasing  in  his  sight.  "And  this  is  his 
comuiandmeut,  Tliat  we  should  be- 
lieve on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ,  fand  love  one  another,  as  he 


heart  condemn  us  not,  we  have  con- 

22  fidence  toward  God.  And  whatever 
we  ask.  we  receive  from  him,  because 
we  keep  his  commandments,  and  do 
the  things  that  are  pleasing  before  him. 

23  And  this  is  his  commandment,  that  we 
should  believe  on  the  name  of  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  and  should  love  one  an- 
otlier,  as  he  gave  us  commandment. 


i  2:  28j  Heb.  10:  22.  c  Ps.  34 :  15-17;  Matt.  21  :  22.  (2  John  9  :  21. 

e  Johu  6  :  29;  Acts  16  :  31.  /  John  13  :  34. 


its  nature.  God's  omniscience  will  not 
be  an  enemy,  but  a  friend  to  the  be- 
liever. Our  little  hearts  have  compas- 
sion for  a  suSering  brother.  God's 
greater  heart  will  have  an  infinite  com- 
passion toward  us  in  a  life  of  conscious 
sincerity. 

21.  He  indicates  the  blessed  results 
of  the  persuasion  spoken  of  in  ver.  19, 
20.  These  re.sults  are  a  confidence  of 
heart  and  an  assured  answer  to  prayer. 
Condemn  us  not.  This  refers  to  a 
final  conclusion  in  the  heart,  sitting  in 
judgment  on  itself,  looking  over  all 
the  circumstances  of  our  infirmities 
and  God's  larger  mercy.  Faith  has 
triumphed  over  a  self-condemning  de- 
spair. John  alludes  to  a  state  of  mind 
expressed  by  Paul.  "For  I  know 
nothing  against  myself"  (i  cor.  4  : 4). 
The  confidence  of  the  believer  has  been 
brought  about  by  the  consoling  and 
indwelling  Holy  Spirit  (ver  24).  Then 
...  God,  rather,  we  have  boldness 
toward  God.  Boldness  is  a  favorite 
word  of  John,  used  four  times  in  this 
letter  (2  :  28 ;  4  :  n ;  6  :  14).  Twice  it  ex- 
presses his  confidence  of  hope  in  refer- 
ence to  a  day  of  judgment ;  twice  it  is 
used  in  reference  to  prayer.  It  corre- 
sponds in  meaning  to  Paul's  use  of  the 
term,  full  assurance.  As  the  believer 
draws  near  God  in  prayer  and  in  fel- 
lowship, it  is  not  with  a  slavish  fear, 
but  with  the  confident  feeling  of  a 
child  (Rom.  8  ;  15).  God  is  not  so  much 
the  great  God  as  the  loving  Father. 
The  not  condemning  is  the  negative 
side,  the  boldness  toward  God  is  the 
positive  side  of  the  believer's  life. 

22.  Believers,  whose  life  is  of  the 
truth,  conscious  of  no  di.sturbance  of 
their  filial  relation  to  God  through 
unfaithfulness  on  their  part,  may  ask 
all  things  from  their  Father  in  child- 
like confidence  and  trust.  Whatso- 
ever we  ask.  This  statement  is  in 
accord  with  the  words  of  Jesus  (John 


14:13;  15:7).  John  spcaks  with  the 
utmost  confidence ;  he  had  tested  the 
promise  through  many  years.  There 
are  always  limitations  to  the  seemingly 
unlimited  promises,  as  that  there  must 
be  faith  (Mark  u  :  24);  the  thing  desired 
must  be  in  accord  with  the  will  of  God 
(5  :  14).  A  reason  assigned  for  the  an- 
swer to  the  prayer,  is  that  the  believer 
is  in  harmony  with  God,  obedient,  well 
pleasing  to  him.  In  proportion  as  one 
approaches  that  state  these  words  are 
true. 

23.  The  entire  duty  of  the  believer 
is  summed  up  in  the  two  aspects,  to 
believe  in  Jesus  and  to  love  the  breth- 
ren. The  one  expres.ses  the  inner  life, 
the  other  the  outer  life.  The  com- 
mandment contains  all  others,  em- 
bracing the  unity  of  faith  and  love. 
Faith  rests  on  Jesus,  love  on  the 
brother.  On  the  name,  rather,  in. 
In  John's  Gospel  allusion  is  made 
ninety-eight  times  to  believing ;  the 
term  repentance  is  not  once  used.  The 
sense  of  sin,  repentance,  confession, 
all  lead  to  and  find  expression  in  faith 
in  the  Son  of  God.  The  reference 
here  is  to  the  entire  person  of  Christ, 
including  his  work  and  his  words,  in- 
volving also  the  confession  of  Christ. 
Son  reveals  the  relation  to  God,  show- 
ing the  divinity  of  his  person.  Jesus 
is  the  human  designation,  giving  his 
name  among  men.  Christ  is  the  title, 
showing  the  fulfilment  of  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures.  Love  one 
another.  Piety  and  morality  cannot 
live  without  each  other.  God  com- 
mands us  to  believe  in  his  Son  ;  Jesus 
commands  us  to  love  each  other.  Faith 
without  works  is  dead,  works  without 
faith  do  not  commend  us  to  God.  John 
urges  first  to  a  right  attitude  toward 
Jesus  tlien  a  right  action  toward 
others. 

24.  The  result  of  obedience  to  God 
is  a  blessed  and  mutual  indwelling  of 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


75 


24  gave  us  commandment.  And  e  he  that 
keepeth  his  commaudments  •■  dwelleth 
in  him,  and  he  in  him.  And 'hereby 
we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us,  by  tli'e 
Spirit  which  he  hath  given  us. 


24  And  he  that  keeps  his  commandments 
abides  iu  him,  and  lie  in  him.  And  in 
this  we  know  that  he  abides  iu  us, 
from  the  Spirit  wliich  he  gave  us. 


i  :  12 ;  John  U  :  21-23 :  15  :  10. 


ft  John  17  :  21,  etc. 


i  4  :  13  ;  Rom.  8  :  9-17. 


the  believer  in  God  aud  God  in  him. 
Abiding  in  him  has  been  spoken  of 
before  in  this  letter  (2  :  e,  27,  28;  3 :  e). 
The  believer  abides  in  him  for  safety, 
security,  guidance,  eternal  life,  joy, 
blessedness,  peace. 

Note  1.  The  sinlessness  of 
Christ,  3:5.  It  is  needful  to  main- 
tain the  spotlessness  of  the  character  of 
Christ.  Only  in  this  way  can  we  main- 
tain the  divinity  of  his  nature  and  his 
fitness  to  be  a  mediatorial  sacrifice. 
His  sinlessness  is  maintained  by  all  the 
New  Testament  writers  in  a  formal  or 
in  an  incidental  way.  The  book  of 
Hebrews  shows  the  superiority  of  his 
priesthood  in  that  he  was  not  forced  to 
make  an  oiFeriug  for  himself  (Heb.  7 : 
J6).  John  the  Baptist  regarded  liim  as 
the  bearer  of  the  world's  sins  (Joun  1  : 
sa).     Peter  speaks  of  him  as  a  lamb 

without   spot    or   blemish    (1  Peter  1  :  I9). 

Paul  speaks  of  Jesus  as  dying  for  the 
ungodly,  asserting  for  him  a  perfect 
godliness  (Rom.  5:6).  The  strongest 
proof  of  Christ's  sinlessness  is  found 
in  his  attitude  toward  God.  Other 
good  men  like  Payson,  Judson,  Brain- 
erd,  Spurgeon  have  been  burdened  in 
their  confessions  and  prayers  with  a 
sense  of  their  own  infirmities.  Jesus 
never  betrays  any  sense  of  his  own  sin, 
though  he  reproves  others.  He  wor- 
ships God,  but  he  makes  no  confession 
of  wrong-doing.  He  asserts  that  he  is 
always  well  pleasing  to  God  (John  8 : 
M).  He  says  that  Satan  finds  nothing 
in  him  (Join  li  :  80).  He  was  tempted 
in  all  points  as  we  are,  without  sin. 
Bushnell's  sermon  on  the  impossibility 
of  classifying  Jesus  among  men,  and 
UUman's  "Sinlessness  of  Jesus"  are 
very  valuable  helps  to  the  understand- 
ing of  the  sinless  character  of  Christ. 

Note  2.  Sinlessness  in  the  pres- 
ent LIFE,  3  :  9.  Taken  by  itself  1  :  8 
teaches  that  sin  inheres  in  every  Chris- 
tian life  upon  the  earth,  that  complete 
holiness  comes  only  at  the  vision  of 
Christ  (3 : 2).  Taken  by  itself  3 : 9  teaches 


that  the  presence  of  sin  in  the  heart  is 
a  proof  that  one  belongs  to  the  king- 
dom of  Satan.  Neither  passage  must 
be  sacrificed  in  order  that  tbe  other 
may  have  its  natural  meaning.  The 
Romish  church  divides  sins  into  two 
classes,  mortal  and  venial  sins.  Wesley 
discriminates  between  sins,  calling 
those  only  sins  in  a  proper  sense  which 
are  deliberate  violations  of  known 
laws.  These  theories  are  inconsistent 
with  the  Scripture  teachings  coucern- 
ing  sin  in  regarding  as  sins  only  the 
wilful,  designed  violations  of  law.  Any 
violation  of  God's  law  is  sin.  Paul 
did  not  judge  himself  sinless  (1  cor.  4 : 
*).  The  struggle  portrayed  in  Rom.  7 
shows  the  eflbrts  of  a  saintly  man  to 
become  more  saintly.  That  the  be- 
liever is  commanded  to  live  a  life  be- 
yond sin  is  evident.  God  as  a  holy 
God  can  give  no  lower  command  than 
this.  As  a  holy  God  he  cannot  make 
a  compromise  with  sin  and  command 
a  moderately  holy  life.  John  is  here 
describing  not  the  average  Christian 
life,  but  the  life  as  it  ought  to  be;  as  it 
might  be  through  Christ's  help ;  as  it 
will,  in  time,  be  in  the  future.  These 
words  of  John  not  only  are  a  descrip- 
tion of  what  each  life  ought  to  be,  but 
they  .serve  also  as  an  appeal  to  live  up 
to  this  standard.  In  like  manner  Paul 
writes  to  the  Roman  Christians,  "  You 
are  dead,  you  are  buried  to  the  old 
life,  you  have  been  raised  in  the  life 
that  now  is  to  a  spiritual  resurrection 
estate"  (Rom. 6  : 4).  And  then  afterward 
as  showing  that  the  ideal  state  had  not 
been  realized  by  these  same  persons  he 
writes,  "Inasmuch  as  you  are  ideally 
dead,  put  to  death  the  sinful  things 
that  yet  remain  in  you"  (Rom.  a  :  is). 
Every  believer  should  aim  day  by  day 
to  live  a  sinless  life.  The  unattainable 
should  be  striven  for.  And  then  day 
by  day,  realizing  that  the  flesh  is  weak, 
he  will  need  to  pray  for  forgiveness 
and  help. 

Note  3.     Evidences     of     the 
Christi.\n  life,  3  :  16.    John's  first 


76 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


letter  seems  designed  to  give  answer  to 
the  question,  How  may  a  person  know 
whether  he  is  a  child  of  God?  Inas- 
much as  there  is  no  organization  that 
can  infallibly  know  the  heart,  as  there 
is  no  voice  from  heaven  or  vision  that 
can  speak  for  God,  it  is  needful  to  have 
tests  by  which  the  intelligent  believer 
may  examine  his  own  heart  and  life. 
Creed  statements  and  emotions  are  not 
sufficient.  John  gives  no  less  than 
eight  specific  tests  of  the  regenerate 
life.  (1)  In  2  :  29  he  writes,  "Every 
one  also  that  doeth  righteousness  is  be- 
gotten of  him."  A  holy  life  is  the  test 
of  godliness.  The  fruits  of  the  Spirit 
are  manifest  in  the  life  (cai.  5  :  22,  23). 
(2)  In  3  :  9  he  writes,  "Whosoever  is 
begotten  of  God  doeth  no  sin."  The 
life,  in  its  nature,  is  like  Christ's. 
There  will  be  a  permanent  break  with 
sin  as  a  ruling  power,  and  a  constant 
growth  toward  the  sinless  life  in  Christ. 
A  person  may  judge  whether  there  is  a 
growing  conformity  to  Christ  and  a 
growing  hatred  of  wrong-doing.  (3)  In 
3  :  14  he  writes,  "We  know  that  we 
have  passed  from  death  to  life  because 
we  love  the  brethren."  A  brotherly 
love  is  a  test  of  the  new  relation  to 
Christ.  The  Spirit  makes  a  spiritual 
kinship  that  is  closer  than  blood  rela- 
tionship (Matt.  12  :  50).  (4)  In  4  :  7  he 
writes,  "And  every  one  that  loveth  is 
begotten  of  God."  Here  the  love  takes 
a  wider  range,  involving  a  love  for 
God,  for  good  things,  for  service,  for 
others,  even  for  enemies.  God  is  love 
itself— the  Christian  is  also  love.  (5) 
In  4  :  15  he  writes,  "  \V'hosoever  shall 
confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God, 
God  abideth  in  him."  A  clear  recog- 
nition and  confession  of  Jesus  as  the 
divine  one  is  an  evidence  of  the  new 
life.  A  real,  not  a  theoretical,  knowl- 
edge of  Jesus,  is  implied.  A  book  like 
"  Ecce  Homo,"  ignoring  the  higher 
nature  of  Jesus,  is  essentially  anti- 
christian.  (6)  In  5  : 1  he  writes,  "  Who- 
soever believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Clirist 
is  begotten  of  God."  The  confession 
of  the  Messiahship  of  .Tesus  is  a  mark 
of  the  new  relation  to  God  through 
Christ.  It  is  not  the  mere  verbal  con- 
fession that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  but 
the  heart  knowledge,  the  believing  on 
.Tesus  as  the  fulfilment  of  the  divine 
plan  unfolded  in  the  Old  Testament. 
(7)  In  5  :  4  he  writes,  "  For  whatsoever 


is  begotten  of  God  overcometh  the 
world."  The  test  of  a  Christian  life  is 
that  it  is  a  conquering  life.  It  over- 
comes self,  besetting  sins,  the  tempta- 
tions of  the  world,  the  wiles  of  Satan. 
(8)  In  5 :  18  he  writes,  "  But  he  that 
was  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself." 
He  is  kept  by  God,  is  safe  in  his  hands 
(John  10 :  28).  In  like  manner  the  be- 
liever, because  he  is  a  believer,  keeps 
guard  over  himself.  He  does  not  ex- 
pose himself  to  temptations,  does  not 
walk  in  the  way  of  danger  to  the  soul. 
The  regenerate  life  as  such  has  its  fit- 
ting manifestations.  By  its  fruits  it 
must  be  known .  Nowhere  in  the  range 
of  the  inspired  writings  are  given  so 
many  practical  tests  of  the  regenerate 
life  as  in  this  short  letter. 

Note  4.  John's  teaching  con- 
cerning THE  Holy  Spirit,  3  :  2i. 
John  had  heard  the  promise  of  Jesus 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  would  be  bestowed 
that  he  might  convict  of  sin,  create 
holiness  in  the  lieart,  and  lead  into  the 
truth  (John  16  :  13).  John  speaks  of  the 
Spirit  as  granted  to  them  at  a  definite 
time  (5  :  2*).  The  indwelling  Spirit 
would  create  a  desire  to  keep  God's 
commands  and  bestow  the  ability  to 
keep  them.  In  this  way  the  Spirit 
would  be  a  constant  indwelling  witness 
of  God's  presence  (Rom  s  :  le).  This 
gift  of  the  Spirit  does  not  refer  to 
special  endowment,  but  is  regarded  as 
a  common  and  abiding  possession, 
given  to  all  who  are  Christ's  followers. 
The  indwelling  Spirit  would  work  in 
two  practical  ways,  in  the  perfection  of 
holiness  in  the  life,  and  also  in  preserv- 
ing the  truth  of  Christ  free  from  error 
(2  :  26,  27).  Orthodoxy  in  thinking 
about  Christ  John  emphasizes.  Wrong 
conceptions  about  the  person  and  work 
of  Christ  will  shape  all  the  views  in 
reference  to  Christianity  and,  in  time, 
will  shape  the  practical  life.  Holiness 
in  living,  in  the  long  run,  depends  on 
riglit  thinking.  Jolin  insists  that  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
heart,  given  at  the  entering  on  the 
Christian  life,  ought  to  be  a  protection 
for  the  Christian  life,  ought  to  be  a 
protection  against  error.  The  Holy 
Spirit  should  be  as  real  a  teacher  as 
John  or  Paul  (2:27).  Tliis  was  the 
promise  of  .Tesus  (John  ic  :  i3).  How 
can  tliese  words  be  reconciled  with  the 


Ch.  III.] 


I.  JOHN 


77 


inconsistencies  of  conduct  and  belief? 
There  ought,  as  a  mattei*  of  fact,  to  be 
a  growing  knowledge  of  Jesus  and  his 
teachings.  False  teachers  ought  to 
have  no  hold  upon  the  intelligent  l)e- 
liever.  Varying  statements  of  doctrine 
might  be  made  and  different  explana- 
tions given  of  the  facts  underlying 
Christianity,  but  in  the  main,  the  one 
common  mold  of  doctrine  ought  to  be 
held  (Rom.  6  :  17),  the  common  form  of 
sound  words  ought  to  be  maintained 
(a  Tim.  1 :  13).  There  ought  to  be  no 
mysticism  that  lays  undue  stress  upon 
the  Spirit's  inner  leaching,  but  ignores 
the  outward  facts  of  revelation,  the 
Bible,  the  church,  and  its  ordinances. 
There  ought  to  be  no  denial  of  the 
Deity  of  Christ  as  in  Unitarianism 
among  tho.se  who  rely  on  him  for  sal- 
vation. There  ought  to  be  no  bap- 
tismal regeneration  emphasizing  a  rite 
as  the  means  of  salvation.  There 
ought  to  be  no  infant  baptism  in  plain 
violation  of  the  words  of  the    Lord 

Jesus    (Mark  16  :  16  ;    Matt.  28  :  19).        There 

ought  to  be  no  prelacy,  an  ecclesiastical 
organization  that  usurps  the  power  of 
Christ,  denying  the  simplicity  of  the 
New  Testament  government.  Univer- 
salism  finds  its  existence  in  denying  or 
ignoring  large  sections  of  the  Saviour's 
teachings.  Errors  will  arise  if  persons 
come  to  the  New  Testament  with 
opinions  already  formed,  if  they  seek 
the  Bible  to  get  its  blessing  on  views 
held,  instead  of  asking  the  Bible  what 
they  must  believe.  It  is  presupposed 
by  John  in  his  teachings  here,  that  the 
heart  is  opeu  to  conviction,  walking 
in  the  light  already  seen,  desiring  to 
know  the  truth  that  it  may  be  followed, 
submitting  all  views  to  the  Scripture 
for  final  decision,  that  due  diligence  is 
used  in  finding  out  what  are  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible.  If  these  conditions 
are  wanting  then,  by  necessity,  the 
promise  falls  to  the  ground. 

When  serious  inroads  have  been 
made  upon  the  churches  as  by  laying 
undue  stress  upon  the  act  of  baptism 
in  securing  the  remission  of  sins,  the 
explanation  is  that  there  has  not  been 
such  a  reception  of  all  the  facts  in  the 
case  as  to  preserve  from  error.  When 
large  sections  of  the  church  have  ac- 
cepted infant  baptism  as  the  rule  of 
church  life,  the  explanation  is  that 
they  have  rested  on  the  power  of  tra- ' 


ditlon  and  false  views  of  baptism  that 
made  such  a  baptism  seem  almost  a 
necessity  for  the  saving  of  the  souls  of 
tiie  dead.  If  all  in  the  church  were 
living  lives  of  holiness,  sincerely  de- 
sirous of  knowing  the  truth,  searching 
the  Scriptures  tliat  God's  thoughts 
might  be  known,  walking  in  the  truth 
so  far  as  known,  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  this  promise  of  preservation  from 
error  would  be  fulfilled  in  a  way  that 
has  never  yet  been  witnessed.  Here, 
as  everywhere,  in  John's  writings,  lie 
is  looking,  not  at  the  church  life  as  it 
actually  exists,  but  as  it  ought  to  be, 
might  be  ;  he  is  regarding  not  so  much 
the  actual  church  as  the  ideal  church 
as  it  is  defined  in  the  word  and  out- 
lined in  Christ's  commands  concerning 
it.  The  church  has  two  teachers.  It 
has  the  living  Christ  revealed  in  the 
New  Testament  and  the  living  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  heart  interpreting  the 
word,  clarifying  the  mind,  giving  a 
spiritual  vision.  The  believer  must 
not  ignore  either  teacher.  The  Friends, 
relying  on  the  Spirit,  belittle  the  out- 
ward institutions  of  Christianity ; 
others,  relying  on  the  outward  facts  of 
Christianity,  do  not  sufficiently  recog- 
nize the  Spirit  as  a  present  teacher  and 
helper. 

For  a  discussion  of  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  consult  Hare's  "  Mission  of  the 
Comforter,"  and  the  "  Ministry  of  the 
Spirit,"  by  A.  J.  Gordon, 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  It  is  wonderful  that  the  great  and 
holy  God  should  pour  out  his  love  on  sin- 
ful men.  It  is  a  love  wonderful  in  its 
quality  and  in  its  quantity.  God's  high- 
est love  and  wisdom  are  manifest,  not  iu 
creation,  but  in  redemption  (ver.  1). 

2.  The  Christian  is  to  be  in  the  world, 
but  not  of  it.  He  is  to  be  spiritually 
minded.  All  things  in  life  are  to  be  held 
in  subordination  to  the  will  of  Christ  and 
the  interests  of  the  soul  (ver.  1). 

3.  The  best  part  of  the  Christian's  life 
is  in  the  future,  he  is  the  child  of  a  king. 
All  things  at  present  are  in  his  possession 
in  part  (1  Cor.  3  :  21).  In  the  future  tlie 
life  will  be  in  glory  (ver.  2). 

4.  The  sight  of  Christ  will  create  Christ- 
likeness.  Then  the  longings  for  holiness 
will  be  satisfied  (ver.  2). 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  III. 


5.  A  hope  of  heaven  should  make  a 
heavenly  mindedness.  The  work  of  puri- 
fication, begun  at  conversiou,  should  be 
daily  continued.  Piety,  purity,  aud 
heaven  go  together  (ver.  3). 

6.  Sin  may  seem  very  decorous,  but  in 
its  essence  it  is  a  breaking  of  God's  laws. 
Every  man  by  nature  is  a  sinuer  and  a 
lawbreaker  (ver.  4). 

7.  Jesus  liad  no  sin,  therefore  he  can 
take  away  sin.  He  takes  away  the  nature 
of  sin,  the  power  and  love  of  sin,  and  the 
penalty  of  sin.  He  is  a  complete  Saviour. 
Sin  is  the  opposite  of  the  salvation  that 
Christ  brings  (ver.  .5). 

8.  To  be  a  Christian  means  to  hate  sin. 
The  more  one  becomes  like  Christ,  the 
less  power  will  sin  have  over  him.  One 
who  does  not  hate  sin,  and  have  a  grow- 
ing power  over  it,  has  no  right  to  regard 
himself  as  a  Christian  (ver.  6). 

9.  A  person  may  be  deceived  by  false 
tests  of  the  Christian  life,  by  emotions, 
happy  dreams,  or  successful  work.  The 
real  test  of  the  life  is  right-doing,  a  daily 
and  growing  conformity  to  the  holy  will 
of  Christ  (ver.  7). 

10.  The  Saviour  and  Satan  are  at  the 
opposite  moral  extremes.  Jesus  means  a 
confirmed  holiness,  Satan  means  a  fixed 
ungodliness.  It  is  well  to  ask  in  Avhat 
direction  the  life  is  growing  (ver.  8.) 

11.  To  be  born  of  God  implies  a  perma- 
nent change  in  the  governing  disposition. 
Souship  implies  obedience,  family  like- 
ness, conformity  to  God's  will.  To  be  a 
child  of  such  a  Father  is  a  privilege  and 
an  inspiration  also  to  a  higher  life  (ver.  9). 

12.  The  Christian  ought  to  live  a  life 
that  can  be  known  as  Christ's.  There 
ought  to  be  a  separation  between  the 
church  and  the  world  in  the  motives  and 
governing  principles  of  life  and  conduct. 
The  Christian  must  be  above  the  world 
that  he  may  influence  it  (ver.  10). 

13.  Cain  built  for  himself  a  monument 
that  stands  through  the  centuries.  The 
ugly  disposition  and  the  sudden  angry 
impulse  ripened  into  murder.  Back  of 
Cain  was  the  unseen  Satan.  The  same 
principles  in  the  heart  will  beget  a  Cain- 
life  to-day  (ver.  12). 

14.  The  world  at  large  hated  Jesus. 
Persecutions  will  pass  away  with  enlight- 
enment, but  siu,  worldliness,  Satan,  the 


evil  heart  of  unbelief  are  always  antag- 
onistic to  Christ  and  his  cause  (ver.  13). 

15.  The  Christian  must  love  fellow- 
Christians  because  he  loves  Christ.  Jesus 
loved  his  disciples  better  than  his  flesh 
and  blood  kinsmen.  Spiritual  ties  are 
enduring  (ver.  14). 

16.  Hatred  is  not  a  trifling  sin,  it  can- 
not exist  in  the  heart  with  eternal  life. 
Hatred  can  be  crowded  out  only  by  an 
incoming  love  (ver.  15). 

17.  We  must  imitate  Christ  in  love  and 
sacrifice  for  others.  He  loved  even  unto 
death.  A  lifelong  regard  for  others  is 
equal  to  a  martyrdom  (ver.  16). 

18.  There  must  be  orthodoxy  in  creed. 
There  must  be  a  like  orthodoxy  in  caring 
for  the  needy,  the  hungry,  the  destitute, 
the  uncared-for.  The  orphan  asylum,  the 
home  for  the  aged,  the  caring  for  the 
feeble-minded,  are  evidences  of  Christian- 
ity that  can  be  seen.  Piety  toward  God 
and  philanthropy  toward  man  must  go 
hand  in  hand  (ver.  17). 

19.  There  is  always  a  tendency  to  love 
with  the  tongue  only,  it  costs  less  than 
loving  with  the  heart.  James  and  Joiin 
are  brothers  in  asserting  the  need  of  sin- 
cerity in  religion  and  love.  Words  will 
not  feed  the  hungry  or  clothe  the  naked 
(ver.  18). 

20.  A  heart  that  is  troubled  or  doubting 
cannot  be  strong.  The  assurance  of 
salvation  and  God's  favor  makes  joy  and 
peace,  and  contributes  to  strength  and 
efficiency.  It  is  the  privilege  of  the 
Christian  to  have  a  comforting  assurance 
(ver.  19). 

21.  God  is  tender  in  judging  his  people. 
"  He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust "  (Ps. 
103  :  14).  God's  people  should,  therefore, 
not  be  unduly  severe  in  judging  them- 
selves or  others.  God  condemns  hypoc- 
risy ;  he  pities  weakness  (ver.  20). 

22.  It  requires  great  wisdom  for  a  man 
rightly  to  understand  his  own  heart. 
There  are  many  opportunities  for  self- 
deception,  for  palliating,  and  explaining 
away  the  sins  of  the  life.  The  heart  may 
be  enlightened  by  the  Scriptures  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  so  that  it  may  pass  a  right 
judgment  on  itself  (ver.  21). 

23.  An  obedient  life  is  a  condition  of 
receiving  answers  to  prayer.  There  are 
no  promises  for  the  disobedient  and  self- 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHX 


79 


Religious  teachers  tested  hy  their  doctrines  i 

and  the  fru  its  oj  love  and  /a  ith . 
4     BELOVED,  '^  believe  not  every  spirit,  | 


4      BELOVED,  believe  not  every  spirit. 


k  Jer.  29:8;  Matt.  24:4,5. 


willed.  No  good  thing  will  the  Lord 
withhold  from  them  that  love  him  (ver. 
22). 

24.  Our  first  duty  is  to  God,  our  second 
duty  is  toward  men.  Religion  embraces 
morality,  there  may  be  a  seeming  morality 
that  excludes  religion  (ver.  23). 

25.  If  a  man  dwell  in  God  as  a  refuge 
he  will  have  an  abiding  security.  No  foe 
on  earth  or  elsewhere  can  harm  him. 
God  is  the  dwelling-place  of  his  people 
(ver.  24;  Ps.  90  : 1). 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  first  section  of  this  chapter  be- 
longs, in  order  of  thought,  to  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  in  the  division  ex- 
tending from  3:1-4:6.  The  general 
subject  is  that  holiness  is  the  result  of 
fellowship  with  God,  John  has  spoken 
of  the  high  destiny  of  the  children  of 
God,  and  the  duty  of  keeping  them- 
selves pure  ;  of  holiness  as  the  test  of 
discrimination  between  the  children  of 
God  and  the  children  of  the  devil ;  of 
love  for  each  other  as  a  mark  of  holi- 
ness ;  of  the  confidence  that  is  begotten 
by  a  holy  life.  It  remains  for  him  to 
discuss  in  this  section  a  fifth  topic,  that 
love  for  the  truth  is  a  test  and  fruit  of 
holiness. 

Jesus  is  himself  the  truth,  all  teach- 
ers and  teachings  must  conform  to  his 
words.  Many  autichristian  teachings 
are  in  the  world  (^er.  i-e);  since  God  is 
love,  the  one  who  does  not  love  is  not 
begotten  of  God  (^er.  7-ii);  God  himself 
cannot  be  seen,  but  his  children  may 
be  seen  and  must  be  loved  (ver.  12-16); 
the  realization  of  God's  love  will  cast 
out  fear  and  will  beget  confidence  in 

God  ("er.  17-21). 

1-6.  A  TEST  OF  HOLINESS  WILL  BE 
A  LOVE  FOR  THE  TRUTH.  Through- 
out this  Epistle  the  exhibition  of  the 
truth  and  the  condemnation  of  error 
alternate  with  each  other.  John  had 
said  in  3  :  24  that  all  believers  partici- 
pate in  the  presence  and  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  that  this  is  the 
pledge  of  continued   fellowship  with 


Christ.  This  mu.st  be  so,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  truth.  But  inas- 
much as  all  teachers,  both  the  true  and 
the  heretical,  claimed  to  be  under  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  how  was 
the  true  teacher  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  false  teacher?  It  is  assumed 
by  John  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
efficient  source  of  light  and  of  the  true 
teaching ;  that  no  one  is  qualified  to 
teach  until  thus  illumined,  and  that 
such  teachings  as  were  begotten  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  should  be  received  as 
authoritative.  "What  was  taught,  how- 
ever, must  commend  itself  to  the  judg- 
ment of  those  enlightened  by  the  teach- 
ings of  the  same  Holy  Spirit  (2:27), 
Every  teacher,  prophet,  apostle,  even, 
must  be  tested  by  the  true  standard  of 
the  holy  Scriptures  (Acts  17 :  11).  f^very 
teaching  must  be  tested  by  the  law  and 
the  testimony  (isa.  8  :  20). 

1.  John  cautions  his  readers  against 
trusting  every  kind  of  spirit,  every 
teacher  that  appealed  to  them.  It  is 
not  true  that  every  professed  believer 
in  God  is  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  attitude  of  the  believer  must  be 
to  keep  the  heart  open  to  all  the  truth, 
to  be  desirous  of  knowing  what  is  the 
truth,  and  using  all  the  means  at  com- 
mand to  discriminate  the  true  from  the 
false.  Believe  not  every  spirit. 
Delusions,  fanaticism,  false  teachings, 
had  a  large  place  in  the  first  century. 
All  teachers,  true  and  false  alike, 
claimed  to  be  acting  under  the  control 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  All  pretensions  to 
inspiration  are  to  be  fully  examined. 
John  urges  his  readers  to  exercise  a 
Christian  judgment.  The  Christian 
and  the  church  must  not  be  credulous. 
The  claims  and  partial  success  of 
Swedenborg  (died  1722);  of  Ann  Lee 
(died  1784);  of  Joseph  Smith  (died 
1844);  of  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Eddy,  of  the 
spiritualists,  and  of  many  kindred 
errors  show  that  the  church  must,  in 
the  present  age,  be  on  its  guard  against 
deception.  Try  the  spirits,  rather, 
prove.  The  right  of  private  judgment 
is  here  clearly  affirmed  as  against  the 
claim  that  only  the  church  as  repre- 


80 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  IV. 


but  1  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of 
God  :    because  ">  many  false  prophets 

2  are  gone  out  into  the  world.  Hereby 
know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God:  » Every 
spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ 

3  is  come  in  the  flesh  is  of  God.  And 
0  every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesli  is  not 


but  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of 
God ;    because    many   false    prophets 

2  have  gone  forth  into  the  world.  In 
this  ye  know  the  Spirit  of  God  :  every 
spirit  that  confesses  that  Jesus  Christ 

3  has  come  in  tlie  flesh,  is  of  God  ;  and 
every  spirit  that  does  not  confess  Jesus, 
is  not  of  God  ;  and  this  is  the  spirit  of 


I  Isa.  8  :  20 ;  1  Thess.  5  :  21 ;  Rev.  2  :  2. 
n  5  :  1 ;  1  Cor.  12  :  J. 


m  2  :  18;  Acts  20  -.  30  ;  2  Peter  2  : 1. 
0  2  ;  22 ;  2  John  7. 


sented  by  its  officers,  can  rightly  inter- 
pret the  Scriptures.  There  is  a  spir- 
itual indwelling  in  even  the  humblest 
believer,  whose  opinion  must  have 
weight  in  giving  the  verdict  of  the 
church  at  large.  The  general  agree- 
ment of  holy  believers  the  world  over 
as  to  the  mind  of  Christ  and  the  truth- 
fulness of  a  doctrine  must  have  great 
weight.  The  point  to  be  discovered  is 
whether  these  teachings  are  of  God, 
that  is,  in  accord  with  the  truth  of  God 
as  manifest  in  his  nature  and  revealed 
in  his  word.  God  speaks  through 
those  who  were  the  admitted  apostles 

of    Christ    (see    Paul  s   claim   in    Gal.  1  :  8,  9)^ 

through  those  who  were  entrusted  with 
the  divine  teachings,  through  the  gen- 
eral result  of  the  teachings  thus  re- 
vealed, through  a  present  Holy  Spirit 
at  work  on  the  hearts  of  holy  men. 
The  term,  prophets,  does  not  mean 
the  man  foretelling  the  future  event, 
but  the  teacher  who  is  a  witness  for 
the  Spirit  of  truth.  That  many  false 
teachers  had  arisen  is  alluded  to  in 
2  :  19.  Gone  out.  This  does  not 
mean,  gone  forth  from  the  church  into 
the  world,  as  in  2  :  19,  but  from  the 
world  into  the  church.  It  required 
wisdom  in  the  first  age  when  Chris- 
tianity was  in  process  of  establishment 
on  its  intellectual  and  moral  sides,  to 
a.scertain  the  truth  and  to  hold  it  firm- 
ly. It  requires  wisdom  in  all  ages 
when  there  is  much  of  intellectual  and 
spiritual  unrest.  Because  an  interpre- 
tation is  new  is  not  a  proof  that  it  is 
untrue.  The  doctrine  of  justification 
by  faith,  brought  into  new  prominence 
by  Luther,  was  an  old  Bible  teaching, 
forgotten  and  obscured  by  a  false 
church.  The  despised  Anabaptists  of 
Germany  and  Switzerland  were  almost 
fought  out  of  existence  for  presenting 
the  New  Testament  conception  of  the 
church  as  a  spiritual  body.  In  their 
case  the  truth  lay  with  a  very  small 
minority. 


2.  This  verse  furnishes  the  criterion 
by  which  the  teachings  are  to  be  tested. 
Spirit  of  God.  This  reference  is  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  through  whom  God  is 
truly  revealed,  who  works  upon  and 
through  the  human  spirit.  It  is  as- 
sumed by  John  that  every  one  influ- 
enced by  the  Holy  Spirit  will  make  an 
outward  confession  in  accord  with  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit.  That  confess- 
eth. It  would  not  follow  that  every 
one  making  this  correct  confession  con- 
cerning Christ  would,  of  necessity,  be 
a  Christian.  It  would  follow  that  his 
teachings  would  be  in  accord  with  the 
truth,  and  that  he  would  not  be  a 
teacher  of  error.  The  substance  of  the 
confession  is  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
come  in  the  flesh.  John  does  not 
declare  the  error  to  be  the  denial  that 
Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  as  some  maintain, 
but  that  he  had  a  true  human  nature. 
In  2  John,  ver.  7,  John  speaks  of  Jesus 
coming  in  the  flesh,  apart  from  all  con- 
sideration as  to  time.  In  5  :  20  he 
alludes  to  the  historical  event  when 
Jesus  came.  The  expression  used  by 
John  here  implies  that  Jesus  came  in 
the  flesh,  and  even  yet  retains  that 
human  nature.  Of  God.  This  teach- 
ing, the  verity  of  Christ's  human  na- 
ture, is  a  divine  teaching.  The  apostles 
witnessed  to  it,  the  enlightened  reason 
sees  a  necessity  for  it,  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  heart  of  the  true  teacher  is  con- 
stantly adding  his  influence  to  the  truth 
of  the  doctrine. 

3.  This  verse  presents  the  opposite 
side,  the  spirit  which  is  not  of  God. 
The  Revised  version  presents  here  a 
reading  diiferent  from  that  of  the  Com- 
mon version.  And  every  spirit  .  .  . 
of  God,  rather,  Ayid  every  spirit  which 
confesseth  not  Jesus  is  not  of  God.  The 
grammatical  form  implies  not  merely 
the  non-confession,  but  the  refusal  to 
make  the  confession.  The  man  who 
doe.s  not  hold  to  Jesus  cannot  be  re- 
garded as  a  Christian  or  a  Christian 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHN 


81 


of  God.  And  this  is  that  sinril  of  anti- 
christ, whereof  ye  have  heard  that  it 
should  come;  and  p even  now  already 
is  it  ill  the  world. 

1  Ye  are  of  God,  little  children,  i-aiid 
have  overcome  them  :  because  greater 
is  he  that  is  in  you,  than  ■  he  that  is  in 
the  world.  They  are  of  the  world  : 
therefore  speak  they  of  the  world,  and 


the  antichrist,  of  which  ye  have  heard 

that  it  is  coining  ;  and  now,  it  is  in  the 

world  already. 
■1      Ye  are  of  God,  little  children,  and 

have  overcome  them  :  because  greater 

is  he  who  is  in  you,  than  he  who  is  in 
5  the  world.    They  are  of  the  world  ;  for 

this  cause  they  speak  of  the  world, 


p  2  :  IS;  2  Thcss. 


«  3  :  9,  10. 


r  2  :  13;  5  :4,  5. 


s  John  12  :  31. 


teacher.  And  this  is  .  .  .  should 
come,  rather,  And  this  is  that  spirit 
of  the  antichrist  whereof  ye  have  heard 
that  it  Cometh.  The  ye  have  heard  does 
not  refer  to  what  John  has  written  in 
this  letter,  but  to  the  general  course  of 
instruction  in  the  Christian  faith  which 
they  had  received.  At  the  time  when 
John  wrote,  as  in  Paul'.s  day  (2  Tbess. 
2 : 1),  the  spirit  of  antichrist  was  already 
at  work.  John  would  open  their  eyes 
to  see  the  dangerous  character  of  the 
teachings  that  were  presented  to  them. 
While  avowedly  in  the  line  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  teaching,  they  were  essentially 
antichristian.  It  is  implied  here,  as  in 
2  :  18,  that  there  would  be,  in  time,  the 
manifestation  of  a  distinct,  personal 
antichrist  of  whom  these  false  teachers 
■were  forerunners. 

4.  John  writes  in  an  assured  tone 
concerning  his  readers.  Ye  shows  the 
contrast  between  his  Christian  readers 
and  the  antichristian  teachers.  He 
implies  that  all  in  the  church  are  all 
that  they  professed  to  be,  redeemed, 
and  anointed  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  some  unworthy  mem- 
bers wei-e  in  the  churches  that  were 
under  John's  oversight.  (See  3  John  9.) 
Little  children,  rather,  my  little 
children.  Have  overcome.  He 
does  not  say  that  they  will  overcome, 
but  that  they  have  overcome  them  ; 
that  is,  the  false  teachers.  As  they 
are  the  children  of  God,  and  are 
led  and  guarded  by  him,  they  have 
thereby  in  fact  already  overcome  them 
who  are  animated  by  the  opposite 
spirit.  John  is  moving  here  in  a  high 
and  ideal  region,  assuming  that  all 
God's  people  will  assuredly  be  kept 
free  from  the  entanglements  of  Satan. 
It  is  that  victory  of  the  divine  over 
the  iindivine  which  is  inherent  in  tlie 
relation  which  they  sustain  to  God,  to 
Jesus  their  mediator,  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
their  ever  present  indwelling  teacher. 


It  is  not  true  that  all  believers  are  kept 
entirely  free  from  all  errors,  for  the 
New  Testament  shows  how  easily  tlie 
members  were  led  aside  by  false  teach- 
ings. We  have  but  to  read  the  letters 
to  the  Galatians,  the  Thessalonians, 
the  Corinthians,  to  see  how  often  false 
notions  led  them  captive.  John  ia 
writing  as  always,  not  concerning  all 
teachings,  but  the  fundamental  one 
concerning  the  person  of  Christ;  and 
not  concerning  all  members,  but  of  the 
true  members ;  and  not  of  all  true  mem- 
bers for  all  time,  but  in  a  general 
way,  in  an  ideal  sense,  it  remains  true 
that  they  who  are  of  the  truth  will  hold 
the  truth.  Because  assigns  the  reason 
for  overcoming.  God  is  greater  than 
Satan,  than  the  antichrist,  than  the 
delusions  which  spring  from  the  world. 
God  is  in  the  life  of  the  Christian  (3 : 
2*).  The  Holy  Spirit  dwells  in  the  spir- 
itually minded  man  (s  =  2*).  By  reason 
of  God's  indwelling  and  watchcare,  by 
reason  of  Jesus'  victory  over  the  prince 
of  this  world  (John  16  :  11, 33),  by  reason 
of  the  constant  light  given  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  there  must  be  victory  of  truth 
over  error.  By  world  is  meant  the 
prince  of  this  world,  who  has  large 
power  here,  from  whom  the  false  teach- 
ers come  and  whose  cause  they  repre- 
sent. 

5.  This  verse  gives  the  origin  of  the 
false  teachings  and  teachers.  They  do 
not  spring  from  above,  from  God,  and 
are  not  divine  in  their  nature.  Of  the 
world.  This  term  is  not  used  of  the 
earth  in  its  physical  aspect,  but  stands 
for  the  unrenewed,  unregenerate  na- 
ture, living  in  the  darkness,  under  the 
control  of  Satan,  the  god  of  this  world 
(2  Cor.  4:4).  Speak  they  of  the 
world,  rather,  speak  they  as  of  the 
world.  He  does  not  mean  that  they 
speak  concerning  the  world,  but  they 
speak  as  those  who  have  sprung  from 
the  world.    These  teachers  are  not  in- 


82 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  IV. 


6  'the  world  heareth  them.    We  are  of     6  and  the  world  hears  them.    We  are  of 


God :  "  he  that  kuoweth  God  heareth 
us ;  he  that  is  not  of  God  heareth  not 
us.  Hereby  know  we  »the  spirit  of 
truth,  and  tlie  spirit  of  error. 


God  ;  he  that  knows  God,  hears  us  ;  he 
that  is  not  of  God,  hears  us  not.  From 
this  we  know  the  spirit  of  truth,  and 
the  spirit  of  error. 


t  John  15  :  19 ;  17  :  14. 


u  John  8  :  47  ;  1  Cor.  14  :  37  ;  2  Cor.  10  :  T. 


X   Is».  8  :  20  ;  John  14  :  17. 


fluenced  by  the  desire  to  please  God, 
the  contents  of  their  teachings  have 
not  come  down  from  heaven.  For  the 
source  of  Christ's  teachings  see  John 
8  :  26 ;  14  :  24.  For  the  source  of  the 
apostolic  teachings  see  1  Cor.  2  :  13 ; 
Gal.  1  :  12.  These  teachers  have  an 
audience,  the  world  heareth  them. 
The  unregenerate  do  not  love  the  truth, 
especially  when  it  exalts  Christ  and 
humbles  human  nature.  Those  who 
belong  to  the  world  have  no  suscep- 
tibility for  the  divine,  and  cannot  re- 
ceive what  is  made  known  by  those 
anointed  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This 
inner  prevailing  temper  will  manifest 
itself  in  the  attitude  toward  Christ  and 
his  truth.  Paul  draws  a  line  of  dis- 
tinction between  the  world  and  Christ's 
kingdom.  James  condemns  a  love  for 
the  world  as  inconsistent  with  a  friend- 
ship for  God  (James  4:  4).  There  is  a 
spiritual  kingdom  in  the  world,  but 
not  of  it.  God  and  world  mark  the 
extremes,  in  John's  mind,  of  truth  and 
error. 

6.  As  opposed  to  the  false  teachers 
stand  the  teachers  of  the  truth,  re- 
ceiving their  message  from  on  high. 
Knoweth  God.  To  know  God  is,  in 
the  Scripture  use  of  the  term,  vastly 
more  than  to  know  of  God.  Spiritual 
fellowship  with  God  leads  to  a  recog- 
nition of  the  true  teaclier  who  stands 
for  the  truth  of  God.  There  are  some 
things  hidden  from  the  mere  intel- 
lectual powers  M'hich  are  open  to  the 
spiritual  mind  (i  Cor.  2 :  u).  The  man 
who  is  not  of  God  will  not  be  in  love 
with  the  truth  which  is  of  God.  There 
is  a  moral  opposition  between  the  two. 
It  is  not  strange  that  the  truth  and  the 
true  teacher  will  meet  with  dislike  and 
opposition.  Jesus  had  a  comparatively 
unsuccessful  ministry  judged  by  nu- 
merical results  (John  1:11).  Paul  speaks 
of  the  unpalatable  nature  of  true  teach- 
ing to  the  unregenerate  mind  (2  Tim.  4  : 
8).  Hereby,  rather.  By  this.  The 
reference  is  to  what  is  contained  in  ver. 
6,  6,  the  reception  of  the  false  teach- 
ings by  the  world,  the  reception  of  the 


true  teachings  by  those  knowing  God, 
and  their  rejection  by  those  not  of  God. 
Jesus  gives  the  same  test  in  John  10  :  8, 
and  in  his  answer  to  Pilate  (John  is :  37). 
In  physical  nature  there  is  a  mutually 
attractive  power;  in  like  manner  in 
the  sphere  of  truth  there  is  a  kinship 
between  the  truth-loving  man  and  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The  we  em- 
braces both  John  and  his  readers.  In 
ver.  2,  3  John  had  spoken  of  the  atti- 
tude of  the  teachers  toward  the  person 
of  Christ  as  the  test  of  the  true  and 
the  false  teaching,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
false  teaching  on  this  point  to  which 
they  were  most  exposed.  This  anti- 
christian  teaching,  here  considered, 
was  on  the  part  of  the  teachers  alone. 
In  ver.  5,  6  John  speaks  of  the  spirit 
of  truth  and  error  to  be  distinguished 
from  each  other  by  the  attitude  toward 
true  teaching,  the  reference  being  to 
the  hearers.  There  is  required  a  spir- 
itual anointing  of  the  mind  and  the 
tongue  that  there  may  be  a  right  teach- 
ing concerning  Christ ;  there  is  required 
a  like  anointing  of  the  mind  and  the 
ear  that  there  may  be  a  love  for  the 
right  teaching.  Heretical  teaching 
will  beget  false  views,  heretical  hear- 
ers will  create  a  demand  for  false  teach- 
ers. Christ  is  himself  the  truth.  Both 
teachers  and  hearers  must  be  judged 
by  their  attitude  toward  Christ,  his 
person,  his  authority,  his  works  and 
words.  In  setting  Christ  right  before 
them  John  will  settle  the  entire  con- 
tents of  their  theology. 

Pakt  THEEE.  This  chapter  marks 
an  advance  in  the  thought  contained  in 
this  letter.  God  is  light,  has  all  per- 
fections, is  without  the  limitations  that 
belong  to  men.  But  a  person  might 
be  conceived  of  as  full  of^holiness  and 
yet  not  moved  by  love.  The  atmos- 
phe-re  of  this  letter  is  that  of  love.  In 
preceding  portions  John  has  enforced 
the  duty  of  brotherly  love  (2 :  i-n  ;  s  : 
14-18).  The  peculiar  teaching  of  this 
section,  love  for  others,  springs  directly 
out  of  kinship  with  God's  nature  itself 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHN 


83 


7  T Beloved,  let  us  Iotc  one  another: 
I  for  love  is  of  God  ;  •  and  every  one 
that  loveth  is  born  of  God,  and  know- 

8  eth  God.  He  that  loveth  not  kuoweth 
not  God  ;  for  i"  God  is  love. 

9  "In  this  was  manifested  the  love  of 


7  Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another; 
because  love  is  of  God,  and  every  one 
that  loves  has  been  begotten  of  God, 

8  and  knowsGod.  He  that  loves  not  has 
not  known  God  ;  because  God  is  love. 

9  In  this  was  manifested  the  love  of  God 


y  3:10,  11,  23. 


z  Dcut.  30  :  6  ;  1  Thess.  4:9.  o  3  :  14. 

c  3  :  16 ;  John  i  :  16, 17 ;  Rom.  8  :  32. 


b  Ver.  16 ;  Exod.  34  :  6,  7. 


as  one  of  love.  No  higher  motive  for 
the  daily  conduct  of  life  can  be  given 
than  that  here  announced. 

7-11.  Love  is  the  test  of  being 
begotten  of  god. 

7.  This  is  not  a  command  to  love, 
but  au  appeal.  Beloved  .  .  .  an- 
other. The  love  spoken  of  is  not 
simply  an  emotion,  but  a  love  that  fulfils 
the  law  (Rom.  13  : 8).  John  joins  him- 
self with  them.  He  assigns  the  high- 
est reason,  for  love  is  of  God ;  that  is, 
springs  out  of,  comes  from  God  as  its 
source.  The  natural  man  makes  self 
the  center  and  end  of  life.  Love  im- 
pels a  man  to  go  outside  of  and  beyond 
himself.  All  true  love  has  its  origin 
in  God.  Such  love  shows  that  we  have 
his  spirit,  and  are  moved  by  divine 
impulses.  Hatred,  malice,  envy,  wrath, 
and  all  ugly  moral  Impulses  have  their 
origin  in  a  sinful  and  perverted  nature. 
They  do  not  originate  in  God  either 
directly  or  indirectly.  God,  with  all 
his  nature,  is  against  them.  John  joins 
love,  sonship,  and  knowledge  of  God 
together  as  synonymous  terms.  The 
man  who  loves  is  born  of  Ood,  rather, 
begotten  and  knoweth  God.  John 
is  speaking,  not  of  all  affection  among 
men,  but  of  the  affection  of  Christians 
for  each  other.  An  unregenerate  man 
may  display  much  of  a  benevolent 
character.  Even  this  we  may  recog- 
nize as  an  outgrowth  of  the  divine  life 
introduced  by  Christ,  and  as  coming 
from  the  general  influence  of  society 
that  has  been  unconsciously  impressed 
by  the  spirit  of  Christ.  We  may,  in 
many  cases,  see  the  blessed  influence  of 
God  shining  through  the  darkness  of 
sin,  even  when  men  have  not  submitted 
themselves  to  his  gracious  regenerating 
influences.  John  is  speaking  here,  not 
of  such  emotions  breaking  forth  singly 
in  opposition  to  prevailing  selfishness, 
but  of  that  life  in  which  love  is  the 
ruling  principle.  When  Christian  love 
is  sovereign  in  the  life  there  is  evidence 
that  the  man  is  begotten  of  God. 


8.  This  verse  is  in  contrast  with  the 
preceding,  giving  the  negative  side. 
Loveth  not.  No  object  is  given- 
John  is  speaking  of  love  in  a  general 
way,  love  as  a  controlling  motive. 
Such  a  man  has  no  true  acquaintance 
with  God,  no  just  conceptions  of  him, 
no  right  attitude  toward  him.  The 
reason  is  assigned.  God  is  love.  In 
his  relation  to  all  beings  God  is  love. 
Only  a  personal  spirit  can  love  ;  there- 
fore, God  is  a  personal  existence.  He 
is  a  being  to  whom  it  is  a  necessity  of 
his  existence  to  manifest  himself,  and 
to  impart  to  others  the  blessedness  en- 
joyed by  himself.  God  poured  out  his 
love,  before  the  creation,  on  the  eternal 
Son  (John  17 :  24),  he  HOW  pours  it  cut  on 
all  those  who  are  Christ's.  This  love 
moves  God  in  all  that  he  does.  It  is 
not  said  that  God  is  knowledge,  or 
power,  though  he  is  omniscient  and 
almighty.  This  is  a  definition  of  God's 
essential  being  on  its  moral  side.  He 
cannot  cease  to  love  without  ceasing  to 
be  God.  God  would  not  have  put  in 
our  nature  as  an  essential  attribute 
what  did  not  first  exist  in  himself.  In- 
asmuch as  God  has  made  us  with  the 
capacity,  the  power  to  love,  has  created 
a  delight  in  the  exercise  and  reception 
of  love,  these  must  exist  in  their  ful- 
ness in  God  himself.  Paul's  thorn  in 
the  flesh  came  from  love,  though  it 
brought  suffering  (2  cor.  u  :  7).  David's 
afflictions  were  the  products  of  God's 
wise  love  (ps-  ii9  :  67).  God  desires  the 
good  of  all  his  creatures.  To  the  love 
of  such  a  God  every  man  may  fittingly 
entrust  himself,  both  here  and  here- 
after. 

9.  Now  follows  the  supreme  act  of 
God's  love.  In  this,  rather.  Herein. 
John  fixes  his  thought  upon  the  con- 
summation of  God's  love  in  sending  a 
Saviour  to  a  guilty  world,  having  no 
claim  upon  God.  This  is  not  our  love 
to  God,  but  his  love  to  us— spontaneous, 
undeserved,  gracious,  bringing  untold 
blessings,  bestowed  upon  the  neglectful 


84 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  IV. 


God  toward  us,  because  that  God  sent 
his  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world, 
dthat   we    might   live   through    him. 

10  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God, 
.     but  that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son 

^to  he  the  propitiation   for   our  sins. 

11  Beloved,  sif  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought 


in  our  case,  that  God  has  sent  his  only 
begotten  Son  into  the  world,  that  we 

10  may  live  through  him.  Herein  is  love, 
not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he 
loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  a 
propitiation  for  our  sins. 

]  1     Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  also 


e  Deut.  7:7,8;  John  15  :  16 ;  Rom.  5  :  8-10. 
g  Matt.  18  :  33 ;  John  15  :  12,  13 ;  Eph.  4  :  31,  32. 


f  2:2. 


and  disobedient.  Toward  us,  rather, 
in  us,  or,  in  our  case.  This  love  has 
reference  to  us.  Sent,  rather,  hath 
sent.  The  sending  took  place  at  one 
definite  time,  referring  to  the  incarno,- 
tion  and  the  entire  mediatorial  life 
upon  the  earth,  but  the  etfects  are  re- 
garded as  abiding  in  their  character. 
It  is  implied  here  that  Jesus  had  a  pre- 
existent  life,  so  that  he  did  not  begin  to 
be  when  he  was  horn  into  a  human  life ; 
that  he  bore  a  relation  to  God  as  Son, 
so  that  while  others  may  be  adopted  as 
children  he  was  always  in  a  filial  rela- 
tion to  God ;  that  his  relation  to  God 
was  unique,  so  that  he  is  called  an  only 
begotten  Son.  This  verse  is  a  remin- 
iscence of  John  3  :  16, 17.  The  term 
only  begotten  occurs  here  only  in  this 
letter.  For  instances  of  its  use  see 
Luke  7  •.  12 ;  8  :  42 ;  9  :  38  ;  John  10  : 
14,  18;  3  :  16,  18;  Heb.  11  :  17.  The 
term  only  begotten  indicates  both  the 
divine  character  of  the  person  sent  and 
the  greatness  of  the  love  that  impelled 
the  sending.  The  greatness  of  God's 
love,  the  greatness  of  the  person  of 
Jesus,  the  greatness  of  man's  worth 
that  required  such  a  sacrifice,  all  stand 
out  here.  This  love  was  personal, 
eternal,  atoning,  entailing  a  sacrifice 
on  God's  part.  The  wideness  of  God's 
love  appears  in  the  term,  world.  The 
purpo.se  of  the  coming  is  found  in 
that  we  might  live  through  him. 
The  life  is  eternal  life — fellowship 
with  God's  own  life,  blessed  participa- 
tion in  the  fulness  of  his  nature,  a  life 
that  is  life  indeed  (i  Tim.  6  :  19,  r.  v.). 
In  John  3  :  16  the  blessings  of  Jesus' 
death  are  limited  to  believers.  Here 
the  blessings  are  not  compulsory — 
moral  blessings  never  are — but  all  may 
share  in  them.  It  is  a  world-wide  pro- 
vision. It  is  an  atonement  that  is  suffi- 
cient for  all ;  it  becomes  efficient  to  all 
who  accept  its  provisions. 

10.  This  verse  reveals  God's  love  as 
mediatorial.    The  peculiar   nature  of 


God's  love  is  that  it  is  a  seeking  love, 
not  waiting  to  be  sought  for  or  deserved. 
The  Christian  religion,  alone  in  the 
world,  presents  a  God  who  goes  out 
after  men  in  their  sins,  desiring  their 
welfare  and  holiness,  providing  for 
them  a  complete  salvation,  and  urging 
their  acceptance.  We  may  not  con- 
ceive of  God  as  hating  men  until  his 
wrath  was  averted  by  the  offering  of 
Jesus.  Rather,  back  of  Jesus  and  his 
cross,  was  God's  love  moving  him  to 
efiect  a  reconciliation.  On  propitia- 
tion see  2  :  2.  The  eternal  love  of 
God  is  the  ground,  not  the  result,  of 
the  reconciliation.  It  were  well  if  the 
term  reconciliation  were  always  used 
instead  of  the  term  atonement.  By 
the  one  act,  God  efl'ected  a  reconcilia- 
tion, so  that  now  nothing  stands  in  the 
way  of  the  salvation  of  all  but  their 
unreconciled  hearts.  It  is  through  the 
death  of  Christ  the  reconciliation  took 

place  (Eph.  1  :  7). 

11.  John  now  comes  down  from  the 
height  of  God's  love  and  sacrifice  to 
the  efiect  on  the  Christian  life.  Be- 
loved. He  uses  this  term  no  less 
than  five  times  in  this  short  letter.  If 
one  so  high  above  us  in  position,  in 
power,  in  character,  loved  us  in  our 
guilt  and  imperfection,  we  ought  to 
love  those  on  the  same  level  with  our- 
selves. Only  in*  this  way  can  we  show 
our  love  to  God  and  oui'  possession  of 
his  spirit.  True  love  cannot  be  hid  in 
the  heart,  it  must  go  out  toward  others. 
We  may  reciprocate  God's  love  to  us 
by  giving  our  love  to  others.  At  the 
final  judgment  as  portrayed  in  Matt. 
25  :  31-46,  Jesus  gives  as  the  deciding 
test  the  works  of  help  done  to  others 
in  his  name.  Not  theory  or  orthodoxy, 
but  the  helpful  Christian  life  on  the 
earth  reveals  the  saved  life.  The  great 
motive  for  human  benevolence  is  God's 
benevolence. 

12-16.   Love  to  others   gives 

THE  ASSURANCE  OF  SONSHIP.     John 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHN 


85 


12  also  to  love  oue  another.  ""No  man 
hath  seen  God  at  any  time.  If  we  love 
one  another,  God  dwelleth  in  us,  and 
*  his  love  is  perfected  in  vis. 

13  k  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in 
him,  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath 

11  given  us  of  his  Spirit.  And  '  we  have 
seen  and  do  testify  that  ■"  the  Father 


12  ought  to  love  one  another.  No  one  has 
ever  beheld  God.  If  we  love  one  an- 
other, God  abides  in  us,  and  the  love 

13  of  him  is  perfected  in  us.  In  this  we 
know  that  we  abide  in  him,  and  he  in 
us,   because  he    has   given  us  of   his 

14  Spirit.  And  we  have  beheld,  and  tes- 
tify, that  the  Father  has  sent  the  Son, 


A  Ver.  20 ;  John  1  :  18  j  1  Tim.  6  :  16.     i  Ver.  18  ;  2:5. 

{  1  -.  1-3.     m   Ver.  10  j  John  3  :  17. 


&  3  :  21 ;  John  14  :  20. 


has  just  spoken  of  love  as  the  test  of 
souship.  To  be  begotten  of  God  is  the 
same  as  to  love  one  another.  God 
dwells  above,  the  absolutely  holy  and 
I)erfect  God,  pouring  out  his  love  con- 
tinually like  the  sun.  How  may  we 
know  that  we  are  his,  when  there  comes 
no  outward  sign?  The  apostles  who 
lived  in  a  personal  fellowship  with 
Jesus  might  be -assured  of  acceptance, 
but  when  Jesus  is  absent  how  may 
assurance  come  to  the  heart?  John 
answers  this  question. 

12.  This  verse  explains  the  state- 
ment in  the  latter  part  of  ver.  11.  No 
man  .  .  .  any  time.  The  same  ex- 
pression occurs  in  John  1  :  18.  God 
remains  a  God  unseen  by  the  human 
eye,  pure  spirit  (Jobn  t  -.  u'-.  i  Tim.  6  :  le). 
Men  had  seen  manifestations  of  Jeho- 
vah, flashes  of  his  glory,  but  him  they 
had  not  seen.  God  cannot  be  known 
through  the  sight  or  bodily  senses,  but 
he  may  be  known.  There  is  one 
method  by  which  we  may  be  assured 
that  we  have  a  true  knowledge  of  him, 
the  evidence  that  we  love  one  another. 
The  church  can  know  God  and  be 
united  to  him  only  by  a  spiritual  bond, 
the  bond  of  love.  If  love  rule  in  the 
heart,  there  is  in  this  the  assurance 
that  God  is  an  indwelling  God.  If 
we  .  .  .  in  us.  John  is  here  speak- 
ing of  the  Christian  brotherhood.  A 
man  may  not  say,  I  have  seen  God  in 
open  vision,  or  I  comprehend  God  in 
all  his  perfections,  but  he  may  say, 
I  am  assured  that  God  lives  in  me,  for 
he  works  in  me  (sue  johu  \i :  23, 24). 
Pantheism  makes  God  and  the  man 
one,  denying  a  personal  consciousness 
to  God,  thereby  obliterating  a  personal 
God.  Mysticism  makes  the  believer 
conscious  of  the  presence  of  God  as  dis- 
tinct from  his  own  thougiits.  lie  sep- 
arates in  his  own  mind  between  the 
consciousness  of  God  and  his  own  con- 
sciousness.     Johu  does  not  fall   into 


either  of  the.se  errors.  He  reasons 
from  a  manifested  love  for  others,  a 
love  that  is  not  in  harmony  with  a 
selfi.sh  and  unregenerate  heart,  that 
God's  love  is  present.  His  love. 
The  reference  is  to  our  love  to  God, 
not  to  his  love  for  us.  Perfected.  He 
does  not  mean  that  there  is  perfect 
love  for  the  brother,  but  that  love  to 
God  comes  to  completeness,  acquires 
strength  and  maturity  by  the  exercise 
of  love  to  others.  While  God  is  un- 
seen, men  are  always  with  us.  We  have 
many  opportunities  for  doing  good,  for 
cultivating  uu.selfishness,  for  resisting 
temptations.  Love  for  God  attains  to 
its  required  stature  by  the  exercise  of 
love  for  the  man  next  to  us.  7s  per- 
fected.  A  man  who  has  a  growing  love 
for  men  will,  at  the  same  time,  and  as 
a  result,  have  a  growing  love  for  God. 
A  man  grows  heavenward  by  living 
the  right  life  earthward. 

13.  What  proof  have  we  that  God 
dwells  in  us?  In  this  refers  to  the 
fact  stated,  that  we  have  his  Spirit. 
That  God  dwells  in  a  man  is  the  same 
as  to  say  that  the  Spirit  dwells  in  the 
heart,  imparting  God's  nature  of  love. 
The  first  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love  (Oai. 

5  :  23;    Rom.  8  :  16). 

14.  In  the  group  of  verses  extending 
to  the  sixteenth  we  have  emphasis  laid 
on  the  thought  of  the  mutual  indwell- 
ing of  God  and  the  believer.  We  em- 
braces the  apostolic  group  to  whom 
was  entrusted,  in  an  especial  manner, 
the  duty  of  witnessing  of  and  for  Christ 
(John  15 -27;  Acts  1:8).  Have  Seen  and 
testify,  rather,  have  beheld,  implying 
a  continued  looking  at,  and  bear  tvit- 
ness.  We  have  here  the  main  facts  of 
the  gospel  history,  the  Father's  love, 
the  sending  of  the  Son,  the  divine  na- 
ture of  the  Son  as  manifest  from  the 
peculiar  relation  to  the  Father,  the 
purpose  of  the  coming  of  tlie  Son  that 
he  might  be  a  Saviour,  the  implied 


86 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  IV. 


sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the 

15  world,  o  Whosoever  shall  confess  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God, » God  dwelleth 
in  him,  and  he  in  God. 

16  p  And  we  have  known  and  believed 
the  love  that  God  hath  to  us.  i  God  is 
love;  and  'he  that  dwelleth  in  love 
dwelleth   in  God,   and    God    in   him. 

17  Herein  is  our  love  made  perfect,  that 
'  we  may  have  boldness  in  the  day  of 
judgment :  '  because  as  he  is,  so  are  we 


15  as  Savior  of  the  world.  Whoever  con- 
fesses that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God 

16  abides  in  him,  and  he  in  God.  And  we 
have  known,  and  have  believed,  the 
love  that  God  has  in  our  case.  God  is 
love  ;  and  he  that  abides  in  love  abides 
in  God,  and  God  abides  in  him. 

17  In  this  has  love  been  perfected  with 
us,  that  we  may  have  confidence  in 
the  day  of  judgment ;  because  even  as 
he  is,  so  we  also  are  in  this  world. 


n  5  :  1 ;  Eom.  10  :  9.  o  3  :  24.  p  3  : 1, 16.  q  Ver.  8.  r  Ver.  12  ; 

«  2:28;  3:19-21.  (3:3. 


guilt  and  condemnation  of  the  race 
whereby  it  needed  a  salvation,  the 
death  of  Jesus  through  which  redemp- 
tion issues,  the  wideness  of  his  work, 
as  shown  in  the  term,  world.  Both 
here  and  in  2  :  2  he  shows  the  wideness 
of  the  mission  of  Christ.  The  New 
Testament  rests  on  a  historical  founda- 
tion, on  facts  well  known,  capable  of 
proof  from  witnesses  who  were  per- 
sonally cognizant  of  them.  John  bears 
witness  that  God  had  really,  in  this 
manner,  manifested  his  love  toward  the 
race  of  men.  Sent,  rather,  hath  sent. 
The  act  of  sending  was  completed  at 
one  definite  time,  the  results  abide  per- 
petually. Through  time  and  eternity 
Jesus  remains  the  Saviour  of  his 
people. 

15.  Faith  in  Christ  must  approve 
itself  by  an  open  confession  of  the  Son 
of  God  without  fear  or  shame  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  world  which  ignores  or 
hates  his  followers.  Faith  rests  on 
knowledge,  on  facts  which  may  be 
known ;  knowledge  and  love  are  joined 
together.     Dwelleth,  rather,  abideth. 

16.  John  declares  that  he  and  they 
have  received  this  knowledge.  Have 
known  and  believed,  rather,  hiow 
and  have  believed.  To  us,  rather,  in 
vs,  or,  in  our  case.  The  great  redemp- 
tive love  of  God  is  here  meant.  This 
love  had  illumined  their  knowledge 
and  warmed  their  hearts.  There  is  a 
tendency  in  John  to  turn  a  thought 
over  and  over  again,  hence  he  again 
Bays,  God  is  love.  John  has  here 
three  abidings:  abiding  in  love,  abid- 
ing in  God,  abiding  in  the  believer. 
Abiding  in  love  is  regarded  as  the  con- 
dition of  abiding  in  fellowship  with 
God.  The  term,  love,  is  here  used  in 
its  widest  sense.  It  takes  two  forms, 
love  to  God,   love  to  men.      In    this 


statement  he  sums  up  all  that  he  has 
been  saying  in  this  entire  section. 

17-21.  The  realization  of 
God's  love  dispels  fear.  The 
apostle  now  deals  with  the  habitual 
temper  of  mind  which  exists  when  the 
abiding  love  of  God  has  come  to  its 
maturity.  What  John  here  says  is 
true  only  of  the  higher  grades  of  the 
Christian  life.  These  words  are  par- 
allel in  meaning  with  3  :  19-21.  They 
set  forth  the  repose  and  confidence 
with  which  a  mature  love  will  endow 
the  believer  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

17.  Herein.  That  is,  the  statement 
in  this  verse  that  we  may  have  con- 
fidence when  standing  before  the  final 
and  holy  tribunal.  Our  love  made 
perfect,  rather,  love  made  perfect  with 
us.  Love  is  used  here  in  its  largest 
sense,  going  out  in  all  directions;  not 
love  to  God  alone,  not  love  to  man 
alone,  but  love  itself  is  meant.  The 
result  of  the  perfected  life  is  that  we 
may  have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. Luther  renders  the  term  bold- 
ness by  joyfulness.  Sin  and  guilt 
bring  alarm,  so  that  Adam  hid  himself 
from  God  (Gen.  3  : 8).  Peter  felt  him- 
self unworthy  to  be  in  the  presence  of 
Christ  (Lake  5 : 8).  Isaiah  was  conscious 
of  a  woe  upon  him  when  he  saw  God's 
holiness  (isa.  6:5).  Judas,  moved  by 
remorse,  fled  to  suicide.  At  the  com- 
ing of  the  judge  men  cry  out  for  fear 
of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  (Rev.  6  :  i6). 
The  judgment  day  has  nothing  but 
terror  for  the  ungodly,  a  fearful  look- 
ing for  of  judgment  (Heb.  lo  :  27).  But 
union  with  Christ  brings  confidence, 
serenity  of  mind,  joyfulness  («««  Rom-  8  : 
S3).  Jesus  the  judge  is  also  Jesus  the 
Saviour  and  friend.  For  ...  Avorld. 
The  he  refers,  not  to  God,  but  to  Jesus. 
In  2  :  28  John  speaks  of  the  confidence 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHN 


87 


18  in  this  world.  "There  is  no  fear  iu 
love ;  but  perfect  love  casteth  out 
fear :  because  fear  hath  torment.  He 
that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect   in 

19  love.  »We  love  him,  because  he  first 
loved  us. 

20  y  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God,  and  hateth 
his  brother,  he  is  a  liar :  for  he  that 
loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath 
seen,  how  can  he  love  God  ^  whom  he 

21  hath  not  seen?  And  ''this  command- 
ment have  we  from  him,  That  he  who 
loveth    God    love    his    brother    also. 


18  There  is  no  fear  iu  love ;  but  perfect 
love  casts  out  fear,  because  fear  has 
torment ;  and  he  that  fears  is  not  per- 

19  fected  in  love.    We  love,  because  he 

20  first  loved  us.  If  any  one  say,  I  love 
God,  and  hates  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar  ; 
for  he  tliat  loves  not  his  brother  whom 
he  has  seen,  cannot  love  God  whom  he 

21  has  not  seen.  And  this  commandment 
we  have  from  him,  that  he  who  loves 
God  love  his  brother  also. 


u  Rom.  8  :  15 ;  1  Tim.  1  :  T.  x  Ver.  10 ;  Luke  T  :  47.  y  2  :  4 ;  S  :  IT.  z  Ver.  II. 

o  3  :  11,  23 ;  Matt.  22  :  37,  39 ;  Jobn  13  :  34 ;  15  :  12 ;  Rom.  13  :  10. 


that  believers  will  have  at  the  appear- 
ing of  Jesus.  The  judgment,  spoken 
of  here,  is  under  the  authority  of  Jesus 
(seo  John  6 :  22).  In  2  :  21,  22  the  cliildreu 
of  God  have  confidence  because  tliey 
kept  the  commandments.  Here  there 
is  no  fear  because  the  life  in  the 
world  is  like  that  of  Jesus.  It  is 
founded  on  a  righteousness  like  his 
(3  ;  29),  it  is  moved  by  God's  love,  it  is 
the  life  of  a  child  of  God,  controlled 
by  his  Spirit  (3 :  24).  The  Christian 
has  the  same  kind  of  peace,  holiness, 
repose  of  mind,  righteousness,  that 
Jesus  had,  though  vastly  smaller  in 
degree. 

18.  This  verse  gives  the  negative 
side  of  the  believer's  position ;  it  is  not 
one  of  fear.  Love  does  not  beget  fear, 
but  it  drives  it  away.  When  there  is 
dread  of  the  future,  of  death,  it  is  be- 
cause God's  gracious  love  has  not  yet 
been  realized  in  a  full  measure.  Per- 
fect love  drives  away  disturbances, 
doubts,  fears.  Both  here  and  here- 
after the  trusting  heart  may  repose  on 
God's  love,  wisdom,  goodness,  guid- 
ance, and  gracious  care. 

19.  This  verse  looks  back  to  the 
preceding,  and  gives  reason  to  think 
that  our  love  may  become  supreme  in 
us.  We  love  him  because  he  first 
loved  us.  Omit  him.  The  term  love 
is  used  in  the  broadest,  most  absolute 
sense.  In  so  far  as  our  nature  is  re- 
sponsive to  God  there  is  begotten  in  us 
a  nature  and  a  love  like  his  own.  The 
love  will  be  of  the  same  kind  as  his, 
moving  in  the  same  direction  and  hav- 
ing the  same  power ;  a  love  for  enemies, 
for  service,  for  sacrifice,  for  all  good 
causes. 

20.  Love  to  God  and  hatred  of  the 
brother   are    mutually   contradictory. 


John  reasons  as  follows :  If  a  man  does 
not  love  God's  image  as  revealed  in  his 
fellow-disciples,  an  image  that  is  seen 
day  by  day,  an  image  that  appeals  to 
the  sight,  he  cannot  love  the  One  in 
whose  likeness  these  brethren  are 
formed.  If  a  God  visible  in  his  dis- 
ciples is  not  loved,  but  hated  rather,  a 
God  utterly  invisible  will  not  be  loved. 
It  is  probable  that  John  was  moved  to 
make  these  utterances  because  he  noted 
the  beginnings  of  unloveliness  on  the 
part  of  some  of  the  early  disciples. 
He  shows  what  the  natural  tendency 
of  the  want  of  love  leads  to,  a  separa- 
tion from  the  life  of  God.  It  is  as- 
sumed that  the  brother  spoken  of  is 
one  begotten  of  God,  a  fellow-disciple. 
21.  This  verse  adds  the  emphasis  of 
a  divine  command  for  love  to  the 
brother.  In  3  :  23  we  had  a  command- 
ment speaking  of  the  duty  toward  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  brother.  The  command 
here  mentioned  is  found  iu  Matt.  22  : 
37-39.  The  him  refers  to  God,  not  to 
Jesus.  The  new  commandment  attrib- 
uted to  Jesus  embraced  simply  the 
duty  of  love  for  one  another  (John  is : 
34).  The  Ten  Commandments  revolve 
about  the  two  centers,  love  to  God, 
love  to  man.  A  right  relation  to  these 
two  sums  up  the  entire  duty  of  men. 
It  is  admitted  by  all  that  a  person 
should  love  God  and  serve  him.  Even 
when  men  are  orthodox  in  their  views 
concerning  God,  they  may  forget  justice 
and  kindness  toward  their  fellow-men. 
John  Newton  prayed  to  God  and  en- 
slaved his  fellow-men.  A  person  who 
loves  God  must  cultivate  and  exhibit 
toward  his  brothers  a  sense  of  duty,  of 
consideration,  of  kindness,  of  ju.stice. 
Benevolence  and  humanity  do  not  con- 
stitute piety,  but  they  are  fitting  and 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  IV. 


necessary  channels  by  which  piety 
manifests  itself.  Piety  and  helpfulness 
and  brotherly  love  should  grow  side 
by  side.  In  his  attitude  toward  men 
the  entire  life  of  Jesus  is  summed  up 
in  the  words,  "He  went  about  doing 

good  "   (Acts  10  :  38). 

Note  1.  The  person  of  Jesus 
the  test  of  orthodoxy,  4  :  6. 
Wrong  views  as  to  the  person  of  Christ 
will  materially  affect  the  entire  con- 
ceptions of  Christianity.  Almost  all 
heresies  have,  at  bottom,  wrong  cou- 
ceptions  of  the  person  of  Christ.  The 
one  point  of  contention  on  John's  part 
is  to  win  his  readers  to  a  right  concep- 
tion of  what  Jesus  is.  If  a  man,  a 
teacher,  is  riglit  in  regard  to  Christ,  this 
man  is  regarded  as  the  orthodox  man 
and  teacher.  But  the  denial  of  the 
reality  of  Jesus,  of  his  complete  per- 
son as  human  and  divine,  this  to  him 
is  the  essence  of  wrong  thinking,  the 
spirit  of  error,  the  spirit  of  antichrist. 
In  our  day,  as  in  John's  day,  nothing 
is  more  essential  than  the  question 
asked  by  Jesus  himself:  "What  think 
ye  of  Christ?"  (Maw.  22:41.)  For  a 
complete  discussion  of  the  person  of 
Christ  consult  Dorner,  "The  Doctrine 
of  the  Person  of  Christ." 

Note  2.  The  assurance  of 
FAITH,  4 :  21.  There  is  in  John's 
writings  a  noticeable  assertion  of  cer- 
tainty as  to  salvation  and  an  assurance 
that  characterizes  the  faith  of  the  be- 
liever. John  declares  that  we  are  of 
God  (ver.  6).  In  ver.  13  he  declares  we 
know  that  we  dwell  in  God.  In  ver. 
18  there  is  the  assertion  of  a  supreme 
confidence  as  to  the  decisions  of  the 
great  day.  John  dwells  personally  in 
the  land  of  assurance,  and  writes  to 
all  his  fellow-disciples  as  also  dwelling 
in  that  gracious  land.  We  must  not, 
however,  confound  faith  with  assur- 
ance. The  ground  of  faith  is  the  ex- 
ternal word  of  promise.  The  ground 
of  assurance  is  the  inward  witness  of 
the  Spirit  that  we  fulfil  the  conditions 

of  the  promise  (Rom.  4  ;  20,  21  ;  8  :  16  ;  Eph. 
1  :  13  ;   1  John  4  :  13  ;    5  ;  10).      This    witUCSS 

of  the  Spirit  is  not  a  new  revelation 
from  God,  but  a  strengthening  of  faith 
so  that  it  becomes  conscious,  and  has 
in  it  no  element  of  doubt.  There  may 
be  a  faith  which  saves,  but  which  has 


no  assurance,  no  peace  or  joy.  Those 
who  are  already  saved  are  urged  by  the 
New  Testament  M-riters  to  go  on  unto 
assurance  (ueb.  6  :  ii ;  2  Peter  1  :  10).  One 
person  may  know,  as  did  Wesley,  the 
hour  and  minute  when  tbere  came  a 
new  light  into  the  soul  with  an  accom- 
panying assurance  ;  another  may  have 
love  to  God,  but  may  not  locate  even 
the  year  when  the  heart  found  rest  in 
God.  But  we  are  not  saved  by  peace, 
joy,  or  assurance,  we  are  saved  by  faith 
only  in  Jesus  Christ.  There  may  be  a 
little  faith  that  permits  a  man  to  sink, 
for  a  time ;  there  may  be  a  large  faith 
that  does  not  know  the  meaning  of 
fear.  The  physical  infirmities  of  life 
or  imperfect  conceptions  of  the  fulness 
of  God's  forgiveness  may  cause  the  life 
to  be  lived  in  doul)t  and  fear.  The 
approach  of  death  may  bring  alarm  ; 
the  thought  of  the  judgment  may  cause 
apprehension.  The  possession  of  peace, 
joy,  assurance  is  not  of  the  essence  of 
salvation  ;  they  belong  to  the  privileges 
of  the  Christian  life. 

Note  3.  Fellowship  with  God, 
4  :  24.  John  dwells  much  on  fellow- 
ship with  God.  In  1  :  3  he  speaks  of 
this  fellowship,  using  the  term,  koino- 
nia,  which  means  having  things  in 
common.  The  word  is  employed  in 
Acts  2  :  42  to  show  that  they  had  all 
things  in  common.  In  this  chapter  he 
uses  the  expression  dwelling,  abiding. 
He  speaks  of  it  again  and  again  (ver. 
10-12, 15).  The  terms  abiding  in  God, 
and  God  abiding  in  us,  are  both  used, 
so  that  one  is  not  found  apart  from  the 
other.  God  may  be  said  to  abide  in  us 
by  his  personal  watchcare  and  love. 
Above  all,  the  expression  signifies  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  abiding  in  us,  is  in  re- 
ality, God  abiding  in  us.  John  does 
not  stop  to  discuss  the  personality  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  There  is  a  participa- 
tion in  what  God  has  and  does  in  his 
moral  nature,  so  that  his  peace,  joy, 
holiness,  happiness,  his  mind  as  to  life 
and  conduct  will  be  shared  by  his  dis- 
ciples. God  and  the  believing  soul 
will,  in  a  true  sense,  be  one.  A  person 
may  be  conscious  of  God's  indwelling 
presence  because  a  review  of  the  heart 
shows  that  the  conduct  and  life  are  in 
accord  with  God's  will.  Peter  speaks 
of  sharing  in  the  divine  nature  (2  Peter 
1 ;  *).    Rationalism  is  more  to  be  feared 


Ch.  IV.] 


I.  JOHN 


89 


than  mysticism ;  the  ignoring  of  the 
Spirit's  presence  and  power  is  a  source 
of  more  danger  tliau  tlie  magnifying 
of  his  presence  and  power.  There  is 
an  illumination  of  the  heart  and  mind 
of  the  believer  by  the  Holy  Spirit; 
there  will  be  an  open-mindeduess  for 
seeing  new  forms  of  the  truth,  there 
will  be  new  conceptions  of  the  old 
teachings  under  the  guidance  of  the 
heavenly  teacher  whereby  the  willing 
disciple  will  be  led  into  larger  truths 
(John  16: 13).  If  the  heart  be  opened 
for  the  incoming  and  indwelling  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  there  will  come  a  wonder- 
ful increase  in  spiritual  knowledge,  in 
spiritual  activity,  in  personal  holiness, 
in  the  discovery  of  teachings  hidden 
from  others. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  Christian  must  be  an  intelligent 
Christian,  inasmuch  as  he  is  called  upon 
to  test  all  religious  teachings  presented  to 
him  (ver.  1). 

2.  All  ages  have  false  teachers.  The 
truth  even  in  a  false  system  must  not  be 
condemned,  but  falsity  must  always  be 
condemned.  False  teaching  may,  in  the 
end,  bring  false  living  (ver.  1;  1  Cor. 
11  :  19). 

3.  God  is  always  on  the  side  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Thinking  right  about  Christ 
should  lead  to  living  right  in  the  presence 
of  Christ.  Christ  loved  must  be  a  Christ 
confessed  (ver.  2). 

4.  It  ought  not  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  errors  should  arise,  inasmuch  as 
Jesus,  Peter,  and  Paul  announce  their 
coming  (ver.  3). 

5.  No  humble,  spiritually  minded  Chris- 
tian stands  alone.  He  has  with  him,  in 
him,  for  him,  God,  Jesus,  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  Bible,  prayer,  thoughtfulness,  and 
fellowship  with  Christian  minds  will  be 
of  great  help  in  discovering  the  truth 
(ver.  4). 

6.  There  are  but  two  grades  of  men,  two 
animating  principles  among  men.  The 
true  teacher  will  aim  to  exalt  Christ,  to 
beget  a  sense  of  sin,  to  lead  men  to  Christ 
and  a  Christly  life.  The  false  teacher 
will  avoid  Christ  and  the  cross  (ver.  .'S). 

7.  Like  seeks  like.  Each  one  after  death 
will  go  to  his  own  place  (ver.  6). 

8.  Love  is  costly.    It  demands  patience, 


requires  sacrifice,  takes  time.  God's 
love  cost  him  the  gift  of  the  only  be- 
gotten Sou.  Jesus'  love  made  for  him  the 
cross.  AH  true  love  on  our  part  will  cost 
much  more  than  words  or  mere  emotions 
(ver.  7). 

9.  That  which  God  loved  in  us  was 
not  our  sins,  but  our  souls,  which  we 
had  marred,  which  he  desired  to  repair 
(ver.  8). 

10.  We  cannot  adequately  estimate  the 
real  lieinousness  of  sin  without  consider- 
ing the  sacrifice  which  it  costs  to  redeem 
us  from  its  power  and  guilt  (ver.  9). 

11.  God's  love  in  natin-e  is  insignificant 
when  measured  by  his  love  as  seen  in  re- 
demption. The  reconciliation  would  not 
be  known  to  us  apart  from  revelation. 
The  cross  is  the  highest  manifestation 
of  God's  love,  power,  and  holiness.  It 
shows  God's  heart,  our  danger,  our  worth 
(ver.  10). 

12.  The  unpurchased  love  of  God  in  the 
redemption  of  the  world  by  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  great  argument  for  Christian  be- 
nevolence. God's  love  should  create  and 
maintain  man's  love  for  others.  God's 
benevolence  means  more  to  us  than  his 
almightiness.  All  God's  powers  are  under 
the  control  of  his  love  (ver.  10). 

13.  God's  love  cannot  be  adequately  de- 
scribed, it  is  a  so  loved.  He  called  Abra- 
ham, "  My  friend."  We  cannot  earn  God's 
love,  but  we  may  so  live  as  to  share  in  it 
richly  (ver.  11). 

14.  No  one  may  see  God  with  the  phy- 
sical eyes,  but  Moses  saw  the  God  who 
cannot  be  seen.  It  is  only  by  such  a 
vision  of  God  that  the  life  may  be  purified 
and  strengthened.  We  may  see  God's 
iraage,  in  a  sadly  blurred  way,  in  men 
around  us  (ver.  12). 

15.  The  Spirit,  sent  by  God,  will  work 
in  men  the  mind  of  God.  The  Holy  Spirit 
works  from  within,  making  not  a  me- 
chanical imitation,  but  building  up  an 
inner  life  of  godliness.  He  gives  a  par- 
ticipation in  the  divine  life  (ver.  13). 

16.  A  universal  salvation  is  possible  if 
there  is  a  universal  acceptance  of  Christ. 
Jesus  came,  not  to  destroy,  but  to  save 
(John  3  :  17).  It  is  against  the  plain 
teachings  of  Jesus  to  declare  that  all  will 
be  saved  (ver.  14). 

17.  Tlie  heart,  the   lips,  the   conduct; 


90 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


5  Whosoever  ^  believeth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ  is  boru  of  God  :  "and  every 
one  that  loveth  him  that  begat  loveth 
him  also  that  is  begotten  of  him. 


5  EVERY  one  who  believes  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ  has  been  begotten  of  God  ; 
and  every  one  that  loves  him  who  be- 
got, loves  also  him  who  has  been  be- 


b  4  :  2,  15 ;  Matt.  16  :  16 ;  Johu  1  :  12,  13  :  Rom.  10  :  9,  10. 


c  4  :  20  ;  Johu  15  :  23. 


must  all  confess  Christ.  If  the  heart  con- 
fess Christ,  but  the  lips  remain  silent,  it 
is  but  half  a  life.  If  the  lips  confess 
Christ,  but  the  heart  be  unloving,  it  is 
simply  a  word  religion.  If  the  heart  and 
lips  confess  Christ,  but  the  life  be  un- 
worthy, the  inconsistent  life  will  be  a 
stumbling-block  to  others  (ver.  15). 

18.  That  God  should  send  an  only  be- 
gotten Son  to  a  world  like  ours,  only  an 
atom  in  the  physical  universe,  is  almost 
incomprehensible.  It  reveals  God's 
boundless  love  and  our  boundless  worth 
(ver.  16). 

19.  The  certainty  of  a  judgment  should 
awaken  the  careless  and  ungodly.  That 
it  is  delayed  reveals  God's  patience  that 
the  judgment  may  not  overwhelm  us. 
God's  patience  should  not  benumb  the 
heart  into  forgetfulness  (ver.  17). 

20.  God's  love  awakens  and  sustains 
love.  Before  the  foundations  of  the  world 
were  laid,  God  had  provided  a  Lamb  slain 
(Rev.  13  :  8).  It  is  a  mark  of  deep  guilt 
when  God's  love  does  not  beget  a  respond- 
ing love  (ver.  19). 

21.  If  God  loves  my  brother,  then  I 
ought  to  love  him.  Jesus  identifies  him- 
self with  his  disciples  (Acts  9  :  5).  To 
hurt  a  disciple  hurts  Jesus,  to  help  a  dis- 
ciple helps  and  pleases  Je.sus.  Hatred  of 
a  brother  and  love  for  God  cannot  exist 
in  the  same  heart  (ver.  20). 

CHAPTER  V. 

Part  four.  The  relation  of 
faith  to  love,  to  assurance,  and 
AN  OVERCOMING  LIFE.  John  presents 
a  new  thought  that  love  springs  from  a 
Christ  rightly  understood  on  the  side  of 
the  mind  and  heart  (ver.  i-3);  there  will 
of  necessity  be  conflicts  in  the  inner 
and  outer  Christian  life,  but  faith  will 
lead  to  victory  (ver.  *.  5);  there  is  a  three- 
fold testimony  to  the  Sonship  of  Jesus 
(ver.  6-13);  lovc  for  Christ  and  confidence 
in  hira  will  lead  to  intercessory  prayer 
(ver.  14-11);  he  closes  with  mentioning 
the  certainties  of  the  Christian  life, 
the   fellowship  of  the   believer  with 


God,  and  an  appeal  for  a  godly  life 

(ver.    18-21). 

The  necessary  connection  between 
love  to  God  and  brotherly  love  is  de- 
duced from  a  common  sonsliip  of  God. 
John  understands  by  faith,  not  a  mere 
assent  to  an  intellectual  proposition, 
not  a  creed  faith,  but  embracing  these, 
and  having  also  a  spiritual  fellowship 
with  Christ.  John  in  this  letter  rarely 
mentions  faith ;  he  looks  at  the  rela- 
tion of  the  believing  soul  to  Jesus  as 
one  of  love.  In  this  last  section  he 
notices  the  relation  of  faith  to  love  and 
to  the  overcoming  life.  The  love  of 
the  heart  is  the  love  of  a  believer.  The 
keyword  of  this  section  is  found  in 
f)  :  5.  "This  is  the  victory  that  over- 
cometh  the  world,  even  our  faith."  In 
the  preceding  sections  he  had  shown 
that  God  is  light,  that  God  is  holy,  that 
God  is  love.  In  showing  now  that  love 
is  grounded  in  faith  in  the  Son  of  God 
he  gives  completeness  to  his  discussion, 
and  brings  his  Epistle  into  harmony 
with  the  other  writings  of  the  New 
Testament. 

I.  1-3.  A  BELIEF  IN  THE  Messiah- 
ship  OF  Jesus  leads  to  a  life  of 
LOVE.  John  here  shows  that  a  belief 
in  Jesus  as  Christ  constitutes  the  es- 
sence of  the  regenerate  life.  From 
this  faith  there  must  be,  of  necessity, 
a  love  upward  toward  God,  and  a  love 
toward  the  brother  standing  in  the 
same  relation  to  God. 

I.  Whosoever  .  .  .  Christ.  Faith 
in  Jesus  as  the  Christ  has  here  the 
meaning  which  John  always  gives  it 
as  that  divinely  wrought  trust  in  the 
work  and  in  the  person  of  Christ  pi-o- 
duced  by  the  Spirit.  Born  of  God, 
rather,  begotten  of  God.  The  father- 
hood of  the  regenerate  life  is  in  God. 
God  implants  brotherly  love  in  the 
heart  in  the  act  of  begetting  the  spir- 
itual life.  When  the  lineaments  of 
God's  nature  are  recognized  in  any 
one,  these  features  must  be  loved.  To 
hate  a  fellow-believer,  a  godly  man, 
would  be  the  same  as  to  hate  God  him- 
self. What  is  here  said  is  conceived 
to  be  true  of  all  Christians,  whosoever. 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


91 


2  By  this  we  know  that  we  love  the 
children  of  God,  when  we  love  God, 
and  keep  his  commandments. 

3  "'For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we 
keep  «his  commandments.     And  his 

4  commandments  are  not  grievous:  for 
'whatsoever  is  born  of  God  overcometh 
the  world  :  and  this  is  the  victory  that 
overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith. 


2  gotten  of  him.  la  this  we  know  that 
we  love  the  children  of  God,  when  we 
love  God,  and  do  his  commandments. 

3  For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we 
keep  his  commandments.  And  his 
commandments  are  not  burdensome  : 

4  because  all  that  has  been  begotten  of 
God  overcomes  the  world  ;  and  this  is 
the    victory    that   has    overcome   the 


d  John  11 :  15,21-2*,  15  :  10;  2  Johu  6.         e  Ps.  119  ;  47,103;  Micab  6  :  8;  Matt.  11  :  28-30;  Rom.  7  :  12,22. 
/  2  :  13-17  ;  3:9;  4:4;  John  16  :  33. 


The  spirit  of  Christ  in  the  ruiiid  will 
beget  a  family  feeling,  in  the  presence 
of  which  artificial  social  distinctions 
will  be  forgotten.  It  is  the  tendency 
of  selfishness  and  worldliness  to  create 
and  maintain  fixed  dividing  lines  in 
the  social  structure  and  in  the  church ; 
it  is  the  tendency  of  Christ  to  level 
men  upward,  and  to  create  a  spiritual 
brotherhood. 

2.  John's  writings  have  in  them  the 
spirit  of  Hebrew  poetry,  giving  the 
same  thought  in  two  forms,  but  witli 
this  peculiarity  that  in  the  second  state- 
ment is  always  an  added  thought.  In 
4  :  20  it  was  stated  that  our  love  for 
the  brethren  is  a  condition  of  love  to 
God.  Here  the  converse  is  stated,  that 
our  love  to  God,  is  the  measure  of  our 
love  to  the  children  of  God.  Where 
one  is  found  tlie  other  is  also  found. 
Love  God.  Of  this  every  believer 
may  be  assured  by  direct  knowledge. 
Every  heart  may  be  conscious  of  a  right 
attitude  toward  God.  Every  Peter  may 
say,  "Thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee." 
Love  for  God  may  be  evident  from  the 
desire  to  obey  his  commands,  to  medi- 
tate on  his  precepts,  to  be  fashioned 
into  his  likeness.  This  love  to  God 
will  prompt  to  keep,  rather,  do,  his 
commandments.  Obedience  is  always 
and  everywhere  the  test  of  love.  From 
this  love  to  God  it  follows  by  this, 
rather,  hereby,  that  Ave  love  the 
children  of  God.  He  who  loves  a 
Christian  because  he  is  a  Christian, 
has  tlie  evidence  that  he  himself  is  a 
Christian. 

3.  For  explains  the  two  preceding 
clauses  and  their  relation  to  each  other. 
It  is  also  a  command  of  God  that  we 
love  the  brethren.  Love  of  God 
here  means  our  love  to  God.  Not 
grievous.  The  same  word  is  used  by 
Jesus  in  Matt.  11  :  30,  there  rendered 
"  burden."  The  commands  of  Jesus  are 


not  irrational,  absurd,  oppressive  in 
their  nature.  Jesus  is  a  reasonable 
Christ,  knowing  our  natures  and  the 
power  of  our  temptations. 

II.  4,5.  Faith  IN  jEsr.s  LEADS  TO 
AN  OVERCOMING  LIFE.  John  having 
spoken  of  the  assured  conquest  for  the 
Christian  life,  whereby  God's  com- 
mandments are  to  be,  not  grievous,  but 
pleasant,  now  gives  the  secret  of  this 
success — faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

4.  For  shows  the  reason  for  the 
statement  in  the  preceding  verse  that 
the  commandments  are  not  grievous. 
Whatsoever  is  a  collective  term  in 
the  neuter  gender,  signifying  all  who 
are  begotten  of  God.  That  it  stands 
for  the  wc  of  the  preceding  verse  is 
evident  from  the  use  of  our  in  tiie 
closing  part  of  this  verse.  Only  per- 
sons can  be  begotten  of  God.  Over- 
cometh. There  is  a  conflict  involv- 
ing the  passions  and  weaknesses  of  our 
own  nature,  the  opposition  of  an  evil 
world  (John  17 :  14),  a  god  of  this  world 
(2  Cor.  4  : 4),  of  perverted  principles  of 
life  and  action.  John  writes  in  no 
doubtful  spirit,  but  in  terms  of  con- 
fidence as  to  the  result.  World  is 
used  in  a  bad  sense  as  under  the  con- 
trol of  wicked  forces  (see  3  Cor.  4:4; 
Johu  17  :  14  ;    James  4:4:1  John  5  :  I'J).      Tlie 

test  of  the  Christian  life  is  that  it  over- 
comes. John  makes  no  provision  for 
worldliness  in  the  church,  or  for 
worldly  minded  Cliiistians.  The  means 
of  overcoming  is  faitli  in  the  Sou  of 
God.  He  writes  in  a  very  forcible 
way,  not  saying  that  f'lith  is  the  means 
by  which  victory  is  secured,  but  faith 
is  the  victory.  Overcometh,  rather, 
hath  overcome.  The  result  is  so  as- 
sured, so  united  with  the  permanent 
victory  won  by  Christ  (John  16:33),  tliat 
it  is  spoken  of  as  already  past.  The 
Christian  life  is  looked  upon,  for  the 
moment,  not  as  a  struggle,  but  as  a 


92 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


5  Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the  world, 
but  she  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God  ? 


5  world,  even  our  faith.  And  who  is  he 
that  overcomes  the  world,  but  he  that 
believes  that  Jesus  Is  the  Son  of  God  ? 


4  :  15 ;  1  Cor.  15  : 


victory.  The  stress  is  laid  here,  not 
upon  love,  but  upon  faith  by  which 
the  power  and  victory  of  Clirist  are 
conceived  of  as  united  with  each  be- 
liever. He  thinks  of  all  believers  as 
conquering,  and  makes  no  provision 
for  little  faith  or  for  a  failing  faith, 
only  for  a  conquering  faith.  The  four 
prominent  terms  are  the  world  with 
its  pronounced  antagonism,  God  with 
his  overcoming  strength,  faith  Avhicli 
unites  the  soul  with  God,  victory  as 
the  natural  and  consequent  result. 

5.  This  verse  is  explanatory  of  the 
preceding,  showing  that  faith  has  its 
power  to  overcome  because  it  is  allied 
with  the  life  of  the  Son  of  God.  In 
ver.  1  it  is  stated  that  the  one  believing 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  begotten  of 
God ;  here  the  one  believing  that  Jesus 
is  the  Son  of  God  overcomes  the  world. 
Jesus  overcame  the  world ;  he  alone 
overcame  the  world  in  all  its  powers, 
in  the  center  of  its  being.  There  may 
be  reformations  that  are  not  accom- 
panied with  a  belief  in  Jesus.  A 
heathen  man,  an  agnostic,  an  atheist, 
may  be  a  lover  of  right-doing  in  a 
large  sense.  But  this  right-doing  may 
be  due  to  the  unconscious  work  of 
Christ  upon  the  heart,  even  when  he  is 
not  known  by  name  ( Jotn  i :  lo)  ;  it  may 
be  owing  to  the  development  of  a 
moral  power  in  the  world  wrought  by 
Christ,  and  having  influence  upon  all 
men  in  a  Christian  community.  The 
conquest  of  the  world  as  a  whole  can 
be  accomplished  only  through  Jesus. 
No  thorough  reconstruction  of  a  life 
or  of  society  can  be  wrought  except 
through  the  influence  and  power  of 
Jesus.  Regeneration  is  a  vastly  larger 
word,  including  a  vastly  larger  work 
than  reformation.  Regeneration  will 
lead  to  reformation,  to  self-dedication, 
to  sanctification,  to  a  moral  likeness  to 
God,  to  the  conquest  of  all  evil. 

III.    6-13.   The    testimony    by 

WHICH  THE  BELIEVER  IS  ASSURED 
THAT  JeSUS  IS  THE  SON  OF  GOD.  We 
have  had  Jesus  presented  to  us  as  tlie 
source  of  light,  the  fellowship  with 
him  creating  light  in  us.  He  is  also 
the  source  of  righteousness  in  us  inas- 


much as  he  is  righteous.  In  the  entire 
preceding  part  the  discussion  has  cen- 
tered about  the  person  and  work  of 
Jesus.  There  is  now  presented  the 
human  and  divine  testimony  to  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  ground  of  our  faith  in 
him.  We  have  two  sources  of  testi- 
mony :  first,  that  which  arises  from 
history,  the  witnessing  that  can  be  ap- 
pealed to  on  the  part  of  eye  and  ear- 
witnesses;  secondly,  the  testimony  of 
the  Spirit,  the  witness  of  the  spiritual 
life  to  its  own  reality,  a  witness  that 
must  be  true  because  the  Spirit  is  the 
truth  itself.  The  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  not  based  on  feelings  or  intuitions  in- 
capable of  historical  verification — it  is 
a  religion  of  fact.  This  refers  to  the 
person,  Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  this 
letter  is  full.  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  by  an  incarnation  (John  i  =  n), 
but  it  is  not  to  this  coming  that  John 
here  refers. 

Jesus  came  into  his  Messianic  oflfice 
by,  through,  or,  by  means  of,  the 
water;  at  his  baptism  there  was  a 
formal  introduction  to  his  public  min- 
istry. The  water  and  the  blood 
stand  for  the  terminal  points  of  his 
ministry,  the  opening  and  the  closing 
parts.  Both  of  them  bear  witness  to 
his  Sonship,  and  declare  him  to  be 
the  Son  of  God.  It  may  be  assumed 
that  the  terms  water  and  blood  refer  to 
some  definite  historical  events  in  the 
life  of  our  Lord  upon  the  earth.  They 
are,  therefore,  not  to  be  interpreted  in 
a  symbolic  way.  Many  interpretations 
of  this  passage  are  given.  ( 1 )  Clement 
of  Alexandria,  about  A.  D.  200,  thought 
that  the  water  stood  for  regeneration 
and  faith,  and  the  blood  the  public  ac- 
knowledgment of  these.  (2)  Some  have 
thought  that  the  terms  here  used  de- 
clare the  one  fact — that  Jesus  was  a  true 
man  in  opposition  to  those  who  held 
that  his  body  Avas  not  a  real  body.  In 
this  view  the  blood  and  Avater  stand  for 
the  constituents  of  a  physical  organiza- 
tion. (3)  Groti us  and  others  hold  that 
the  water  stands  for  purity  of  life,  in- 
dicating thereby  that  Jesus  lived  a 
spotless  life.  But  inasmuch  as  the 
blood  represents  literal  blood,  it  can- 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


93 


6     This  is  he  that  came  i"  by  water  and  I 
blood,  even  Jesus  Christ ;  not  by  water 
only,  but  by  water  and  blood.    '  Aud  it  | 

A  Malt.  3  :  13-17  ■  J„hn  19  :  31,  35. 


6  This  is  the  one  who  came  through 
water  and  blood,  Jesus  Christ ;  not  in 
the  water  only,  but  in  the  water  and 

i  Johu  16  :  13;  1  Tim.  3  :  16. 


not  be  supposed  that  the  term  water  is 
used  in  a  symbolic  way.  (4)  Calvin 
and  others  understand  by  water  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  which  Jesus  ap- 
pointed as  a  perpetual  ordinance.  Ac- 
cording to  this  view  the  water  repre- 
sents the  cleansing  of  the  heart,  aud 
the  blood  represents  the  ransom  which 
Jesus  made.  The  two,  therefore,  stand 
for  the  means  by  which  salvation  is 
effected.  But  it  is  not  probable  that 
Jesus  would  have  joined  the  outward 
ordinance  of  l)aptism,  and  put  it  on  an 
equality  with  the  blood  of  reconcilia- 
tion. The  shedding  of  the  blood  was 
essential  to  human  salvation :  baptism, 
because  appointed  as  a  binding  ordi- 
nance, is  essential  to  obedience,  l)ut  not 
to  salvation.-  Iiiasiuucli  also  as  tlie 
blood  pertains  to  something  personal 
to  Christ  himself^his  own  blood  shed 
for  men — the  water  must  also  pertain  to 
something  belonging  to  his  own  per- 
sonal life.  It  cannot,  therefore,  refer 
to  a  baptism  appointed  by  him  to  be 
observed  by  others.  (5)  Alford  and 
others  think  that  the  terms  water  and 
blood  refer  to  the  incident  mentioned 
in  John  19  :  34,  35,  when  water  and 
blood  flowed  from  the  pierced  side  of 
Christ.  It  was  John  himself  who  alone 
noticed  the  mysterious  and  miraculous 
flow  of  water  and  blood  from  the  Sa- 
viour's aide.  This  indicates  not  only 
the  reality  of  his  death,  the  material 
character  of  his  body,  but  also  the  re- 
demptive character  of  his  work.  The 
stream  of  water  revealed  the  fountain 
of  life  opened  for  us;  it  revealed  also 
the  removal  of  guilt  and  condemnation 
effected  through  the  blood  of  sacrifice. 
Against  this  view  is  the  statement  of 
John  that  the  water,  the  blood,  the 
Spirit,  each  bears  its  own  distinct  tes- 
timony. In  the  stream  flowing  from 
his  side  it  was  a  united  stream,  tiiere 
was  no  special  significance  of  the  water 
as  distinct  from  the  blood.  The  water 
and  the  blood  are  separate  witnesses. 
(G)  The  view  having  most  to  commend 
it  is  that  which  refers  the  water  to  the 
baptism  of  Jesus,  the  initial  act  in  his 
Messianic  course,  the  blood  referring 
to  the  crucifixion,  the  termination  of 


his  Messianic  career.  They  unitedly 
testify  to  his  real  manhood,  his  actual 
death. 

They  bear  witness  also  to  his  divine 
nature,  his  Sonship,  declaring  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God.  It  was  at  his 
baptism  the  Spirit  rested  on  him,  an(l 
he  was  endowed  with  power  from  on 
high  (•loim  3  :  34).  It  was  at  his  baptism 
that  John  knew  Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of 
God  (John  1 :  34).  Jesus  came  by  water, 
inasmuch  as  it  was -by  means  of  his 
baptism  that  he  entered  on  his  work  as 
the  Messiah.  Here  accompanying  the 
baptism  were  the  descending  dove,  the 
opened  heavens,  the  uttered  voice,  the 
convinced  disciple,  the  public  recog- 
nition of  his  Sonship.  Connected  with 
the  baptism  is  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus. 
The  one  embraced  the  other.  The 
pouring  out  of  the  blood  was  the  com- 
pletion of  the  baptism  which  he  had 
to  be  baptized  with  (Mark  lo  :  38, 89),  As 
the  baptism  embraces  all  the  surround- 
ing incidents,  the  dove,  the  voice,  in 
like  manner  the  blood,  stands  for  all 
the  things  that  accompany  the  cru- 
cifixion. Here  was  the  voluntary 
death,  the  mysterious  flowing  of  the 
mingled  water  and  blood,  the  envelop- 
ing darkness  for  three  hours,  the  im- 
press made  on  the  dying  robber,  the 
impress  made  on  the  Roman  centurion 
leading  him  to  feel  that  there  was 
something  supernatural  about  the  suf- 
ferer on  the  cross.  These  accompany- 
ing things  bore  witness  to  the  divinity 
of  the  sufferer.  Tlie.se  two  events, 
marking  the  beginning  and  ending  of 
his  ministrj',  unite  to  .show  the  truth 
of  John's  athrmation  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God.  Not  by  water  only, 
literally,  in  the  water.  The  preposition 
is  here  changed  to  one  signifying  the 
element  in  wliich.  The  definite  article 
shows  that  these  terms  have  been  used 
before,  and  gives  a  great  solemnity  and 
empliasis  to  the  statement.  The  errors 
against  which  John  is  contending  must 
be  borne  in  mind.  There  were  those 
who  declared  that  it  was  impossible  for 
a  divine  being  to  .suflTer  a  death  on  the 
cross.  Inasmuch  as  Jesus  suffered  a 
death  on  the  cross,  they  said  that  he 


94 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


is  the  Spirit  that  beareth  witness,  be- 

7  cause  the  Spirit  is  truth.  For  there  are 
three  that  bear  record  [in  heaven,  J  the 
Father,    ^the.  Word,    'and    the    Holy 

8  Ghost :  "  and  these  three  are  one.  And 
there  are   three  that  bear  witness  in 


in  the  blood.    And  the  Spirit  is  that 
which  testifies,  because  the  Spirit  is 

7  the  truth.     For  there  are  three  that 
testify  ;  the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and 

8  the  blood  ;  and  the  three  agree  in  one. 


j  Matt.  3  :  17.         h  John  1  ;  1 ;  Rev.  19  :  13.         1  Matt.  3  :  16.         m  Deut.  6:4;  Matt.  28  :  19 ;  John  10  :  30. 


was  not  divine.  John  therefore  sol- 
emnly declares  that  Jesus,  the  Son  of 
God,  came  not  only  in  baptism,  dedi- 
cating himself  in  a  prophetic  way  to  a 
future  dying,  but  also  he  came  in 
blood,  in  suffering.  John  declared  the 
essence  of  his  own  ministry  to  be  a 
baptism  in  water  alone  (Joi^n  i  ;  25).  He 
pointed  to  Jesus  as  the  one  taking 
away  the  sin  of  the  world,  the  Lamb 
of  God  (John  1  :  29).  By  Water  and 
blood,  rather,  in  the  water  and  in 
the  blood.  The  Redeemer  was  iden- 
tified and  revealed  as  the  Son  of  God 
in  the  baptism,  and  also  as  the  Lamb 
of  God  on  the  cross;  the  one  pointing 
to  the  other,  the  one  of  no  moral  im- 
port without  the  other.  John  protests 
in  this  manner  against  those  in  his  day 
who  united  the  Christ  to  Jesus  at  his 
baptism,  but  separated  them  at  the 
cross.  There  is  no  direct  reference  in 
■water  and  blood  to  the  baptism  and 
Lord's  Supper  of  to-day,  but  it  re- 
mains true  that  the  baptism  and  the 
Supper  show  the  death,  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus,  declare  him  to  be  living, 
and  to  be  remembered  until  he  return. 
These  two  ordinances,  therefore,  ex- 
hibit Jesus  as  a  divine  being ;  one  who 
rose  from  the  dead,  and  who  sustains 
the  spiritual  life  of  men.  They  testify 
to  his  divine  nature,  his  Sonship. 

Spirit  refers  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
though  various  other  meanings  have 
been  given  to  the  term.  The  water 
and  the  blood  were  facts,  the  Spirit  is 
a  witness.  Tlie  Spirit  descended  on 
Jesus  at  his  baptism.  The  Spirit  tes- 
tifies of  Christ  (John  15 :  26),  glorlfics 
him,  and  shows  of  the  things  that  be- 
long to  him  (John  16  :  14).  Through  the 
possession  of  the  Spii-it  we  know  that 
we  have  Christ  (!> :  24). 

7,  8.  All  of  ver.  7,  after  the  word 
record,  must  be  omitted,  and  all  the 
words  in  ver.  8  up  to  and  including  the 
word,  earth.  The  two  verses  will 
read,  For  there  are  three  who  bear  wit- 
ness, the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and  the 
blood  ;  and  the  three  agree  in  one.  The 


omitted  words  are  not  found  in  any 
Greek  manuscript  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment prior  to  the  sixteenth  century.  It 
is  a  thing  incredible  that  a  genuine  pas- 
sage should  be  wanting  in  all  the  early 
Greek  manuscripts.  It  is  not  found  in 
the  early  versions  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment rendered  into  other  languages. 
It  was  never  used  by  the  fathers  in  the 
Ariaii  controversy,  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, when  the  doctrine  of  the  person 
of  Christ  was  under  discussion.  Had 
it  been  in  the  original  it  is  impossible 
that  it  could  have  dropped  out,  for  it 
contains  the  clearest  statement  in  the 
New  Testament  of  the  doctrine  of  a 
trinity  in  unity.  The  only  traces  of 
this  passage  are  in  some  of  the  Latin 
Fathers.  It  first  appears  at  the  end  of 
the  fifth  century.  It  doubtless  was  first 
written  on  the  Margin  as  a  comment, 
and  then  by  some  copyist  transferred 
into  the  text.  The  Old  Testament  re- 
quired that  the  testimony  of  two  or 
three  witnesses  should  coincide  (Deut. 
i':6).  Here  three  witnesses  unite  in 
their  testimony.  In  ver.  6  the  Spirit 
was  named  last ;  here  he  stands  first  as 
the  abiding  witness,  the  personal  wit- 
ness, one  divine  in  character.  The 
Spirit  testified  at  the  bapti.sm  of  Jesus 
(Matt.  3 :  16, 17) ;  Chrlst  was  clothcd  with 
power  by  the  Spirit  (Luke  4  :  is) ;  the 
Spirit  bore  witness  to  his  Messiahship, 
after  his  ascension,  by  endowing  the 
disciples  with  power  and  accompany- 
ing their  messages  so  that  men  were 
won  to  Christ.  He  bears  the  same 
testimony  in  every  conversion  when  a 
soul  turns  to  Jesus,  led  thereto  by  a 
.sense  of  sin.  He  is  that  same  witness 
to  whom  Jesus  appeals  in  his  last  dis- 
courses recorded  by  John.  The  tes- 
timony of  the  blood  is  later  in  time 
than  that  of  the  water,  the  testimony 
of  the  Spirit  accompanies  the  others, 
and  continues  in  an  unbroken  way 
ever  .since.  In  John's  day  the  Spirit 
gave  extraordinary  testimony.  In  all 
the  ages  since,  the  Spirit  has  begotten 
new  agencies  for  work,  has  been  chang- 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


95 


earth),  the  spirit,  and  the  water,  and 
the  blood :  and  these  three  agree  in 
one. 
9  If  we  receive  "the  witness  of  men, 
the  witness  of  Giod  is  greater :  » for  this 
is  the  witness  of  God  whicli  he  hath 
10  testified  of  his  Son.  He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  of  God  p  hath  the  witness 
in  himself:  he  that  believeth  not  God 


9  If  we  receive  the  testimony  of  men, 

the  testimony  of  God  is  greater ;  be- 
cause this  is  the  testimony  o*  God,  that 
he  has  testified  concerning  his  Son. 
10  He  that  believes  on  the  Son  of  God  has 
the  testimony  in  himself ;  he  that  be- 


n  John  8  :  17,  18. 


o  Matt.  3  :  16,  17;  17  :  5. 


p  Ps.  25  :  14 ;  Earn.  8  :  16 ;  Gal.  4  :  6. 


ing  savage  natures  in  the  mission  fields 
into  Christlikeness,  has  been  creating 
a  Christian  civilization,  has  raised  up 
martyrs  who  have  sacrificed  their  lives 
for  the  truth — in  all  these  ways  the 
Spirit  has  been  a  living  witness.  Christ 
must  be  a  divine  per.son  in  order  to 
work  such  changes  in  men  and  nations. 
The  water,  the  baptism  of  Christ  and 
its  surroundings,  bore  witness  to  the 
Sonship  of  Jesus  (M«t.  3 :  le,  i7).  The 
voice  from  the  skies  was  an  incontest- 
able proof  to  John  that  Jesus  was  the 
Son  of  God.  There  may  be  also  an 
implied  allusion  to  baptism  as  admin- 
istered among  us.  The  burial  in  water 
is  a  reminiscence  of  the  burial  of  Christ ; 
the  rising  from  the  water  is  a  symbolic 
statement  that  Jesus  rose  from  the 
dead.  The  believer's  burial  and  resur- 
rection is  the  only  symbolic  act  in  the 
world  that  speaks  of  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus.  In  so  far,  therefore,  may  the 
act  of  believer's  baptism  to-day  be  a 
witness  of  the  divinity  of  Jesus.  In 
every  case  where  it  is  administered 
there  is  the  public  declaration  that 
Jesus  is  believed  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 
The  blood.  The  allusion  here  is  un- 
doubtedly to  the  blood  shed  on  the 
cross,  it  also  bears  witness  to  the  fact 
that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God.  All  the 
circumstances  attending  his  death,  the 
rending  of  the  veil,  the  supernatural 
darkness  can  be  explained  only  on  the 
supposition  that  the  sufferer  was  a 
divine  person.  The  darkness  in  the 
soul  of  the  spotless  Christ,  tlie  rent 
veil  of  the  temple,  the  willing  submis- 
sion to  death,  these  unite  to  show  that 
he  made  an  atonement  for  sin.  This 
also  was  a  testimony  to  his  divine  char- 
acter. There  may  also  be  a  reference 
to  the  Lord's  Supper  as  celebrated  to- 
day, a  memorial  meal  whose  observ- 
ance can  be  traced  back  to  the  first 
century.  Agree  in  one.  The  apostle 
declares  that  the  testimony  of  the  three 


witnesses  converges  to  one  truth.  He 
does  not  say  that  there  are  no  other 
witnesses.  .John  gives  us,  in  a  concise 
way,  a  treatise  on  the  evidences  of 
ChristianitJ^ 

9.  There  is  here  a  contrast  between 
the  relative  authority  of  human  and 
divine  testimony.  We  are  so  made 
that  we  rely  on  human  testimony.  A 
large  part  of  our  knowledge  is  gained 
thereby.  Of  God.  If  God  speaks 
there  is  no  possible  deception  or  partial 
representation.  For  this  .  .  .  Son, 
rather,  for  the  tvitness  of  God  is  this, 
that  he  hath  borne  witness  concerning 
his  Son.  In  the  Old  Testament  is  an 
entire  series  of  attestations  through 
sacrifice  and  prophet  concerning  the 
Son  to  be  revealed.  (See  JuUn  5:46.) 
In  the  New  Testament  the  evangel- 
ists and  apostles  give  their  testimony 
concerning  the  Sou.  This  witness  is 
mainly  through  man,  though  it  is 
really  God's  testimony.  Holy  men 
spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  (2  Peter  1  :  21).  The  testimony 
especially  spoken  of  here  is  thatdivine 
teaching  through  the  Holy  Spirit.  "  We 
are  his  witnesses  of  these  things,  and 
so  also  is  the  Holy  Spirit"  (Acts  5 :  32). 
We  find  in  the  next  verse  what  the 
testimony  is.  It  is  treating  God  with 
contempt  to  receive  and  act  on  human 
testimony,  and  yet  disregard  the  tes- 
timony of  God  concerning  his  Son,  the 
express  image  of  himself. 

10.  This  verse  gives  the  testimony 
concerning  the  Son.  Witness  in 
himself.  This  witness  is  the  fruit  of 
all  evidence,  the  deep  conviction  that 
■lesns  is  the  Son  of  God.  The  peace  in 
the  heart,  the  new  conceptions  of  life, 
the  overcoming  strength  in  life,  the 
influence  of  the  gospel  in  tlie  life — these 
show  that  the  belief  in  Jesus  is  not  a 
delusion,  but  a  source  of  strength.^  The 
Sonship  of  Jesus  is  needed  as  a  fitting 
cause  to  efiect  this  result.    The  witness 


96 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


hath  made  him  a  liar ;  because  he  be- 
lieveth  not  tlie  record  that  God  gave 

11  of  his  Sou.  And  this  is  the  record, 
1  that  God  hath  giveu  to  us  eternal  life, 

12  and '•this  life  is  in  his  Son.  »  He  that 
hath  the  Son  hath  life  ;  and  he  that 
hath  not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  life. 

A  reason  for  writing;  faith  in  prayer. 

13  'THESE  things  have  I  written  unto 
you  that  believe  on  the  name  of  the 
Son  of  God ;  ^  that  ye  may  know  that 
ye  have  eternal  life,  and  that  ye  may 
believe  ou  the  name  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

14  » And  this  is  the  confidence  that  we 


lieves  not  God  has  made  him  a  liar; 
because  he  has  not  believed  in  the  tes- 
timony which  God  has  testified  con- 

11  ceruiug  his  Sou.  And  this  is  the  tes- 
timony, that  God  gave  to  us  eternal 

12  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son.  He 
that  has  the  Son  has  the  life  ;  he  that 
has  not  the  Sou  of  God  has  not  the 
life. 


13  These  things  have  I  written  to  you 
who  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Sou  of 
God,  that  ye  may  know  that  ye  have 
eternal  life. 

14  And  this  is  the  confidence  that  we 


q  John  5  ;  24.  r  4  :  9 ;  John  1:4.  s  John  3  :  36.  t  John  20  :  31. 

u  Ver.  10 ;  Rom.  8  :  15-17  ;  2  Peter  1  :  10,  11.  x  3  :  22 ;  Eph.  3  :  12, 


here  is  au  internal  testimony  which  is 
produced  by  a  conscious  forgiveness 
symbolized  by  the  water  of  baptism, 
the  reconciliation  through  the  blood, 
the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  the  heart, 
these  three  agreeing  in  one  to  produce 
a  settled  conviction  in  the  heart.  Be- 
lieveth  not.  This  is  a  distinct  act  of 
the  moral  nature;  it  is  resistance,  un- 
belief, rejection.  Liar.  Once  before 
has  John  made  use  of  this  strong  term 
(1  :  10).  God  hath  borne  witness  con- 
cerning his  Son.  To  refuse  the  claim 
of  Jesus  is  to  be  in  rebellion  against 
God. 

11.  We  have  here  a  completer  defi- 
nition of  that  to  which  God  hath  borne 
witness.  The  end  and  aim  of  all  that 
God  witnessed  is  that  God'.s  own  life 
might  be  given  us  through  Jesus.  In 
his  Son.    Paul  speaks  of  peace,  for- 

§iveness,  reconciliation  through  the 
on;  John  speaksof  something  deeper 
— the  possession  of  the  very  life  of 
the  Son  himself.  An  intellectual  and 
moral  quickening  must  come  from  this 
life  imparted  and  dwelling  in  the  heart. 

(See  John  1:4;    11  :  25  ;    14  :  6  ;    Col.  3:3.) 

12.  Jesus  has  eternal  life  in  himself. 
Hath  life,  rather,  the  life.  To  be  a 
Christian  is  to  have  the  Christ  life 
within  and  without.  He  gives  the  op- 
posite— hath  not  life,  rather,  the 
life.  This  verse  is  a  repetition  of  .Tohn 
5  :  24.  He  depicts,  in  an  awful  form, 
the  condition  of  the  unbeliever.  He 
may  have  wealth,  genius,  power,  pleas- 
ure, but  he  does  not  have  God's  own 
life.  The  doctrine  of  annihilation  of 
the  unbeliever,  the  extinction  of  the 
soul,  the  shriveling  into  nothingness, 
does  not  follow  from  this  statement. 


Death  does  not  mean  extinction,  but 
the  separation  from  the  true  and  blessed 
life.  The  man  who  walks  in  God's  way 
lives,  the  man  who  turns  his  back  on 
God,  ignoring  him  or  disobeying  him, 
is  walking  in  the  road  of  a  present 
death. 

13.  This  verse  corresponds  with  1 : 4. 
He  refers  to  all  that  he  has  written, 
not  to  the  preceding  verses  only.  The 
Revised  version  reads.  These  things  have 
I  written  unto  you  that  ye  may  know 
that  ye  have  eternal  life,  even  unto  you 
that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of 
God.  It  is  a  mes.sage  to  the  believer, 
not  in  any  degree  to  the  ungodly. 
Name  is  equivalent  to  the  person. 
He  is  called  Jesus  because  he  saves 
from  sins.  He  is  called  Christ  because 
he  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecy,  the  anointed.  Know- 
ing of  eternal  life,  of  God's  testimony 
concerning  the  Son,  having  accepted 
Christ  as  Saviour  and  Lord,  they  are 
entitled  to  assurance. 

IV.  14-17.  Faith  in  the  prom- 
ises OF  God  LEADS  TO  PREVAILING 
PRAYER.  Possession  of  eternal  life  is 
a  safeguard  against  the  allurements  of 
false  teaching  in  all  ages.  God  is  not 
merely  a  great  sovereign,  but  a  Father, 
a  counselor,  a  friend,  a  helper.  Jolin 
comes,  in  this  passage,  to  a  practical 
help  to  them  in  their  daily  living,  their 
God  is  a  prayer-hearing  God. 

14.  Because  we  have  a  spiritual  life 
we  have  confidence  in  God.  Paul  de- 
clares that  we  have  not  the  spirit  of 
fear,  but  the  spirit  of  adoption  (Rom. 
8  :  15).  John  delights  to  use  the  term 
contidence,  rather,  boldness  (2:28; 
3  :  21 ;  4  :  17).    One  of  the  ways  in  which 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


97 


have  in  him,  that,  if  we  ask  any  thing 
according  to  his  will,  he  heareth  us : 

15  and  if  we  know  that  he  hear  us,  what- 
soever we  ask,  y  we  know  that  we  have 
the  petitions  that  we  desired  of  him. 

16  If  any  man  see  his  brother  sin  a  sin 
which  is  not  unto  death,  he  shall  ask, 
and 'he  shall  give  him  life  for  them 


have  toward  him,  that,  if  we  ask  any- 
thing according  to  liis  will,  he  hears 

15  us.  And  if  we  know  that  he  hears 
us,  whatever  we  ask.  we  know  that  we 
have  the  requests  which  we  have  asked 
of  him. 

16  If  any  one  see  his  brother  sinning  a 
sin  not  to  death,  he  shall  ask,  and  he 
will  give  him  life,— to  those  who  sin 


y  Mark  11  .  2*. 


z  E.\od.  32  ;  10-U ;  a  Chrou.  30  i  18-20  .  Job  42  :  7-9 .  Janius  5  :  14-SO. 


this  boldness  is  expressed  is  in  prayer. 
Ask.  Prayer  is  not  simply  desire  un- 
expressed, but  petition  embodied  in  a 
request  that  comes  before  God.  Ac- 
cording to  his  will.  In  3  :  22  it 
was  taught  that  prayers  are  answered 
for  those  doing  God's  will.  Not  every 
desire  is  prayer.  All  prayer,  in  John's 
sense  of  this  term,  is  answered.  It  is 
to  be  made  in  the  name  of  Christ  (John 
1*  :  13),  which  does  not  mean  that  the 
name  of  Christ  is  to  be  affixed  to  the 
petition,  i^iit  that  it  is  a  prayer  in  ac- 
cord with  tlie  nature  of  Christ,  is  formed 
in  accord  with  the  mind  of  Christ.  The 
one  so  asking  is  guided  by  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  in  the  prayer  (Rom.  8  :  26).  Such 
a  prayer  will,  of  necessity,  be  in  ac- 
cord with  the  will  of  God,  because  be- 
gotten by  the  Spirit  of  God.  He  can, 
with  assurance,  ask  only  for  that  which 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  makes  known  to 
him  in  prayer  as  corresponding  to  the 
Father's  will.  Prayer  cannot  be  con- 
sidered as  constraining  the  will  of  God, 
but  the  bringing  to  pass  of  the  divine 
will  does  not  exclude,  but  the  rather 
includes,  all  the  intermediate  and 
secondary  causes.  Prominent  among 
these  intermediate  causes  is  prayer ;  it 
is  one  of  the  highest  acts  of  a  spirit 
in  relation  to  God.  So  certainly  will 
prayer  be  heard  that  Christians,  while 
they  pray,  should  be  inspired  with  the 
assurance  that  what  they  ask  will  be 
received. 

15.  This  verse  is  intimately  joined 
with  the  pi'eceding.  If  we  know. 
The  condition  that  we  ask  in  accord 
with  his  will  is  here  omitted.  We 
know.  This  certainty  arises  from 
our  knowledge  of  God  as  a  covenant- 
keeping  God,  from  his  promise  to  hear 
prayer,  from  the  experience  of  the  be- 
liever. Desired.  He  implies  that 
not  one  petition  has  been  wasted,  all 
have  been  heard.  Compare  the  words 
of  Jesus  (Mark  11  :  24).  Pravcr  is  looked 
upon  as  the  central  point  of  the  Chiis- 

G 


tiau  life.  Prayers  not  answered,  as 
Paul's  prayer  in  2  Cor.  12  :  8,  are  found 
to  be  reasons  for  thanksgiving.  Prayers 
are  not  commands  to  God,  but  requests 
from  God.  Jesus  prayed,  subject  to 
this  law.  "  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done  "  (Jiatt.  26  :  39).  The  answer  to  the 
prayer  may  be  delayed,  even  if  finally 
granted.  The  delay  may  be  for  the 
testing  of  the  faith,  or  because  its  im- 
mediate answer  might  involve  a  mira- 
cle, or  because  the  condition  of  the 
petitioner  might  not  warrant  an  im- 
mediate answer. 

16.  From  praying  for  one's  self  John 
turns  to  praying  for  others — interces- 
sory prayer.  This  springs  from  con- 
fidence in  God  and  a  concern  for  the 
erring  brother.  See  indicates  the 
brotherly  watchcare  that  should  char- 
acterize the  Christian  household. 
Brother  is  to  be  taken  in  its  strict 
sense,  limited  to  the  fellow-disciple  of 
Christ.  Sinning.  This  shows  that 
John's  statement  as  to  the  life  apart 
from  sin  (3  :  6)  must,  in  some  way,  be 
qualified.  He  does  not  describe  a  .sin- 
less Christian  life.  In  the  presence  of 
the  sinning  brother  he  will  make  re- 
quest for  him.  The  future  tense  im- 
plies a  certainty  of  so  doing,  involving 
also  the  hint  of  a  command.  This 
prayer  will  be  for  God's  forgiveness, 
for  God's  restraining  grace  that  the  sin 
lead  not  to  its  logical  result  of  complete 
alienation  from  God.  There  are  im- 
plied the  admonition,  the  penitence, 
the  joining  of  him  in  tlie  prayer.  There 
is  the  same  assurance  here  as  in  the 
former  case  of  forgiveness.  Who  shall 
give  life,  the  one  who  prays,  as  in 
the  Received  version,  or  God,  as  in  the 
Revised  version  ?  God  alone  can  in 
any  proper  sense  bestow  life.  But 
Joiin  is  speaking  of  the  one  praying 
as  the  agent  through  whom  God  works, 
he  bestows  life.  In  like  manner  James 
speaks  of  one  converting  a  soul,  saving 
it  from  death  (James  s  :  i9).    Life  means 


98 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


that  sin  not  unto  death.  » There  is  a 
sin  unto  death  :  >>  i  do  not  say  that  he 
17  shall  pray  for  it.  "All  unrighteous- 
ness is  sin :  and  there  is  a  sin  not  unto 
death. 


not  to  death.    There  is  a  sin  to  death  '< 
not  concerning  that  do  I  say  that  he 
17  shall  make  request.    All  unrighteous- 
ness is  sin ;  and  there  is  a  sin  not  to 


a  Mark  3  :  29. 


6  Jer.  7  :  16.  U  :  11. 


the  large  spiritual  life  whose  presence  i 
would  fill  the  soul  and  restrain  it  from 
a  fatal  sin  ;  it  would  repair  the  partial 
death  that  had  already  exhibited  itself 
in  the  manifested  sin.  Sin  unto 
death.  This  means  a  sin  that  leads 
toward  death,  that  ends  in  death. 
Two  meanings  may  be  given  to  the 
term  death.  (1 )  It  may  refer  to  physical 
death,  in  which  case  the  sin  committed 
would  lead  to  the  penalty  of  death 
upon  the  body.  Such  a  case  would 
but  rarely  occur,  so  rare  that  it  would 
not  be  mentioned  in  a  general  discus- 
sion such  as  is  contained  in  this  letter 
(Eph.  2:2).  It  cannot  mean  dead  in  sin 
here,  for  it  would  not  be  irnproper  to 
pray  for  a  person  dead  in  sin  that  he 
might  have  life  in  the  heart,  nor  would 
it  be  assuredly  known  that  he  would 
continue  in  this  state  of  spiritual  death. 
(2)  The  term  is  sometimes  made  use  of 
to  indicate  the  penalty  that  comes  upon 
the  finally  impenitent,  called  tlie  second 
death  (^ev.  2  :  11).  The  reference  is  to 
an  act  of  sin,  something  definite,  not 
to  a  state  of  sin.  This  is  evident  from 
the  con,sideration  that  the  sin  that  may 
be  forgiven  is  an  act  of  sin.  The  two 
stand  in  contrast  with  each  other,  an 
act  must  correspond  with  an  act.  Jesus 
alludes  to  a  sin  that  is  not  forgiven, 
here  or  hereafter,  a  sin  unto  death 
(Matt,  ij :  31, 32).  If  any  one  commit  this 
sin,  done  openly  in  the  sight  of  all,  a 
sin  whose  nature  is  patent  to  all,  for 
this  sin  there  is  no  forgiveness.  For 
such  a  sin  no  one  need  pray.  This  sin 
cannot  be  regarded  as  some  merely 
atrocious  sin  like  murder,  but  that 
complete  abandonment  of  life  in  Christ, 
culminating  in  the  act  of  apostasy 
from  Christ,  the  surrender  of  the  inner 
union  with  Christ.  In  Matt.  12  :  .31  it 
is  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  open,  slanderous  attack  on 
the  holiness  of  Christ's  person  and 
work.  In  Ileb.  6:6  it  is  the  act  of 
apostasy  in  turning  finally  and  com- 
pletely from  the  eternal  life  in  Christ 
obtained  through  the  atonement,  the 
preference  of  the  mere  animal  sacrifices 


to  the  divine  ofiering  of  the  person  of 
Christ.  John  has  dwelt  upon  the  aw- 
fulness  of  the  antichristian  doctrine 
(2  :  22)^  the  denial  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  Son  of  God  come  in  the  flesh.  Life 
is  union  with  Christ  (s  :  12) ;  death  is 
the  separation  from  Christ.  Eternal 
death,  a  term  not  itself  used  in  the 
New  Testament,  but  abundantly  taught, 
is  that  final  and  complete  act  of  the 
soul  by  which  Christ  is  abjured,  de- 
nied, surrendered,  the  passing  out  of  a 
state  of  knowledge  into  the  intelligent 
denial  of  his  person  and  of  life  through 
him.  John  resolves  sins  into  two 
classes  :  the  sin  not  unto  death,  the  sin 
unto  death.  What  is  to  be  the  attitude 
of  the  believer  to  the  latter  sin ;  does 
.lohn  forbid  prayer  for  such  a  person  ? 
There  is  a  sin,  positive,  definite,  that 
yet  belongs  to  the  unrighteousness 
spoken  of  in  1  :  9  for  which  is  forgive- 
ness through  the  blood,  upon  repent- 
ance. Alford  thinks  that  John  intends 
to  prohibit  prayer  for  such  a  person, 
implying  that  it  would  be  an  act  of 
presumption,  unduly  interfering  with 
the  exercise  of  God's  judgment.  Ne- 
ander  thinks  that  what  John  means  is 
expressed  in  the  thought,  that  the 
prayer  for  such  a  person  finds  no  war- 
rant for  an  answer  as  in  the  case  of 
prayer  for  the  sin  not  unto  death, 
John  changes  the  word  used  for  prayer 
from  ask  (aiteo)  in  the  first  case,  to 
request  (erotau)  in  the  second  case. 
The  asking  is  the  stronger  term ;  that 
made  use  of  by  an  inferior,  and  hence 
never  used  by  Christ  in  his  petitions. 
John  says,  concerning  this  sin  I  do  not 
speak  in  what  I  say  about  intercessory 
prayer,  implying  the  almost  hope- 
less result  that  must  ensue  if  prayer 
be  offered.  There  is  the  widest  oppor- 
tunity for  intercessory  prayer,  inas- 
much as  the  case  supposed  would  not 
be  found  in  one  man  in  a  million. 
More  persons  will  be  lost  by  continuing 
in  unbelief;  the  persistent  sinning  with 
the  heart,  even  while  the  intellectual 
judgment  concerning  Christ  is  correct ; 
the  sinning   that  leads  inevitably  to 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


99 


77ie  diMinciion  betiveen  God's  children  and 

the  wicked. 
18     We  know  that  ^  whosoever  is  born  of 
God  sinneth  not ;   but  he  that  is  be- 


18  death.    We  know  that  every  one  who 
has  been  begotten  ot   God  sins  not; 


d  3:9:  1  Petc-r  1  ;  23. 


death,  than  by  the  specific  sin  spoken 
of  here  by  John. 

Note.— Brotherly  watchcare. 
Intercessory  prayer  springs  from  the 
nature  of  tlie  Christian  life  ;  tlie  man 
who  loves  his  brother  cannot  cease  to 
pray  for  him  (i  sam.  7:8).  The  strong- 
est characters  in  the  Christian  life  have 
felt  the  need  of  the  prayers  of  others. 
See  the  words  of  Paul  (i  Theas.  5  :  25). 
John  draws  a  dividing  line  between 
the  erring  weak  Christian  who  is  yet  a 
Christian,  and  the  perverse  denier  of 
the  fundamentals  of  the  truth  who  had 
joined  the  recognized  antichristian 
forces.  For  this  one  there  is  not  much 
encouragement  to  pray,  though  even 
here,  upon  repentance,  God  grants  for- 
giveness. The  reason  why  forgiveness 
is  not  granted  is  not  so  much  because 
the  sin  itself  puts  one  beyond  the  pale 
of  forgiveness,  as  that  the  hardeniiig 
process  in  the  heart  steadily  goes  on 
whereby  it  becomes  impossible  for  ap- 
peals to  move  it ;  the  man  is  self- 
hardened,  80  that  sin  and  guilt  remain 
supreme;  he  is  joined  to  his  sin  (Hosea 
*  :  IT).  Jesus  prayed  for  Peter  (Luke 
M  :  S2);  Peter,  when  in  jail,  was  prayed 
for  (Acts  12 : 5);  Jesus  yet  prays  for  men, 
it  is  a  part  of  his  work  (Rom.  8  :  34)  ;  the 
strong  must  bear  the  burdens  of  the 
weak  (Gal.  6:2).  Jesus  ^went  after  the 
man  who  had  been  put  out  of  the  syna- 
gogue (John  9  :  35).  The  Strength  of 
each  Christian  should  be  as  the  strength 
of  ten  on  account  of  the  counsel,  the 
fellowship,  the  prayer  of  others.  Ten- 
nyson writes : 

For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  or 
goats 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  in  the  brain  ; 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of 
prayer 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call 
them  friend  ? 

V.  18-21.  The  assured  beliefs 
OF  THE  Christian.  In  this  closing 
section  we  have  three  statements  made 
by  John,  introduced  by  we  know. 
There  is  a  true  Gnosticism,  a  real  Chris- 


tian knowledge,  as  well  as  a  false  and 
unreal  Gnosticism.  The.se  sum  up,  as 
it  were,  the  great  teachings  of  this 
letter.  In  the  tirst  statement  we  have 
the  fundamental  opposition  between 
life  from  God  and  sin,  which  is  death 
(ver.  18).  We  have,  in  the  second,  the 
fundamental  antagonism  between  the 
regenerate  and  the  world  (ver.  19).  \Ve 
have  in  the  third,  the  Christian  decla- 
ration concerning  the  divine  nature  of 
Jesus  and  the  relation  to  him  of  the 
Christian  as  one  abiding  in  him  (ver. 
20).  There  is  a  fellowship  with  God 
in  his  life  and  holiness;  there  is  a 
fellowship  with  each  other  in  the 
church  as  against  the  world;  there  is 
a  conscious  adoration  of  Jesus  as  the 
Son  of  God,  and  the  affirmation  of  life 
in  him.  There  is  the  final  statement, 
in  the  appeal,  of  the  essential  nature 
of  God  as  spirit,  as  light,  as  the  abso- 
lute one,  of  whom  no  representation 
can  be  made. 

18.  Born,  rather,  begotten.  The 
knowledge  here  asserted  arises  from  a 
knowledge  of  God  as  holy.  In  the 
moral  as  in  the  physical  universe  like 
begets  like.  This  same  statement  is 
made  in  3:9.  Sinneth  not.  We 
may  not  dilute  this  statement  by  say- 
ing that  the  believer  does  not  sin 
habitually,  or  wilfully,  or  as  in  former 
unregenerate  times.  The  statement 
stands  out  in  its  absoluteness  as  the 
ideal  of  the  Christian  life.  This  is  the 
conception  of  every  Christian  life ;  it 
of  necessity  must  be.  The  very  nature 
of  the  regenerate  life  as  begotten  of 
God  is  to  bo  like  God,  and  therefore 
without  sin.  The  regenerate  life  is 
inconsistent  with  all  sin— all  kinds  of 
sin — both  the  sin  unto  death  and  the 
sin  not  unto  deatli.  That  there  are  sins 
in  the  actual  life  is  evident  from  the 
confession  made  in  1  :  8,  a  confession 
of  sinning  in  which  John  joins  himself. 
In  ver.  6  also  he  implies  that  many 
will  need  the  intercession  of  others. 
The  expression  begotten  is  in  the  per- 
fect tense,  implying  that  one  who 
has  been  begotten  retains  the  divine 
life.    When  the  work  of  Christ,  begun 


100 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


gotten  of  God  «keepeth  himself,  and 

that  wicked   one   toucheth   him  not. 

19  *And  we  know  that  we  are  of  God,  and 

8  the  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness. 


but  he  that  was  begotten  of  God  keeps 

himself,  and  the  evil  one  touches  him 

19  not.    We  know  that  we  are  of  God,  and 

the  whole  world  is  lying  iu  the  evil 


e  3  :  3  ;  Ps.  39  :  1 ;  Prov.  4  :  23-27  ;  James  1  :  27  ;  Jude  20,  21. 


/  Ver.  13  ;  3  :  14,  24. 


g  Rom.  3  :  9-19. 


at  regeneration,  is  complete,  when  the 
actual  gives  way  to  the  ideal,  then  the 
sinning  life  will  pass  into  the  sinless 
life.  There  remain  in  the  believer  the 
traces  of  corruption  which  beget  a 
struggle  and  strife  in  the  life.  Siu 
does  not  reign  in  the  believer's  heart, 
but  it  fights.  The  concluding  part  of 
the  verse  gives  the  reason  for  the  state- 
ment, but  .  .  .  self.  Is  begotten, 
rather,  was  begotten,  in  the  aorist  tense 
showing  the  definite  time  of  turning  to 
Christ  in  the  new  life.  There  is  the 
divine  life  imparted  in  regeneration  ; 
there  is  the  co-operating  human  spirit 
by  which  the  newly  begun  life  is 
watched  over.  In  3  :  3  the  believer 
purifies  himself.  Jude  exhorts  the  be- 
liever to  keep  himself  in  the  love  of 
God  (ver.  21).  A  man  cannot  save  him- 
self, but  God  does  not  save  a  man  apart 
from  his  own  conscious  effort.  It  is 
not  correct  to  render  this  as  meaning 
that  regeneration  keeps  a  man,  or  that 
the  Son  of  God  keeps  a  man.  John 
emphasizes  here  the  human  .side  of  sal- 
vation. God  keeps  the  believer — the 
believer  also  keeps  himself.  That 
wicked  one,  rather,  the  evil  one. 
This  refers  to  Satan,  the  evil  one  pre- 
eminently who  seduced  Adam  (Gen.  3 : 
6);  who  tempted  Jesus  (Matt.  4:  i)  ;  who 
filled  the  heart  of  Judas  (John  is  :  2)  ; 
who  beguiled  Peter  for  a  time  (Luke 
22 :  31).  The  toucheth  refers  to  a 
touching  that  hurts,  that  seduces  the 
inner  life,  and  breaks  away  a  heart 
from  Christ.  The  man  spoken  of  in  1 
Cor.  5  :  1-5 ;  Hymenteus  and  Philetus 

(2    Tim    2  :  17)     and     DcmaS     (2    Tim.  4  :  10) 

were  hurt  by  Satan.  There  will  re- 
main for  the  believer,  as  long  as  life 
lasts,  the  assaults  of  Satan,  which  are 

to   be  successfully  resisted   (l  Peter  5:9); 

Satan  himself  will,  in  time,  be  put 
under  the  believer's  feet  (Rom  le  :  20). 
Jesus  could  say,  "  He  hath  nothing  in 
me."  The  believer  begotten  into  the 
same  mold  as  Christ  may  overcome 
Satan,  and  in  time  will  be  developed  a 
nature  in  which  will  be  nothing  to 
which  Satan  can  appeal.  God,  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  are  for 


and  in  the  believer ;  against  him  is 
tlie  evil  world,  and  evil  heart,  and 
the  evil  one. 

19.  This  verse  declares  the  spiritual 
state  of  John  and  his  readers,  and 
therefore  by  necessity  the  unspiritual 
state  of  the  world  which  is  under  the 
control  of  the  evil  one.  y\e  know 
.  .  .  God.  This  knowledge  arises 
from  the  conformity  of  the  conduct  to 
the  revealed  will  of  God,  their  delight 
in  God.  The  Christian  life  may  be 
tested  by  standards  given  in  this  letter : 
the  love  for  the  brethren,  the  over- 
coming life,  the  life  of  righteousness, 
the  open  confession  of  Christ.  He 
speaks  in  a  tone  of  confidence  as  to 
their  spiritual  condition.  The  Chris- 
tian of  to-day  may  have  the  same  as- 
surance, not  from  emotions  or  appari- 
tions, but  from  the  likeness  of  the 
heart  to  God.  By  contrast  the  world 
stands  out  of  harmony  with  God,  as 
opposed  to  God,  as  lying  iu  the  domain 
and  under  the  control  of  the  evil  one. 
In  wickedness,  rather,  in  the  evil 
one,  the  one  mentioned  in  the  preced- 
ing verse.  God  and  Satan  are  the  op- 
posite spiritual  and  moral  poles.  It  is 
not  said  that  the  world  is  begotten  of 
the  evil  one,  which  would  imply  a 
fixed  moral  condition,  but  it  lieth  in, 
remains  under  the  control  of  the  evil 
one,  in  a  willing  wa.y.  It  is  possible 
for  one  to  pass  out  of  the  world  into  the 
family  of  God,  for  Jesus  is  the  propitia- 
tion of  the  world  (2:2:  *  :  ").  There 
is  a  wide  contrast  in  character  between 
the  regenerate,  finding  their  life  in  and 
from  God,  and  the  unregeuerate,  find- 
ing all  their  life,  in  its  nature  and  con- 
duct, against  God,  in  the  evil  one. 
Jesus  was  in  the  world  that  his  follow- 
ers might  be  spiritually  minded,  for 
worldly  mindedness  is  the  essence  of 
the  unchristian  life.  It  is  implied  that 
tlie  powers  and  tendencies  of  the  pres- 
ent age  are  largelj'  under  the  control 
of  that  evil  being  called  the  god  of  this 
world.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  the 
opposite  of  the  world.  Because  Jesus 
died  for  the  entire  world,  every  man  is 
savable  through  Christ. 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


101 


20  ^  And  we  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is 
come,  and  '  hath  given  us  an  under- 
standing, ^  that  we  may  know  him  that 
is  true,  '  and  we  are  la  him  tliat  is  true, 
61)671  in  his  Sou  Jesus  Christ.  ■>"  xhis  is 
the  true  God,  and  eternal  life. 


20  one.  And  we  know  that  the  Son  of 
God  is  come,  and  has  given  us  under- 
standing, that  we  may  know  the  True 
One  ;  and  we  are  in  the  True  One,  in 
his  Sou  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the  true 
God,  and  eternal  life. 


A  1 :  2,  14.  i  Matt.  13  :  11 ;  Juba  17  :  25,  26;  2  Cor.  4:6.  k  Jobn  14  :  6;  Bev.  S  :  7. 

I  John  14  :  20  ;  17  :  20-23.  m  Isa.  9:6;  Johu  1:1-3;  20  :  28  •,  Acts  20  :  28  ;  Titas  2  :  13  ;  Heb.  1  :  8. 


Note.  John's  conception  of 
Satan.  Everything  that  John  says 
conceruiug  this  subject  is  serious  and 
solemn  iu  tone.  He  lias  nothing  that  is 
merely  poetical,  and  is  at  the  farthest 
remove  from  any  grotesque  conception 
of  him.  Throughout  this  letter,  as  iu  his 
Gospel,  is  the  dark  background  of  a  per- 
sonal evil  being.  It  is  not  evil  in  the 
abstract,  but  evil  embodied  in  a  person. 
He  does  nothing  to  clear  up  the  mys- 
tery of  evil,  its  origin  or  its  con- 
tinuance in  the  government  of  a  holy 
and  almighty  God.  He  does  not  ex- 
plain the  origin  of  Satan.  He  simply 
reveals  Satan  as  a  god  of  this  world, 
having  a  large  controlling  moral  in- 
fluence over  the  ungodly.  John  finds 
no  place  iu  his  theology  for  any  person 
except  iu  allegiance  to  God  or  iu  alle- 
giance to  Satan.  To  pass  away  from 
God  is  to  pass  into  the  kingdom  of  the 
evil  one.  Jesus  is  regarded  as  the 
conquering  Christ.  He  that  is  with 
the  believer  is  one  miglitier  thau  all 
the  foes  arrayed  against  him  (* :  *).  In 
great  contrast  with  a  modern  light  and 
flippant  way  of  speaking  of  Satan  is 
the  impressive  manner  in  which  John 
looks  upon  the  invisible,  but  real  and 
terrible  kingdom  of  darkness.  In  some 
countries  the  heathen  pray  to  the  evil 
spirits  so  that  they  may  uot  be  harmed ; 
in  some  countries  a  chief  delusion  of 
Satan  is  the  persuasion  that  he  does  not 
exist;  with  Paul  (Eph.  5 :  u-is)  John  re- 
gards, in  a  grave  and  serious  way,  the 
unseen  evil  agencies  that  lay  wait  for 
the  souls  of  men. 

20.  A  third  we  know  is  presented 
to  us.  Under  this  general  statement 
we  have  grouped  four  assured  beliefs. 
(1)  That  the  Son  of  God  has  come  and 
is  present  with  us.  (2)  That  he  has 
given  an  understanding  heart  by  which 
we  know  God.  (3)  That  we  have  a 
fellowship  with  God  and  jointly  also 
with  the  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  (4)  That 
the  God  so  revealed  to  us  is  the  true 


God,  and  the  knowledge  of  him  is  true 
and  eternal  blessedness.  Is  come. 
John  looks  upon  Jesus  as  a  person 
abiding  in  the  world — one  who  came 
and  is  now  present.  Jesus  makes  use 
of  the  same  expression  coucerning  him- 
self in  John  8  :  44.  Uuderstandiug. 
Through  the  Holy  Spirit  there  had 
been  begotten  au  iutellectual  and  moral 
apprehension  of  God,  creating  the 
power  by  which  believers  judge  aright 
concerning  spiritual  things.  Tliis  in- 
ner sense  is  predominantly  spiritual 
rather  thau  intellectual.  Know  him. 
The  result  of  this  spiritual  insight  is 
that  we  know  God  ariglit,  have  true 
conceptions  of  him.  John  alludes  here 
to  the  many  false  conceptions  of  God 
that  were  prevalent  in  the  first  century. 
True  is  the  opposite,  not  of  false,  but 
of  the  unreal,  the  imaginary.  In  him. 
There  is  a  conscious  fellowship  with 
this  personal  God,  an  indwelling  in 
him,  a  living  under  his  control.  In 
God  and  hi  the  evil  one  are  in  con- 
trast with  each  other.  The  dwelling 
in  God  is  the  result  of  the  indwelling 
in  Jesus,  the  Son.  This.  To  whom 
does  this  term  apply,  to  the  Son  or  to 
God  ?  In  favor  of  tlie  reference  to  the 
Son  are  the  following  considerations: 
it  is  said  (1)  That  the  grammatical  con- 
stiTiction  favors  it,  Christ  being  the 
immediate  antecedent  of  the  pronoun, 
this.  (2)  The  expression  eternal  life 
is  naturally  applied  to  Jesus  Christ  in 

whom  life  dwells.     (See  John  1  :  4.)      It  is 

said  that  eternal  life  was  manifested  to 
us  through  .Jesus  Christ  (i  :  2).  Jesus 
being  the  source  of  eternal  life,  he  alone 
can  be  referred  to.  (.3)  The  reference 
of  this  to  God  would  make  the  asser- 
tion a  mere  truism,  the  declaration 
that  the  true  God  is  himself  the  true 
God  and  eternal  life.  (4)  This  refer- 
ence to  the  Son  is  in  accord  with  tiie 
teachings  of  .John  in  all  his  writings, 
the  oneness  of  .Tesus  with  the  Father. 
(.=5)  The  natural  interpretation,  that 
which  comes  first  to  the  mind  of  the 


102 


I.  JOHN 


[Ch.  V. 


21     Little    children,    "  keep    yourselves  1 21     Little    children,    guard    yourselves 
from  idols.    Amen.  |       from  idols. 

n  1  Cor.  10  ;  7,  14 ;  2  Cor.  6  ;  16,  17. 


ordinary  reader,  is  that  John  is  pred- 
icating this  statement  of  Jesus.  But 
against  this  view  are  the  following 
weightier  considerations  :  (1)  The  main 
thought  of  this  passage  is  not  Jesus 
Christ;  him  that  is  true,  that  is 
God  himself.  It  is  God  who  is  kept 
most  prominently  in  mind.  This  refers 
naturally  back,  not  to  the  immediately 
preceding  word,  but  to  the  predominant 
word  of  the  passage,  God.  For  in- 
stances of  this  referring  not  to  the  im- 
mediately preceding  word,  see  2  :  22  ; 
2  John  7.  (2)  The  expression,  eternal 
life,  is  in  favor  of  the  reference  to 
God.  This  life  in  its  fulness,  in  its 
primaiy  sense,  is  found  in  God.  (3)  The 
drift  of  the  passage,  the  connection  of 
thought,  is  in  favor  of  the  reference  to 
God  rather  than  to  the  Son.  The 
prominent  tliought  is  this:  this  God, 
with  whom  believers  stand  in  fellow- 
ship, is  the  only  true  God,  and  hence 
is  the  primary  source  of  eternal  life  ; 
through  him  alone  can  we  become  par- 
takers of  eternal  life,  the  highest  of  all 
conceivable  good.  In  closing  this  letter 
John  points  to  the  primal  source,  to 
Him  who  is  himself  tliat  eternal  life 
which,  from  its  source  in  God,  was  im- 
parted to  the  Son  that  he  might  impart 
it  to  us.  In  an  impressive  way.  in 
closing,  John  assures  us  that  that  one 
manifested  to  us  through  the  Son  is  the 
true  God  in  whom  all  blessedness  re- 
sides. That  John  is  speaking  of  God 
is  also  apparent  from  tlie  appeal  in  the 
last  verse.  It  is  the  worship  of  God 
himself  that  is  always  put  in  contrast 
with  the  worship  of  idols.  It  is  that 
God  who  is  presented  to  us  as  the  clos- 
ing thought  of  the  letter. 

31.  Here  is  a  parting  warning  against 
idol  worship.  To  hold  fast  this  highest 
possession  believers  must  guard  them- 
selves from  all  contact  with  the  idols 
worshiped  by  a  world  lying  in  the 
wicked  one.  In  every  town  where  had 
been  formed  a  church  of  Christ  was 
also  the  idol  temple.  Many  doubtless 
of  John's  readers  had  come  from 
heathenism ;  for  them  to  leave  Christ 
would  be  to  fall  again  into  the  old  life. 
Little  children,  rather,  my  little 
children.    Thus  affectionately  does  he 


close  his  letter.  Idols.  This  refers 
to  external  images  of  imaginary  deities 
yet  remaining  in  heathenism.  John 
had  not  alluded  to  these  in  his  letter 
before  this,  nor  was  the  main  danger 
to  his  readers  from  this  source.  The 
dangers  alluded  to  were  those  arising 
from  philosophical  speculations,  Gnos- 
tic errors,  the  denial  that  Christ  had  a 
true  human  nature,  which  errors  had  a 
close  connection  with  sj'stems  that 
were  at  enmity  with  Christianity.  The 
term,  idols,  must  therefore  have  a 
large  interpretation.  It  is  a  solemn 
warning  against  everything  that  inter- 
feres with  the  absolute  supremacy  and 
sovereignty  of  God.  John  urges,  there- 
fore, that  his  readers  abide  in  God,  be- 
cause to  depart  from  God  is  to  fall  into 
the  kingdom  of  wickedness,  under  the 
power  of  him  that  is  the  opposite  of  that 
God  who  is  the  true  one,  the  possessor 
of  the  eternal  blessedness.  There  may 
be  an  idolatry  begotten  by  a  love  of 
the  world,  by  an  intellectual  pride, 
just  as  real  as  the  idolatry  in  India  or 
Africa.  Amen.  This  is  to  be  omitted. 
John  begins  his  letter  with  the  mani- 
festing Christ,  he  ends  his  letter  with 
the  manifested  God. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  No  one  gets  into  God's  kingdom  with- 
out a  personal  acceptance  of  Christ.  No 
birthright  membership,  no  mechanical 
methods,  no  churclily  rites  can  effect  an 
entrance.  Christ  is  the  door,  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  the  agent  (ver.  1). 

2.  We  cannot  love  Christ,  the  head, 
without  loving  Christians  the  members 
of  Christ's  body.  Love  makes  all  things 
easy.  It  is  like  wings  that  lift  up,  not 
weigh  down.  When  God's  will  becomes 
our  will,  then  the  crosses  of  life  disappear. 
Commands  that  seem  harsh  and  impos- 
sible to  the  ungodly  are  pleasant  and  pos- 
sible to  the  believer  in  Jesus  (ver.  2,  3). 

3.  Hebrews  gives  a  list  of  Old  Testament 
men  who  overcame  through  their  belief 
in  God.  Stephen  (Acts  7  :  59),  Antipas 
(Rev.  2  :  13)  killed  by  persecutors,  were 
also  conquerors.  It  is  better  to  overcome 
through  sufferings  than  to  be  overcome 


Ch.  v.] 


I.  JOHN 


108 


by  the  world  with  its  honors  and  pleasures 
(ver.  4). 

4.  With  the  help  of  Christ  all  things 
that  ought  to  be  done  can  be  done.  The 
weakest  saint  plus  the  strong  Saviour 
can  accomplish  the  ends  of  right  living 
(ver.  5). 

5.  For  our  sins  it  was  needful  that  a 
mighty  and  sinless  being  intervene  in 
our  behalf  to  make  for  us  an  atonement 
Jesus  came  not  to  be  an  example,  though 
he  is  that,  but  to  be  a  Saviour  through  a 
sacrifice.  His  baptism  typified  his  bap- 
tism of  blood  (ver.  6). 

6.  The  New  Testament  suffers  no  loss  in 
having  parts  taken  away  that  did  not  be- 
long to  the  original  text.  The  truth  has 
nothing  to  lose,  but  everything  to  gain,  in 
getting  the  very  mind  and  words  of  the 
Spirit.  We  may  rest  implicitly  on  the  in- 
tegrity of  the  text  of  the  New  Testament 
(ver.  7). 

7.  We  may  not  listen  exclusively  to  the 
words  of  John  or  Jesus,  but  we  may  have 
the  very  facts  before  us  which  gave  to 
them  an  assurance  of  salvation.  We 
have  also  the  abiding  witness  of  the 
Spirit  promised  by  Christ  as  a  teacher 
(ver.  8). 

8.  It  is  unreasonable  not  to  accept  with 
the  mind  Christ  and  Christianity.  We 
believe  upon  testimony  and  act  in  life 
upon  probability.  We  have  assurance  of 
the  facts  that  underlie  the  Christian  sys- 
tem, than  which  nothing  can  be  more 
sure.  The  unreasonableness  of  the  un- 
christian life  is  equaled  only  by  its 
wickedness  (ver.  9). 

9.  Through  the  inner  experience  the 
Christian  is  assured  that  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God.  It  is  the  Spirit  testifying  in  his 
own  heart.  A  Christian  may  not  be  wide- 
ly read  in  the  Christian  evidences,  but  he 
can  say  with  the  blind  man,  "One  thing 
I  know  ...  I  was  blind,  but  now  I  .see  " 
(ver.  10). 

10.  Eternal  life  is  obtained,  not  by  the 
acceptance  of  a  creed  or  by  an  outward 
reformation,  but  through  the  acceptance 
of  a  person. 

11.  The  believer  already  has  eternal 
life.    He  does  not  have  it  in  its  fulness  as 


he  will  have  in  heaven,  but  it  is  a  life  of 
the  same  kind  (ver.  11,  12). 

12.  There  are  gradations  in  the  Christian 
life.  The  larger  the  conceptions  of  the 
Christian  life,  the  fuller  the  realization  of 
the  fellowship  with  Christ,  the  larger  will 
be  the  assurance  (ver.  13). 

13.  The  Christian  may  come  to  God  in 
boldness.  Praying  in  confidence  is  not 
demanding  from  God,  but  is  the  laying 
of  our  requests  before  God  in  a  suppliant 
way  The  prayer  that  brings  answer  is 
that  prayer  begotten  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
in  accord  with  the  will  of  God  (ver.  14). 

14.  God  is  sometimes  wise  in  refusing  to 
grant  our  requests.  A  saint  of  God  said : 
"  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  thank  God 
for  refusing  to  hear  many  of  my  prayers  " 
(ver.  15;  Dan.  9  .  20). 

15.  No  one  should  live  for  himself  alone. 
Each  life  should  be  a  prayer  meeting  for 
others.  Jesus  prayed  for  the  disciples ;  in 
like  manner  should  the  Christian  pray. 
He  who  begins  to  care  for  others  will  end 
by  caring  more  for  himself  (ver.  16). 

16  There  are  grades  of  sinning,  but  no 
sin  is  a  light  sin.  Each  sin  demands  the 
blood  of  the  Son  of  God  for  forgiveness. 
A  little  sin  may  lead  to  a  larger  sin.  No 
one  should  walk  near  the  edge  of  a 
precipice  over  which  to  fall  is  eternal 
death  (ver.  17). 

17,  The  Scriptures  reveal  to  us  what 
otherwise  would  be  unknown  to  us— the 
existence  of  a  great,  spiritual,  malignant 
being,  who  ha.s  designs  upon  us.  He 
allures,  tempts,  deceives  men.  He  can 
really  harm  us  only  through  our  own 
permission  (ver.  18). 

18  To  abide  in  God  is  to  abide  in  safety. 
To  have  eternal  blessedness  is  to  be  as- 
sured against  eternal  death.  If  the  heart 
is  full  of  God  and  life,  there  will  be  no 
entrance  for  sin  and  death  (ver.  20). 

19.  The  progress  of  knowledge  has 
driven  polytheism  and  outward  idolatry 
from  civilized  countries.  But  there  is 
danger  in  an  advancing  civilization  that 
the  heart  will  be  content  with  outward 
things.  Idolatry,  to-day,  is  the  alienation 
of  the  heart  from  that  life  which  finds  its 
true  end  in  God  (ver.  21). 


II.  JOHN 


1     THE  elder  unto  the  elect  lady  and 
her  children,  •  whom  I  love  in  >>  the 


1     THE  elder  to  the  elect  lady,  and  to 
her  children,  whom  I  love  in  truth,— 


1  Johu  3  :  18  ;  3  John  1. 


b  John  8  :  32  ;  Gal.  2  :  U. 


In  this  letter  the  aged  Apostle  John 
sends  words  of  affection,  commenda- 
tion, and  counsel  to  some  Christian 
woman,  living,  doubtless,  in  Asia 
Minor.  He  sends  his  greeting  (ver. 
1-3)  ;  expresses  his  joy  over  the  con- 
duct of  her  children  (ver.  4);  gives  the 
law  of  Christian  love  (ver.  5,  6) ;  ad- 
monishes her  against  false  teachers 
(ver.  7-9);  shows  how  to  deal  with  false 
teachers  (ver.  10)  ;  and  expresses  the 
hope  of  seeing  her  soon  (ver.  12,  13). 

I.  1-3.  Address  and  greeting. 
We  have  iu  this  section  the  name  of 
the  writer,  the  name  of  the  person  ad- 
dressed, and  the  introduction.  It  is 
constructed  on  the  general  plan  of 
Paul's  introductions,  incorporating  the 
two  thoughts  tliat  make  up  the  teach- 
ing part  of  the  letter,  trutli  and  love. 
The  term  truth  occurs  five  times  in  this 
short  letter,  and  love  four  times.  It  is 
a  model  Christian  letter,  uniting  the 
personal  element  with  the  utterance  of 
sound  doctrinal  teaching. 

1.  The  elder.  By  this  modest  and 
unassuming  term  John  designates  liim- 
self.  Peter,  writing  to  the  elders  of  the 
churches,  styles  himself  "  their  fellow- 
elder"  (1  Peter  5:1).  This  term,  like 
that  of  apostle,  has  several  meanings. 
It  may  he  applied  to  one  of  tlie  pastors 
of  the  individual  church  (Titus  i  :  5); 
to  an  older  member  of  the  church  (1 
Tim.  5:1);  to  onc  who  I)elonged  to  the 
first  generation  of  believers.  When 
used  as  here  with  the  article,  it  is  a 
term  of  great  significance,  and  would 
accord  with  the  modesty  of  character 
habitual  to  John  in  the  designation  of 
himself.  It  would  not  be  needful,  it 
would  seem  violently  out  of  place,  for 
the  last  survivor  of  the  apostolic  group 
to  assert  his  apostleship  and  authority 

104 


in  a  familiar  personal  letter,  writing  to 
one  who  would  never  think  of  him  but 
with  reverence.  He  is  an  elder  iu  an 
especial  sense,  on  account  of  age,  rev- 
erence, position  ;  the  last  one  remain- 
ing of  the  Twelve  who  had  been  with 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Elect  lady.  This 
expression  is  capable  of  a  number  of 
renderings,  each  of  which  is  gram- 
matically possible — to  an  elect  lady ; 
to  the  elect  lady;  to  the  elect  Kuria; 
to  the  lady  Electa.  The  Revised  ver- 
sion adopts  the  second  as  the  better  ren- 
dering. Paul  writes,  "  Rufus  elect  in 
the  Lord"  (Rom.  le :  13);  Peter  writes  to 
the  "elect  who  are  sojourners"  (i  Peter 
1:1).  JJJlect  is  a  term  of  Christian 
courtesy.  The  writings  of  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  A.  D.  150-200,  speak  of 
her  as  Electa ;  but  this  cannot  be  the 
correct  rendering,  for  ver.  13  speaks 
of  her  sister  as  "  Electa."  It  is  im- 
probable that  both  women  had  the 
same  name.  It  is  far  more  probable 
that  her  name  was  Kuria,  which  name 
has  been  found  among  the  inscriptions 
of  the  early  Christians.  Is  John  writ- 
ing to  a  person  or  to  a  church  ?  Many 
modern  commentators  think  that  the 
reference  is  to  a  church,  either  the 
church  at  large  or  some  definite  church. 
It  is  true  that  in  the  letter  to  the  Ephe- 
sians,  and  in  the  book  of  Revelation, 
the  church  is  looked  upon  as  a  woman, 
a  bride.  John  apparently  had  met 
some  of  her  children  either  in  his 
visitation  of  the  Asian  churches,  or  in 
their  presence  at  his  home.  Noting 
their  Christian  deportment  he  writes 
to  their  mother.  That  John  should 
write  to  a  Christian  woman  is  not  in 
itself  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  recall 
how  large  a  place  women  filled  in  the 
New  Testament  churches.    Whom  I 


II.  JOHN 


105 


truth  ;  and  not  I  only,  but  also  all  they 

2  that  have  known  the  truth  ;  for  the 
truth's  sake,  <=  which  dwelleth  in  us, 

3  and  shall  be  with  us  for  ever,  ■i  Grace 
be  with  you,  mercy,  and  peace,  from 
God  the  Father,  and  from  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Sou  of  the  Father, 
•in  truth  and  love. 

4  I  rejoiced  greatly  that  I  found  of  thy 
children  f  walking  in  truth,  as  we  have 
received  a  commandment  from  the 
Father. 


and  not  I  alone  but  also  all  that  know 

2  the  truth,— for  the  sake  of  the  truth, 
which  abides  in  us,  and  it  will  be  with 

3  us  forever:  Grace,  mercy,  peace,  shall 
be  with  us,  from  God  the  Father,  and 
from  Jesus  Christ,  the  Sou  of  the  Father, 
in  truth  and  love. 

4  I  rejoiced  greatly,  that  I  have  found 
some  of  thy  children  walking  in  truth, 
as  we  received  commandment  from  the 


c  Col.  3  :  16. 


d  1  Tim.  1 :  2. 


/  1  Thess.  3:6-9;  3  John  S,  4. 


love.  The  whovi  in  the  masculine 
embraces  all  the  members  of  the  house- 
hold. In  the  truth.  This  means  not 
merely  in  a  genuine  way,  but  implying 
also  that  they  are  dwelling  in  the  truth. 
And  not  I  only  but  all.  This 
Christian  mother  was  well  known 
through  the  Christian  community,  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  Have  known 
the  truth,  rather,  know.  This  desig- 
nates the  Christian  community  as  those 
who  have  come  into  a  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  Christ  who  is  the 
truth.  The  introduction  of  the  term 
truth  is  preparatory  to  the  censure  of 
those  not  holding  the  truth  (ver.  7). 

2.  For  the  truth's  sake.  This 
expres.ses  the  reason  for  the  love  to- 
ward her. 

3.  Grace  . .  .  peace,  rather,  grace, 
mercy,  peace  shall  be  with  us.  This  is 
an  apostolic  desire  with  the  assurance 
that  the  desire  will  come  true.  This 
group  of  words  constitutes  the  apostolic 
benediction,  summing  up  in  a  few 
words  the  essential  contents  of  the 
divine  revelation.  This  combination 
of  words  is  found  only  in  this  passage 
and  1  Tim.  1  :  1 ;  2  Tim.  1  :  2.  Grace 
refers  to  the  favor  of  God,  unmerited, 
original,  springing  up  not  in  ourselves, 
but  in  God's  gracious  desires  toward 
us,  revealed  in  Christ.  It  has  special 
reference  to  man's  sin  and  guilt.  The 
word  is  rare  in  John's  writings,  found 
only  here  and  in  John  1  :  14,  16,  17 ; 
Rev.  1:4;  22  :  21.  3fercy  has  .special 
reference  to  relieving  the  wretchedness 
and  misery  of  men  that  spring  from  a 
guilty  condition.  It  cannot  therefore 
logically  come  first  in  the  benediction. 
The  order  of  the  words  is  a  statement 
of  the  divine  procedure.  Peace  is  the 
resultant  of  forgiveness,  of  regenera- 
tion, of  adoption,  the  summing  up  of 
the  possession  of  God.    God's  fellow- 


ship brings  God's  own  peace  into  the 

soul      (Rom.  5:1;    John    U    :   27).        FrOm 

God  .  .  .  Christ,  iather,  from  God 
the  Father,  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  the 
So7i  of  the  Father.  These  all  spring 
from  their  fountain  in  God ;  they  are 
mediated  through  Christ.  John  does 
not  think  of  God  without  also  think- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ,  the  two  are  in- 
separable (see  1  John  5  :  12).  In  trUth 
and  love.  This  expression  does  not 
declare  that  these  blessings  come  upon 
them  on  account  of  these  indwelling 
qualities,  but  in  connection  with  them, 
not  apart  from  them.  The  .salvation 
of  Christ  is  not  throngli  character, 
but  always  accompanies  and  creates 
character. 

II.  4-11.  The  body  of  the  let- 
ter. 4.  John  gives  his  unstinted  praise 
before  he  gives  a  word  of  warning. 
John  was  inspired,  he  was  also  tactful. 
I  rejoiced.  In  the  aorist  tense;  so 
Bible  Union  version.  This  may  refer 
to  some  definite  time  in  the  past,  when 
he  came  upon  her  children  and  found 
them  walking  in  Christian  truth.  The 
Revised  version  renders  it  in  the  pre- 
sent. /  rejoice.  This  reveals  John's 
Christian  nature,  sharing  a  joy  with 
the  children  in  their  holy  walk  and 
desirous  of  contributing  to  the  joy  of  the 
mother  in  notifying  her  of  their  life. 
John  apparently  came  upon  them  in 
his  journeyings  among  the  churches 
and  homes.  He  had  the  care  of  the 
churches;  he  was  also  a  shepherd  of 
persons  one  by  one.  Of  thy  chil- 
dren. This  does  not  assert  or  imply 
that  some  of  her  children  were  not 
walking  in  the  truth.  Those  whom 
he  met  were  walking  in  the  light  of 
the  truth.  In  truth,  which  means 
living  in  the  domain  of  the  Christian 
religion,  adorning  tlie  doctrines  which 
they  profe.ssed  (Tim.  2  ;  11). 


106 


II.  JOHN 


5  And  now  I  beseech  thee,  lady,  e  not 
as  though  I  wrote  a  new  command- 
ment unto  thee,  but  that  which  we 
had  from  the  beginning,  ''  that  we  love 

6  one  another.  And  'this  is  love,  that 
we  walk  after  his  commandments 
This  is  the  commandment,  That,  ^  as 
ye  have  heard  from  the  beginning,  ye 
should  walk  in  it. 

7  For  '  many  deceivers  are  entered  into 
the  world,  "  who  confess  not  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  tlesh.  "This  is  a 
deceiver  and  an  antichrist. 

8  » Look  to  yourselves,  p  that  we  lose 
not    those    things    which    we     have 


5  Father.  And  now  I  ask  thee,  lady,  not 
as  writing  to  thee  a  new  command- 
ment, but  that  which  we  had  from  the 
beginning,  that  we  love  one  another. 

6  And  this  is  love,  that  we  walk  accord- 
ing to  his  commandment ;  this  is  the 
commandment,  that  even  as  ye  heard 
from  the  beginning,  ye  should  walk  in 

7  it.  Because  many  deceivers  have  gone 
out  into  the  world,  who  confess  not 
Jesus  Christ  as  coming  in  the  flesh. 
This  is  the  deceiver,  and  the  anti- 
christ. 

8  Look  to  yourselves,  that  ye  lose  not 
the  things  which  we  wrought,  but  that 


g  1  John  2  :  7,  8  ;  3  :  11.  h  John  13  :  34 ;  1  Peter  4:8.  !  John  14  :  15,  21 ;  15  :  10,  14 ;  1  John  5  :  3. 

*  1  John  2  :  24.  11  John  2  :  18-22  ;  4  :  1.  ml  John  4:2,3.  n  1  John  2  :  22 ;  4:3. 

0  Matt.  24  :  4,  24,  25.  J)  Gal.  3  :  4 ;  Phil.  2  :  15, 16 ;  Heb.  10  :  32,  35. 


5.  We  come  now  to  the  real  motive 
of  the  letter.     And  now  I  beseech. 

As  an  apostle  he  might  command  (see 
Phiiem.  8).  Entreaty  is  oftentimes  more 
potent  than  a  command.  Tlie  term 
rendered  beseech  implies  that  he  had  a 
right  so  to  appeal  to  her.  Walking  in 
trnth  is  walliing  in  love  as  he  now 
shows.  New.  See  the  same  expres- 
sion used  1  John  2  :  7.  From  the 
beginning.  Especially  of  the  new 
Christian  era ;  love  is  seen  to  be  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law  (Rom,  13  :  8).  The 
aim  of  this  letter  is,  that  we  love 
one  another.  Had  John  heard  some- 
thing which  indicated  a  want  of  love, 
or  does  he  here  make  simply  the  ap- 
peal which  would  be  fitting  even  to 
the  angels?  On  this  point  we  can 
make  no  answer. 

6.  And  this  is  love,  rather,  the 
love,  that  is  meant  by  the  command 
that  we  walk  in  God's  ways.  All 
God's  precepts  are  summed  up  in  one 
commandment.  This  ...  it,  rather, 
This  is  the  commandment,  even  as  ye 
heard  it  from  the  beainning,  that  ye 
should  walk  in  it.  The  it  refers  to 
love.  Beginning  refers  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Christian  era.  From 
the  first  there  had  been  no  deviation 
from  this  teaching  tlmt  love  must 
characterize  the  entire  life. 

7.  John  now  puts  her  on  her  guard 
against  false  teachers.  For  shows  the 
need  of  walking  in  the  love  that  is 
founded  on  the  truth.  Deceivers 
refers  to  the  teachers  of  false  doctrines, 
centering  mainly  about  the  person  of 
Christ.  The  many  shows  how  full 
the  first  century  was  of  defections  from 


the  truth.  It  was  more  difficult  to 
maintain  the  truth  then  than  now,  inas- 
much as  there  was  for  the  church  no 
consensus  of  belief,  embodied  in  creeds 
sanctioned  by  the  test  of  centuries. 
Are  entered,  rather,  gone  forth,  that 
is,  partly  from  the  church  (1  John  2 :  19), 
partly  from  the  world  of  darkness 
under  the  control  of  a  personal  per- 
verting agency.  The  errors  centered 
in  the  denial  of  an  incarnation.  Who 
.  .  .  flesh,  rather,  even  they  that  con- 
fess not  Jesus  Christ  cometh  in  thejiesh. 
Here  the  denial  is  not  that  an  incarna- 
tion has  taken  place,  butaSirming  that 
it  cannot  take  place,  the  impossibility 
arising  either  from  some  limitation  in 
God's  nature  whereby  he  is  restrained 
from  coming  into  a  union  with  human 
nature,  or  from  the  sinfulness  of  matter, 
so  that  the  Logos  could  not  become 
flesh  (John  1:14).  A  deccivcr  and 
an  antichrist,  rather,  the  deceiver 
and  the  antichrist  (1  John  2  :  18-22).  His 
appearance  is  perilous  to  the  church, 
for  he  is  the  deceiver,  the  one  foretold, 
is  opposed  to  Christ,  is  an  antichrist, 
the  one  most  dangerous  to  the  cause  of 
the  Saviour.  No  reference  is  here 
made  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

8.  Look  to  yourselves.  This  is 
an  expression  of  rare  occurrence,  in- 
dicating the  serious  matter  here  pre- 
sented, also  making  manifest  the  dan- 
ger incident  to  this  false  teaching.  In 
1  John  4  :  18  the  believer  is  represented 
as  keeping  himself,  here  also  is  por- 
trayed the  duty  of  personal  vratchcare 
over  one's  self  The  aim  of  looking  at 
themselves  is  that  we  lose  not,  rather, 
ye.    There  is  the  prospect  of  loss,  spir- 


II.  JOHN 


107 


wrought,  9  but  that  we  receive  a  full 
reward. 

9  '  Whosoever  transgresseth,  and  abid- 
eth  not '  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath 
not  God.  He  that  abideth  in  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father 
and  the  Son. 
10  If  there  come  any  unto  you,  and 
bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive  him 


9  ye  receive  a  full  reward.  Every  one 
who  leads  forward,  and  abides  not  iu 
the  teaching  of  Christ,  has  not  God. 
lie  that  abides  in  the  teaching,  he  has 

10  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If  any 
one  comes  to  you,  and  brings  not  this 
teaching,  receive  him  not  into  your 


q  Dan.  12  :  3. 


r  1  John  2  :  23. 


»  John  7  :  16, 17  ;  Heb.  6  : 1. 


itual  and  eternal,  unless  there  is  per- 
sonal  watchcare.     Have    wrought. 

This  refers  to  the  Christian  state  into 
which  they  had  come,  the  Christian  life 
upon  which  they  had  entered  through 
the  instruction  of  the  apostles  and 
others,  their  fellow-laborers,  repre- 
sented by  we.  Christ  was  the  efficient 
agent  of  their  salvation,  but  this  was 
mediated  to  them  through  John  and 
the  apostles.  Few  or  none  of  them 
had  seen  Christ  in  the  flesh.  Full 
reward.  Believers  are  saved  through 
grace  and  are  rewarded  according  to 
their  works.  They  are  not  saved  on 
account  of  their  works,  but  they  are 
never  saved  apart    from  their  works 

(Matt.  16;  27;   Rev.  22:12).      Full  shoWS   the 

varying  rewards  in  the  present  and  in 
theheavenly  life  (Luke  w  -.  16-19).  There 
are  large  possibilities  in  the  Cliristian 
life,  larger  oftentimes  than  are  realized. 
Notice  the  dwindling  spiritual  life  of 
Heb.  5 :  11,  12,  and  the  attainable 
peace  spoken  of  in  Rom.  5  :  1,  R.  V. 

9.  John  here  indicates  a  peril ;  that 
of  going  beyond  Christ's  teachings  and 
incurring  the  loss  of  God's  presence. 
An  important  variation  iu  the  text 
occurs  here.  Whosoever  . . .  Christ, 
rather,  whosoever  goeth  onward  anil 
abideth  not  in  the  teaching  of  Christ. 
Jesus  claimed  a  supremacy  in  teach- 
ing, claiming  to  be  the  truth  itself  and 
allowing  no  one  to  take  a  position  along- 
side of  himself.  The  Christian  is  one 
who  accepts  Christ  as  supreme  in  the 
example  of  living,  in  all  matters  of 
faith  and  conduct.  This  is  not  to  be 
construed  into  a  denial  of  progress  in 
Christian  thought  or  the  impo.ssibility 
of  clearer  conceptions  of  the  Christian 
revelation  in  the  ages  to  come.  Almost 
every  age  has  added  somewhat  to  the 
stock  of  Christian  doctrine.  But  always 
there  must  be  a  subordination  to  the 
completeness  and  supremacy  of  the 
teachings  of  Christ  and  the  apostles  iu 


the  New  Testament.  Abideth  in  the 
doctrine,  teaching.  This  means  to 
hold  it  intellectually,  and  to  put  the 
life  under  its  control.  Througli  Jesus 
God  is  known,  but  the  name  of  the 
Father  stands  first  in  the  logical  order 
(Matt.  11  :  27).  Jesus  Christ  is  redeemer, 
he  is  also  teacher.  We  must  trust  to 
him  alone  for  salvation  ;  we  must  listen 
to  him  alone  for  instruction  on  the  path- 
way of  life,  on  the  nature  of  the  church, 
on  the  ordinances  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

10.  What  must  be  the  attitude  of  the 
believer  toward  false  teachers?  John 
here  answers  tliat  question.  Doc- 
trine, rather,  teaching.  John  alludes 
to  the  teaching  of  aud  concerning 
Christ.  There  was  a  general  uniform- 
ity among  the  early  Christians  as  to 
fundamental  beliefs.  Man.v  of  the 
New  Testament  writings  wci'e  already 
current  (2  Peter  3  :  16).  The  words  of 
Jesus  would  be  known  among  the 
churches.  By  these  the  Christians 
could  test  all  teachings  that  came  to 
them.  John  does  not  allude  to  a  mere 
traveler  coming  in  quest  of  a  hospi- 
table shelter,  but  to  a  teacher  seeking 
to  disseminate  radically  wrong  teach- 
ing; an  antichrist,  denying  the  reality 
of  the  incarnation  and  salvation 
through  Christ;  this  man  seeking  to 
spread  a  fatal  teaching,  is  not  to  be  wel- 
comed into  the  house.  It  is  not  the 
man  but  the  teacher  that  is  to  be  thus 
seriously  dealt  with.  It  is  not  bigotry 
or  intolerance  or  persecution  that  John 
urges,  but  such  a  steadfast  love  for  the 
truth  that  his  course  may  not  indorse 
the  error.  John  was  naturally  im- 
pulsive in  character  (''"k*  9  :  s»),  but 
the  command  here  rigiitly  understood 
is  in  accord  Avith  tlie  spirit  of  love. 
Without  doubt  many  Christians  have 
taken  these  words  in  a  bitter  spirit, 
and  have  treated  errorists  with  cruelly, 
not  warranted.     But  we  must  guard 


108 


II.  JOHN 


not  into  your  house,  'neither  bid  him 

11  God  speed  :  «  for  he  that  biddeth  him 
God  speed  is  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds. 

12  »  Having  many  things  to  write  unto 
you,  I  would  not  write  with  paper  and 
ink  :  but  I  trust  to  come  unto  you,  and 
speak  face  to  face,  y  tliat  our  joy  may 
be  full. 

13  *  The  children  of  thy  elect  sister 
greet  thee.    Amen. 


11  house,  and  give  him  no  greeting ;  for 
he  that  gives  him  greeting  shares  in 
his  evil  works. 

12  Having  many  things  to  write  to  you, 
I  was  not  willing  to  write  with  paper 
and  ink  ;  but  I  hope  to  come  to  you, 
and  to  speak  face  to  face,  that  our  joy 

13  may  be  made  full.  The  children  of 
thy  elect  sister  salute  thee. 


t  Rom.  16  :  17  ;  1  Cor.  16  :  22 ;  Gal.  1  :  8,  9.     «  Eph.  5  :  11 ,  I  Tim.  5  :  22. 

y  John  n  :  13 ;  Rom.  15  :  29,  30,  32 ;  1  John  1:4.     z  \  Peter  5  ; 


against  laxity  on  the  other  hand.  In 
Luke  9  :  50  Jesus  reproves  his  disciples 
for  forbidding  one  to  cast  out  demons 
■who  did  not  outwardly  move  in  Christ's 
company.  The  two  teachings  found  in 
Luke  9  :  50  and  in  Matt.  12  :  30  must 
be  taken  togetlier  to  get  a  full  guidance 
for  life.  Not  only  must  the  false  teacher 
not  be  received  into  the  house,  but  be- 
lievers are  forbidden  to  bid  him  God 
speed,  rather,  give  him  greeting.  This 
does  not  refer  to  the  courtesy  of  the 
formal  Christian  greeting,  but  to  the 
giving  of  such  fellowship  as  shall  im- 
ply a  community  of  doctrine.  There 
must  be  the  garment  free  from  the  de- 
filement of  sin.  The  form  of  sound 
words  (2  Tim.  1  :  13)  and  the  right  atti- 
tude toward  the  truth  are  essential,  in 
the  long  run,  to  the  steadfast  Christian 
life  and  the  supremacy  of  truth  in  the 
world. 

II.  This  verse  explains  ver.  10. 
Biddeth  him  God  speed,  rather, 
giveth  him  greeting.  Every  believer 
must  be  a  helper  to  the  truth,  not  a 
hinderer.  The  truth  is  strong,  but  it 
must  be  witnessed  to.  Because  Elijah 
did  not  bow  the  knee  to  Baal,  seven 
thousand  others  were  aided  in  their 
steadfastness.  It  is  implied  here  that 
false  teachers  in  the  church  must  be 
first  kindly  counseled,  then  put  outside 
of  the  church  if  they  do  not  repent  of 
their  errors.  Evil  deeds.  It  is  im- 
plied that  false  teachings  lead  to  evil 
deeds,  bad  conduct.  The  denial  of  a 
fundamental  belief  will,  in  time,  in- 
jure the  church,  the  truth,  and  indi- 
vidual souls. 

III.  12, 13.  The  conclusion.  12. 
The  apostle's  heart  and  mind  are 
full  of  personal  affection  and  of  the 
desire  to  help  the  cause  of  the  truth. 
Paper  was  made  from  the  Egyptian 
papyrus.  Ink  from  soot,  water,  and 
gum  or  resin.    In  3  John  9  he  mentions 


the  pen,  made  of  a  reed  split.  John 
breaks  off  from  the  mechanical  means 
of  communication  becau.se  he  hopes 
soon  to  see  her.  What  he  writes  is  of 
equal  importance  with  what  he  speaks ; 
the  Spirit  may  guide  equally  in  both. 
Our  joy,  rather,  your.  Christian  fel- 
lowship makes  joy.  (See  i :  *. )  Heaven, 
involving  personal  fellowship  -with 
Jesus  and  fellow-saints,  is  complete 
joy ;  hell  is  joyless.  For  the  present 
the  believer  may  know  Christ  largely 
through  the  printed  page  and  afar  oflF ; 
he,  in  time,  will  see  him  face  to  face 

(1  John  3  :  2). 

13.  Children.  It  is  implied  that 
the  mother  is  dead  or  absent,  and  that 
John  is  a  guest  in  their  house.  There 
was  in  the  early  centuries  a  t«nder 
Christian  fellowship  arising  from  per- 
secution, from  sneers  and  scoffs,  from 
misunderstandings,  and  from  a  com- 
mon hope  in  the  Saviour.  The  mani- 
fest love  for  each  other  was  a  sign  of 
the  Christian  life  (Johh  is :  S5).  Amen, 
to  be  omitted. 

Note  I.  The  proper  treatment 
OF  error.  Elijah  killed  the  false 
prophets  of  Baal  (i  Kings  is  :  40).  Paul 
affirmed  the  truth  of  his  own  teachings, 
putting  the  brand  of  condemnation  upon 
all  false  teachers  (gui.  1 : 8).  If  any  one 
alters  the  teachings  of  the  Revelation  it 
is  said  that  a  curse  will  rest  upon  him 
(Rev.  22 :  19).  Jamcs  and  John  forbade 
some  persons  from  performing  miracles 
in  the  name  of  Je.sus  because  they  were 
not  openly  identified  with  him  (Luke 
9 :  50,  51).  Jesus  reproved  them  saying, 
"  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us." 
In  an  age  when  there  are  many  varying 
beliefs  it  becomes  a  question  of  impor- 
tance to  know  what  ought  to  be  the 
attitude  of  the  believer  toward  error. 
There  must  be  kindness  and  love  to- 
ward those  in  error,  commending  the 


II.  JOHN 


lO'J 


truth  in  love.  Bitterness  of  spirit 
awakens  antagonism  to  the  truth  itself. 
Discrimiratiou  must  be  made  between 
the  fundamentals  of  the  faith  and  tlie 
truths  which  are  not  of  equal  import. 
Even  among  the  apostles  there  are 
varying  aspects  of  the  truth.  In  tlie 
New  Testament  writings  one  can  readily 
distinguish  between  the  views  of  the 
truth  presented  by  Paul,  Peter,  and 
John.  A  person  who  is  in  doubt  on 
important  points  of  doctrine  must  be 
dealt  with  in  a  way  different  from  the 
one  who  has  reached  definite  conclu- 
sions. Jude  presents  different  methods 
of  dealing  with  men  in  different  stages 
of  eri'or  (Jude  22.  23).  Persecution  is 
never  justifiable  even  for  the  most  un- 
scriptural  teachings.  The  Baptists  have 
always  maintained  that  men  are  an- 
swerable to  God  for  the  truth  of  their 
beliefs.  The  teachings  of  revelation 
and  the  reason  are  to  be  employed  to 
overcome  error.  We  must  distinguish 
between  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  and 
the  interpretations  of  them  held  by 
men.  The  interpretations  may  be  er- 
roneous while  the  Bible  teaching  is  ac- 
cepted. The  teaching  of  the  trinity 
must  be  held  as  against  unitarianism  ; 
salvation  by  faith  in  Christ  must  be 
held  as  against  baptismal  regeneration  ; 
the  suflSciency  of  the  Scriptures  must 
be  held  as  against  the  demands  of  ra- 
tionalism ;  the  equality  of  believers 
must  be  held  as  against  the  claims  of 
a  priesthood.  Many  doctrines  in  their 
main  outlines  are  to  be  regarded  as 
fixed  and  unchangeable.  There  must 
never  be  opposition  to  the  truth  that  is 
contained  in  the  erroneous  teaching. 
There  must  not  be  an  indiscriminate 
opposition.  All  errors  derive  their 
power  from  the  truth  contained  in 
them.  As  against  universalism,  the 
tenderness  and  mercy  of  God  must  not 
be  assailed ;  as  against  unitarianism 
the  true  humanity  of  Jesus  must  be 
conceded;  as  against  spiritualism  the 
existence  of  the  soul  after  death  must 
be  recognized.  Bigotry  is  the  bitter 
holding  of  a  pai-t  of  the  truth  ;  indif- 
ferentism  as  to  the  truth  is  worse  than 
bigotry.  More  danger  is  to  be  feared 
in  this  age  from  sentimentalism,  a 
loose  holding  of  the  truth,  than  from 
persecution.  There  must  be  a  desire 
to  get  to  know  all  the  truth  of  revela- 
tion; the  truth  when  seen    must   be 


loved.,  not  surrendered  or  compromised  ; 
the  truth  must  l)e  borne  witness  to  in 
all  fitting  ways.  It  requires  great 
wisdom  to  hold  the  truth  in  love,  to 
recognize  truth  wherever  seen,  to  be  a 
witness  for  the  truth,  to  condemn  all 
error,  to  think  more  of  truth  than  of 
pleasing  others. 

Note  II.    The  place  of  woman 

IN  THE  New  TE.STAMENT  CHURCHES. 
Woman  fills  a  large  place  in  the  annals 
of  the  beginnings  of  Christianity.  Siie 
is  a  recognized  New  Testament  force. 
We  find  women  among  the  personal 
friends  and  helpers  of  Jesus,  adding  to 
the  comfort  and  efhciency  of  his  life 
(Luke  8  : 2, 3).  In  the  home  at  Bethany 
Jesus  found  a  comforting  and  restful 
love.  It  was  a  woman,  Mary,  who  per- 
ceived clearly  the  drift  of  his  life  to- 
ward deatli,  when  the  minds  of  the  disci- 
ples were  blinded  by  their  preconceived 
notions  of  the  Messiah  (John  12  :  7). 
Women  were  among  the  last  at  the 
cross  and  were  the  first  at  the  sepulchre. 
It  was  a  woman  to  whom  the  risen 
Saviour  revealed  himself.  Women  be- 
came thereby  the  first  missionaries  of 
the  risen  Christ.  In  Rom.  16  we  have 
a  luminous  list  of  women  who  were 
effective  helpers  in  the  Christian  ac- 
tivities of  the  first  century.  It  was 
Phoebe,  a  deacon  of  the  Cenchrean 
church,  who  was  entrusted  with  tlie 
mission  of  carrying  the  letter  to  the 
Roman  church  (Rom.  le  :  1).  It  was 
Priscilla  M'ho  became  a  theological 
teacher,  giving  instruction  to  the  elo- 
quent Apollos,  bringing  him  into  a 
larger  light  (Acts  is  :  2g).  Dorcas  was 
the  forerunner  of  many  of  the  helpful 
agencies  by  which  a  sad  and  suffering 
world  is  made  bearable  (Acts  9:36). 
The  four  daughters  of  Philip  were 
prophets,  helping  the  believers  by  their 
appeals  and  counsels  (Acts  21  :  9).  Paul 
everywhere  found  coworkers  among 
the  Christian  women.  In  Philippi 
the  first  convert  in  Europe  was  a 
woman  who  became  thereby  the  first- 
fruits  of  that  mighty  movement  that 
we  know  as  P^uropean  civilization. 
Two  notable  women  were  Paul's  help- 
ers at  Philippi,  Euodiasand  Syntyehe 
(Phil.  4:8).  One  of  the  converts  at 
Athens  was  a  woman  named  Daniaris. 
The  chief  women  in  the  towns  of  Asia 
Minor  became  centers  of  a  new  in- 


110 


II.  JOHN 


fluence  that  gave  birth  to  churches 
and  a  Christian  movement  that  in  time 
controlled  things  (Acts  n  -.  *).  lu  this 
letter  we  have  a  glimpse  of  two  Chris- 
tian women  and  two  Christian  homes. 
The  children  of  these  homes  were 
tributes  to  the  efficiency  of  the  home 
training.  That  the  aged  apostle  should 
send  a  letter  to  a  Christian  woman,  and 
that  this  letter  should  be  preserved 
Avhen  some  of  Paul's  writings  have 
perished,  is  a  proof  of  the  position  and 
recognized  power  of  the  Christian 
woman  in  the  first  century.  Jesus 
Christ  raised  woman  to  a  new  height ; 
and  woman,  in  turn,  gave  Christianity 
a  wonderful  impulse  in  the  world. 
Compare  comments  on  1  Cor.  14  :  35 ; 
Kom.  16  :  1 ;  and  1  Tim.  3  :  11. 

Note  3.  The  errors  of  the  first 
CENTURY.  It  is  sometimes  mistakenly 
thought  that  the  first  century  was  pe- 
culiarly free  from  errors  in  doctrine 
and  looseness  in  life.  It  was,  however, 
a  hard  struggle  for  the  truth  to  main- 
tain itself.  The  New  Testament  letters 
reveal  a  restless  spirit  and  many  per- 
versions of  the  true  teaching.  The 
letter  to  the  Romans  reveals  a  dormant, 
spiritual  life  (Rom.  is :  ii).  The  letters 
to  the  Corinthians  show  a  divided 
church,  and  a  denial  by  some  of  the 
resurrection.  The  letter  to  the  Gala- 
tians  presents  a  widespread  teaching 
denying  the  foundation  thoughts  of 
Chi'istianity.  The  letter  to  the  Colos- 
sians  gives  a  glimpse  of  doctrines  as- 
sailing the  nature  of  the  person  of 
Christ.  The  letter  to  the  Hebrews  is 
an  exhortation  not  to  go  back  to  the 
imperfect  teachings  of  Judaism.  Every 
letter  is  a  protest  against  false  teaching 
and  living;  an  appeal  to  correct  think- 
ing, to  sound  doctrine,  to  holy  living. 
It  is  probable  that  no  doctrinal  error 
of  recent  years  has  arisen,  that  did  not, 
in  its  essential  features,  spring  up  in 
the  early  centuries.  The  great  modern 
errors  are  simply  the  old  untruths  under 
new  forms.    The  study  of  church  his- 


tory is  valuable  in  that  it  shows  us 
how  the  early  churches  met  and  over- 
came false  and  perverted  teachings. 

Pkactical  Remarks. 

1.  A  good  Christian  character  will  win 
its  way  and  command  the  respect  of  all. 
The  best  wealth  of  a  church  is  the  fine 
characters  of  its  membership. 

2.  Peace  can  never  come  to  the  heart 
except  through  God's  forgiveness.  The 
world  may  get  a  peace  through  forget- 
fulness.  Jesus  alone  bestows  a  peace 
that  is  restful,  abiding,  growing,  holy 
(ver.  3). 

3.  To  rejoice  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
others  is  a  mark  of  the  Christian  life.  To 
try  to  make  others  fall  is  Satanlike.  Every 
advance  in  the  Redeemer's  kingdom 
should  awaken  rejoicing.  The  angels  re- 
joice when  Jesus  wins  a  lost  man  (ver.  4). 

4.  Mutual  exhortation  is  helpful  in  the 
Christian  life.  It  is  commanded  in  Heb. 
10  :  25.  The  membership  in  the  church  is 
almost  a  necessity  for  Christian  living 
(ver.  5). 

5.  The  love  that  (Jod  is  pleased  with  is 
that  which  leads  to  the  doing  of  God's 
will.  The  yoke  of  service  is  easy  to  wear 
when  it  is  lined  with  love  (ver.  6). 

6.  God  does  not  raise  up  deceivers, 
but  being  raised  up  they  become  indi- 
rectly a  blessing,  in  that  they  cause  a  re- 
newed examination  of  questions  in  dis- 
cussion, and  insure  a  more  intelligent 
defense  of  them.  Attacks,  in  recent  years, 
upon  the  trustworthiness  of  the  biblical 
records  have  placed  them  on  a  firmer 
foundation  (ver.  6). 

7.  To  be  a  Christian  is  to  have  forgive- 
ness, guidance,  blessings  here  and  here- 
after, the  presence  of  God  himself.  No 
one  can  know  God,  or  possess  God,  ex- 
cept through  Jesus  Christ  (ver.  9). 

8.  What  a  man  believes  and  teaches  is 
important.  The  beliefs  of  the  heart  will, 
in  time,  control  the  life  (ver.  10). 


III.  JOHN 


1  THE   elder    unto    the   wellbeloved 
•Gaius,  >>  whom  I  love  in  the  truth. 

2  Beloved,  I  wish  above  all  things  that 
thou  mayest  prosper  and  be  in  health, 

3  even  as  thy  soul  prospereth.    "  For  I 


1  THE  elder  to  Gaius  the   beloved, 
whom  I  love  in  truth. 

2  Beloved,  I  pray  that  in  all  things 
thou  mayest  prosper  and  be  in  health, 

3  as  thy  soul  prospers.    For  I  rejoiced 


a  Acts  19  :  29. 


c  2  John  4. 


This  letter,  doubtless  coincident  with 
the  second  letter  in  order  of  time,  re- 
sembles it  in  its  general  structure  and 
style.  All  three  letters  revolve  about 
the  kindred  thoughts  of  truth  and  love. 

John  addresses  Gaius,  one  of  the 
pillars  of  the  church  (ver.  i);  he  prays 
that  he  may  be  prospered  in  his  spir- 
itual life  (ver.  2-1);  praiscs  him  for  his 
hospitality  toward  missionaries  (^er. 
5-8) ;  notices  the  hostility  of  Diotrephes, 
a  turbulent  member  (^er.  9,  lo);  men- 
tions Demetrius  as  an  illustration  of 
the  good  element  in  the  church  (ver. 
11,  12);  and  sends  greeting  to  Gaius, 
whom  he  hopes  to  see  soon  (ver.  i3,  u). 

I.  1.  The  address.  The  author  of 
this   letter  is   the    elder,  the   aged 

Apostle     John.      (See   2   John,    ver.    1.)       He 

modestly  and  invariably  describes  him- 
self under  some  general  or  distinguish- 
ing description,     (see  Jol^a  l  :  35;    21  :  20.) 

In  striking  contrast  to  the  claims  made 
and  the  terms  used  by  the  modern 
popes  and  the  bishops  of  Rome  in 
the  early  centuries  is  the  modest  de- 
meanor of  Peter  and  John.  Gaius. 
Three  men  of  this  name  are  mentioned 
in  the  New  Testament  by  Paul  (Acts 

19   :   29;    20   :   4  ;    Rom.    16   :   23  ;    1    Cor.  1  :  U). 

As  all  these  men  perhaps  lived  at 
an  earlier  age,  it  is  probable  that 
John  refers  to  another  bearing  the 
same  name.  We  are  left  in  doubt  as 
to  the  man  referred  to  and  as  to  the 
place  of  residence.  It  is  not  asserted 
in  the  address  that  he  held  an  office  in 
the  church,  but  he  was  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  pillars  of  the  church.  In 
the  truth,  rather,  in  truth,  marks  the 
sphere  in  which  the  love  takes  place ; 
it  is  not  a  mere  personal  love,  but  a 


love  that  springs  from  mutual  indwell- 
ing in  the  truth  of  Christ;  iu  other 
words  a  Christian  love. 

II.  2-12.  The  substance  of  the 
LETTER.  The  letter  centers  about  three 
persons,  Gaius,  Diotrephes,  and  De- 
metrius. There  is  a  tribute  to  the  char- 
acter of  Gaius,  and  praise  for  his  hos- 
pitality to  Christ's  messengers. 

III.  A  prayer  that  Gaius  may  pros- 
per in  outward  affairs  as  he  does  in 
his  spiritual  life  (ver.  2-4). 

2.  I  wish  .  .  .  prosper,  rather,  I 
pray  that  in  all  things  thou  mayest 
prosper.  This  is  an  instance  of  inter- 
cessory prayer.  Health.  The  refer- 
ence IS  to  bodily  health,  which  is  here 
made  a  subject  of  prayer.  It  may  be 
that  Gaius  had  been  .sick,  as  had  been 
other  servants  of  Christ,     (see  an  instance 

of  Paul,  2  Cor.  12  :  7  ;   of  Timothy,  1  Tim.  6  :  25  ;  of 

Trophimus,  2  Tim.  4 :  20.)  Gaius  was  a  man 
spiritually  minded,  growing  in  grace, 
caring  especially  for  the  inner  life. 
Soul  prospers.  It  is  a  curse  to  a 
man  when  outward  prosperity  comes 
with  an  impoverished  spiritual  life. 
The  soul  is  the  standard  of  piety.  Paul 
looked  upon  the  inner  man  as  the  true 
man  (2  Cor.  4  ;  le).  John's  prayer  is  the 
reverse  of  that  which  is  usually  made, 
for  generally  the  outward  prosperity 
exceeds  the  growth  of  tlie  soul  in  piety. 
A  wealthy  soul  atones  largely  for  a  life 
girt  about  with  infirmities  and  obsta- 
cles. Job  is  an  example  of  incorrupti- 
ble integrity  in  the  midst  of  suffering. 

3.  For  gives  the  proof  of  the  pros- 
perous soul  of  Gaius.  John  considers 
first  his  general  faithfulness  in  Chris- 
tian work,  and  in  ver.  5  mentions  the 
special  cause  of  commendation.  Re- 
Ill 


112 


III.  JOHN 


rejoiced  greatly,  when  the  brethren 
came  and  testified  of  the  truth  that  is 
in  thee,  even  as  "  thou  vvalkest  in  the 

4  truth.  I  have  no  greater  joy  than  to 
hear  that  «my  children  walk  in  the 
truth. 

5  Beloved,  thou  doest  faithfully  what- 
soever thou  doest  to  the  brethren,  and 


greatly,  when  brethren  came  aud  tes- 
tified to  thy  truth,  even  as  thou  walkest 

4  in  the  truth.  I  have  no  greater  joy 
than  this,  to  hear  of  my  children  walk- 
ing in  the  truth. 

5  Beloved,  thou  doest  a  faithful  work, 
in  whatever  thou  doest  to  the  breth- 


d  I  Cor.  4  ;  15 ;  Gal.  4  :  19  ,■  Philem.  10. 


joiced,  in  the  aorist  tense,  points 
out  a  definite  time  in  the  past  when 
John  heard  of  Gaius's  life.  Brethren 
came  from  Gaius's  home  and  testified 
publicly  to  his  Christian  life.  Of  the 
truth  that  is  in  thee,  rather,  ttnto 
thy  truth.  The  t7'uth,  the  conformity 
to  the  life  and  teachings  of  Christ,  was 
openly  shown  in  his  life.  While  errors 
were  abounding,  Gaius  maintained  an 
orthodox  belief.  His  creed  and  his 
conduct  were  such  as  to  awaken  the 
praise  of  John.  Walkest  shows  the 
constantly  maintained  Christian  life. 
A  man  is  responsible  for  his  beliefs ; 
they  are  his  own.  They  both  make 
him  and  he  makes  them.  The  two 
thoughts  that  control  this  letter  are 
truth  and  love.  John  joins  them  in- 
dissolubly  together. 

4.  This  verse  explains  the  "greatly 
rejoiced"  of  ver.  3.  I  .  .  .  truth, 
rather.  Greater  joy  have  I  none  than 
this,  to  hear  of  my  children  ivalking  in 
the  truth.  Gaius  had,  in  all  likelihood, 
been  won  to  Christ  through  John's 
ministry,  hence  he  calls  him  a  child. 
In  like  manner  Paul  speaks  of  Timothy 
(2  Tim.  1  : 2).  John  was  not  simply  a 
preacher  leading  men  to  Christ,  but 
also  a  shepherd  watching  over  them  in 
their  life  and  development.  Paul  ex- 
presses his  grief  over  wayward  dis- 
ciples (Phil-  3 :  18).  God's  heart  was  cut 
with  grief  at  beholding  the  wicked- 
ness of  his  creatures  («en.  6:6).  It  is  a 
mark  of  true  piety,  of  the  Christian 
man,  of  the  good  angel  to  rejoice  in 
well-being  and  in  well-doing.  The 
Christian  character  of  Gaius  was  the 
source  of  John's  Christian  joy.  Paul 
counts  the  saved  Thessalonian  Chris- 
tians his  joy  and  crown  at  the  last  day 
(1  Thess.  3:9).  Evcn  Jesus  finds  his 
heaven  more  heavenly  because  his 
people  are  with  him  (John  17  :  24). 

IV.  5-8.  Praise  OF  Gaius  FOR  HIS 

HOSPITALITY  ;  SUCH  HELPFULNESS 
BRINGS  INTO  FELLOWSHIP  WITH  THE 
TRUTH. 


5.  Beloved  marks  the  introduc- 
tion of  a  new  thought.  Four  times  in 
this  short  letter  John  uses  the  term 
(ver.  1,  a,  8,  11).  In  the  presence  of  op- 
position and  faction  in  the  church  his 
love  grows  deeper  toward  the  faithful 
element  in  the  church.  Doest  marks 
the  constant  tenor  of  his  life ;  it  was  a 
character  fixed  in  helpfulness.  Faith- 
ful shows  the  conformity  of  the  life  to 
the  commandment  of  love.  It  was  a 
love  not  in  word  only,  but  revealed  in 
deed,  in  life ;  a  walk  belonging  only  to 
those  who  belong  to  the  class  of  faith- 
ful men  (iJohns:i8).  Whatsoever 
marks  the  entire  range  of  the  treatment 
of  the  Christian  brother.  A  cup  of 
cold  water  will  not  be  forgotten  (Man. 
10  :  42).  Jesus  makes  use  of  the  same 
expression  in  Matt.  26  :  10,  rendered, 
"  wrought  a  good  work  upon  me." 
To  .  .  .  strangers,  rather,  toward 
them  that  are  brethren  and  strangers 
withal.  The  brethren  here  are  those 
who  came  to  them  as  strangers,  from 
abroad.  A  hospitality  to  strangers  was 
an  exhibition  of  Christian  love.     (s«e 

Bom.    13  :  IS  ;    1  Tim    3:2;    Titua   1:7;   Heb.  18  : 

2 ;  1  Peter  4:9.)  Emphasls  is  laid  in  the 
New  Testament  upon  the  practical 
duty  of  hospitality  in  welcoming  the 
traveling  preacher.  The  absence  of 
places  of  entertainment,  the  general 
poverty  of  the  preachers,  the  new  sense 
of  a  Christian  brotherhood,  made  this 
a  test  of  Christian  love.  The  "Teach- 
ing of  the  Twelve  Apostles,"  written 
about  A.  D.  100,  speaks  of  the  duty  of 
giving  a  home  to  the  traveling  minister, 
but  not  for  any  length  of  time,  lest  the 
duty  become  burdensome.  Jesus,  in 
sending  out  the  Twelve,  bade  them  find 
a  home  with  those  who  were  found  to 
be  worthy  (Matt,  lo  :  u).  Jesus  some- 
times found  no  open  door  for  himself 
on  his  journeys  (Luke  9:53).  Chris- 
tianity obtained  its  hold  in  the  first 
century  through  men  who  went  out  in 
the  manner  here  described,  sometimes 
driven  out  by  persecution  (Act*  8:4); 


III.  JOHN 


113 


6  to  strangers:  which  have  borne  wit- 
ness of  thy  charity  before  the  church  : 
whom  if  thou  bring  forward  on  their 
journey  after  a  godly  sort,  thou  shalt 

7  do  well  :  because  that  =  for  his  name's 
sake  they  went  forth,  'taking  nothing 

8  of  the  Gentiles.  We  therefore  ought 
to  receive  such,  that  we  might  be 
fellowhelpers  to  the  truth. 


6  ren.  and  that  to  strangers,  who  testified 
to  thy  love  before  tlie  church  ;  whom 
thou  wilt  do  well  to  send  forward  on 

7  their  journey  worthily  of  God  ;  for  on 
behalf  of  the  NAME  they  went  forth, 

8  taking  nothing  from  the  Gentiles.  We 
therefore  ought  to  sustain  such  per- 
sons, that  we  may  become  fellow- 
workers  for  the  truth. 


/  1  Cor.  9  :  12,  15. 


sometimes  impelled  by  an  irrepressible 
desire  to  save  men. 

6.  The  evangelists  gave  an  account 
of  their  journeys  and  triumphs  before 
the  assembled  church,  where  John  was 
at  this  time  living.  Which  .  .  . 
charity,  rather,  who  bare  witness  to 
thy  love.  In  like  manner  Paul  and 
Barnabas  gave  an  account  of  their 
missionary  journey  before  the  church 
at  Autioch  (Acts  11 :  n).  From  a  praise 
of  the  past  John  turns  to  the  future, 
urging  them  to  a  like  conduct  when 
the  evangelist  should  return  to  his 
community.  Whom  . . .  well,  rather, 
whom  thou  wilt  do  well  to  send  forivard 
on  their  journey  worthily  of  God.  The 
evangelists  were  engaged  in  God's 
service,  they  were  worthy  therefore  of 
highest  commendation.  To  help  them 
was,  in  reality,  to  help  God  in  his  work 
upon  the  earth.  In  like  manner  Jesus 
speaks  of  the  reception  that  ought  to 
be  accorded  to  his  messengers  (Matt,  lo  : 
*•>).  Jesus  regards  kindness  shown  to- 
ward his  disciples  as  displayed  toward 
himself  (Acts  9:4;  Matt.  25  :  40).  Hos- 
pitality when  exercised  with  the  right 
motive  becomes  a  godlike  act. 

7.  This  verse  shows  the  high  calling 
of  the  work  of  the  evangelists.  For 
his  name's  sake,  rather,  for  the 
sake  of  the  name.  The  name  stands 
for  the  unseen  person,  by  whose  com- 
mand and  moved  by  whose  love  they 
went  out,  here  meaning  the  name  of 
Christ.  James  speaks  of  the  name  of 
the  Lord  (5:u),  meaning  Jesus.  To 
the  first-century  Christians  there  was 
no  dividing  line  as  to  the  divine  nature 
between  Jesus  and  God ;  Jesus  was  to 
them  the  manifested  God  (John  i  :  u). 
In  a  natural  manner  John  passes  from 
the  thought  of  God,  meaning  theFather, 
to  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  the  head  of  the 
church,  in  whose  interests  these  men 
went  out.  (See  Col.  1  :  18.)  They  wciit 
forth  from  the  church  into  the  world, 
not  to  deceive,  as  the  antichrists  (i  John 

H 


2  :  19).  Taking  nothings  from  the 
Gentiles.  Their  sphere  of  lal)or  was 
evangelizing,  giving  the  good  news  to 
the  heathen,  those  outside  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  faith.  To  prevent  mis- 
conceptions of  Christianity,  that  their 
mission  might  not  be  regarded  as  mer- 
cenary, they  took  nothing.  Tlie  words 
in  the  Greek  imply  that  this  was  their 
deliberate  purpose.  Paul  preached  in 
a  like  manner,  refusing  to  take  pay 
from  the  newly  formed  churches  (i  cor. 

9  :  18;     1    Cor.  11  :  7  ;     1    Theas.  2  :  »).        JeSUS 

commanded  a  like  course  in  Matt.  10  : 
8.  On  the  other  hand,  Paul  insists  on 
his  right  and  the  right  of  the  ministry 
to  a  maintenance  from  the  churches 
when  establifshed  (i  Cor  9  :  u ;  ii.b.  i3 :  le). 
A  first  duty  among  tlie  missionaries 
to-day  is  the  v/ork  of  bringing  the 
native  churches  to  a  self-support.  For 
the  extent  of  correspondence  and  travel 
in  the  fir.st  century,  consult  the  chapter 
in  Ramsay's  "Letters  to  the  Seven 
Churches,"  entitled  "  Writing,  Travel, 
and  Letters  among  the  Early  Chris- 
tians." 

8.  This  verse  reveals  the  duty  of  the 
Christian  to  the  evangelist.  It  is  a 
matter  of  duty  to  receive,  rather, 
tvelcoyne,  such  persons.  Their  recep- 
tion must  be  anticipated  and  provided 
for  by  the  Christian,  not  sought  by  the 
missionary  as  if  soliciting  alms.  Fel- 
low-helpers to  the  truth,  rather, 
according  to  the  best  text,  fellow- 
workers  for  the  truth.  Those  contrib- 
uting of  their  means  or  their  hospitality 
become  participants  in  the  work  of  the 
spiritual  conquest  of  the  world.  Each 
Christian,  by  virtue  of  his  Christian 
life,  must  be  engaged  in  the  missionary 
enterprise.  Jesus  Christ  was  a  mis- 
sionary ;  Chri.stianity  is  essentially  a 
missionary  religion,  it  can  live  and 
grow  and  keep  pure  only  by  spreading 
it.  Each  believer  must  go  or  send. 
There  is,  in  reality,  no  dividing  line 
between  the  secular  and  the  sacred  ; 


114 


III.  JOHN 


9  I  wrote  unto  the  church  :  but  Diot- 
rephes,  ewbo  loveth  to  have  the  pre- 
eminence among  them,  receiveth  us 
10  not.  Wherefore,  if  I  come,  I  will  re- 
member his  deeds  which  lie  doeth, 
prating  against  us  with  malicious 
words.  And  not  content  therewith, 
neither  doth  he  himself  receive  the 
brethren,  and  forbiddeth   them    that 


9  I  wrote  somewhat  to  the  church  ; 
but  Diotrephes,  who  loves  to  have  the 
pre-eminence  among  them,  receives  us 
10  not.  Therefore,  if  I  come,  I  will  bring 
to  remembrauce  his  deeds  which  he 
does,  prating  against  us  with  evil 
words.  And  not  content  therewith, 
neither  does  he  himself  receive  the 
brethren,  and  those  who  wish  to  do  so, 


g  Matt.  23  :  8,  Mark  10  ;  44. 


material  things  given  for  Christ,  hos- 
pitality toward  the  unknown  workers, 
are  essentially  spiritual  acts.  In  the 
original  there  is  a  play  upon  the  words ; 
the  missionaries  take  nothing  from  the 
Gentiles,  therefore  we  ought  to  take 
them  up  and  help  them.  This  verse 
gives  the  spirit  and  method  of  giving 
and  working — not  to  please  others,  but 
to  help  the  cause  of  Christ.  Each  one 
so  participating  becomes  a  partner 
with  God,  with  Jesus,  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  great  work  of  saving  the 
world.  Helpfulness  is  a  duty  and  a 
privilege. 

V.  9, 10.  The  hostility  of  Di- 
otrephes. The  early  churches  were 
made  up  of  imperfect  men.  All  the 
letters  of  the  New  Testament  reveal 
the  mixed  character  of  the  member- 
ship. There  were  quarrels  among  the 
members  (Ptii.  4:2);  factions  in  the 
church  ( 1  Cor.  i  :  h  ) ;  doctrinal  errors 
(1  Cor.  15  :  12) ;  defections  on  the  part  of 
teachers  (i  Tim.  i  :  20) ;  a  sluggish  re- 
ligious life  { Heb.  5:12).  Evcu  the  super- 
vision of  the  apostles  did  not  keep  out 
impurities. 

9.  John,  though  an  apostle,  did  not 
have  the  support  and  help  of  all  the 
members  of  the  cliurch.  Paul  also 
found  a  turbulent  opposition,  disputing 
his  authority  (2  cor.  4 :  lo).  John  had 
•written  a  previous  letter  to  the  church 
on  this  same  subject  doubtless,  the 
welcoming  of  the  traveling  preachers. 
I  wrote,  rather,  /  wrote  somewhat ; 
not  asserting  that  it  was  important  or 
unimportant,  but  simply  stating  the 
fact  of  writing.  This  letter  liad  been 
withheld,  perliaps  destroyed,  by  Diot- 
rephes. In  like  manner,  at  least,  one 
of  Paul's  letters  disappeared  (1  Cor.  5:9). 
It  is  a  possibility  tliat  some  of  the  lost 
letters  of  apostolic  times  may  yet  be 
recovered.  The  letter  was  sent  to  the 
church,  not  as  here  to  a  person,  of 
which  both  Gains  and  Diotrephes  were 
members.    Diotrephes  gained  nothing 


by  destroying  the  letter,  for  we  have 
in  this  letter,  doubtless,  a  repetition  of 
its  contents,  with  the  added  character- 
ization of  Diotrephes  liimself.  Diot- 
rephes. We  know  nothing  of  him 
except  from  this  allusion.  He  was, 
perhaps,  one  of  the  pastors  of  the 
church,  having  gotten  the  church 
largely  under  his  influence.  In  the 
same  church,  supporting  the  authority 
of  John,  were  Demetrius  (>er.  12)  and 
Gains.  Diotrephes  rejected  the  au- 
thority of  John,  and  refused  to  receive 
the  messengers.  He  may  have  been  a 
Judaizer  (Gai.  2:4)  who  did  not  sym- 
pathize with  the  work  among  the  Gen- 
tiles, or  it  may  have  been  simply  the 
desire  to  have  the  preeminence  that 
ruled  him.  He  was  a  small-sized  pope 
in  the  church.  The  New  Testament 
church  was  democratic  in  its  form  of 
government,  according  to  which  the 
majority  had  the  power  of  control. 
See  1  Cor.  5:4;  2  Cor.  2  :  6,  where 
"  many"  should  be  rendered  the  many 
or  the  more.  Such  a  form  of  govern- 
ment always  gives  opportunity  for  a 
popular  bad  man  to  get  an  undue  con- 
trol ;  but  this  is  one  of  the  peiils  to 
which  every  good  institution  is  ex- 
posed. 

10.  Here  is  shown  tlie  attitude  of 
John  toward  Diotrephes.  See  Paul's 
words  to  the  factious  element  of  the 
Corinthian  church  (2  cor.  10).  Where- 
fore, rather,  therefore.  If  I  come 
refers  to  some  intended  journey  of  the 
apostle,  of  which  he  doubtless  made 
many  among  the  churches  of  Asia 
Minor  from  Ephesus  as  a  center.  Will 
remember,  ratlier,  will  bring  to  re- 
membrance. John  would  lay  before 
the  church  the  works  of  Diotrephes, 
not  known  perhaps  to  all,  and  not  rea- 
lized in  their  full  enormity.  He  had 
spoken  publicly  against  the  apostle, 
prating  with  malicious  words, 
rather,  wicked,  implying  tliat  the  as- 
sertions of  Diotrephes  were  of  an  un- 


III.  JOHN 


115 


would,  and   casteth  them  out  of   the 

11  church.  Beloved,  '^  follow  uot  that 
which  is  evil,  but  that  which  is  good. 
■  He  that  doeth  good  is  of  God  :  but  he 
that  doeth  evil  huth  not  .seen  God. 

12  Demetrius  ''  hath  good  report  of  all 
men,  and  of  the  truth  itself :  yeu,  and 
we  also  bear  record  ;  '  and  ye  know 
that  our  record  is  true. 


he  forbids,  and  casts  them  out  of  the 
church. 

11  Beloved,  do  not  imitate  what  is  evil, 
but  what  is  good.  He  that  does  good, 
is  of  God  ;  he  that  does  evil,  has  not 
seen  God. 

12  To  Demetrius,  testimouy  has  been 
borne  by  all,  and  by  the  truth  itself ; 
yea.  we  also  testify,  and  thou  knowest 
that  our  testimony  is  true. 


A  Exod.  23  :  2  ;  Ps.  37  :  27  ;  Isa.  1  ;  16,  17;  1  Peter  3  :  10-13. 

k  I  Tim.  3:7.  I  Johu  21  :  24. 


1  JoUn  2  :  29  i  3  :  6-9. 


worthy  sort.  Casteth.  Through  his 
influence  by  a  formal  vote  they  were 
put  outside  the  pale  of  the  church, 
suffering  loss  in  business  and  social 
standing  thereby.  There  was  a  legiti- 
mate exclusion  from  the  church  for 
unworthy  conduct  (i  Cor.  5:5);  here 
the  exclusion  was  for  adherence  to  the 
truth.  John  Huss,  tied  to  the  stake, 
covered  with  a  robe  on  which  were  pic- 
tures of  demons,  a  martyr  for  his  love 
of  the  truth,  said,  "  I  appeal  from  your 
unjust  judgment  to  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ."  Jesus  sought  out  one  ex- 
communicated for  his  sake  (John  9  :  S5); 
in  like  manner  John  here  approves 
the  action  of  the  excluded  members. 
One,  Diotrephes,  wealthy,  intellectual, 
with  high  social  standing,  with  a  repute 
for  piety,  may  suffice  to  ruin  a  church, 
may  prove  stronger,  for  a  time,  than 
the  truth  of  Christ  and  the  authority 
of  the  apostles  even. 
VI.  11,  12.  Fellowship  must  be 

HAD  WITH  THE  GOOD;  OF  THIS  DEME- 
TRIUS IS  AN  EXAMPLE. 

11.  John  goes  back  from  specific 
examples  to  the  large  controlling  prin- 
ciples of  the  life,  of  which  he  sees  only 
two  possible,  the  good,  the  evil.  He 
affirms  of  Diotrephes,  because  his  ac- 
tions are  evil,  that  he  has  not  seen  God. 
John  goes  back  from  men  and  their 
individual  lives  to  their  sources;  to 
God  who  makes  and  maintains  good- 
ness ;  to  Satan  who  makes  evil  in  the 
heart.  This  verse  is  a  reminiscence  of 
1  John  3  :  6.  Diotrephes  would  lose  his 
hold  upon  the  deluded  good  memliers 
of  the  church  if  thej'  could  see  his  char- 
acter in  its  true  light.  Through  Gains 
the  opinion  of  John  would  probably  be 
made  known  to  the  church  to  some 
extent. 

12.  The  bad  to  be  avoided  finds  il- 
lustration in  Diotrephes,  the  good  to 
be  imitated  finds  expression  in  Deme- 


trius, who  is  at  the  opposite  remove 
from    Diotrephes.       Good    report, 

rather,  witness.  The  same  persons 
who  brought  an  ill  -report  of  Diot- 
rephes, brought  also  a  good  report  of 
Demetrius.  A  threefold  testimony  is 
borne  concerning  him  ;  first,  those  who 
know  him ;  secondly,  of  the  truth 
itself.  This  means  that  his  conform- 
ity to  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  to  Jesus 
Christ,  who  is  the  truth,  is  so  apparent 
that  it  is  as  though  the  truth  itself 
bears  witness  to  him.  Thirdly,  we 
.  .  .  record,  rather,  we  also  hear  wit- 
ness. It  was  of  great  importance  for  the 
sake  of  the  truth  in  this  communitj', 
and  for  the  support  of  Demetrius  in 
his  struggle  for  right  doctrine  and  for 
rightful  government  that  Demetrius 
should  be  strongly  supported,  hence 
John  adds  his  own  apostolic  authority. 
Ye  .  .  .  true,  rather,  thou  knowest 
that  our  ivitness  is  true.  The  weight 
of  John's  personal  character  and  his 
apostolic  authority  would  have  great 
influence  with  Gaius  and  the  right- 
thinking  part  of  the  membership.  John 
was  not  a  mild-thinking  man,  destitute 
of  force  of  character,  when  the  truth 
was  at  stake.  He  was  a  sturdy  an- 
tagonist for  the  truth,  and  for  good 
men  in  standing  by  the  truth.  Every 
age  needs  its  Demetrius  and  its  Gains 
in  the  contests  that  arise  for  maintain- 
ing a  correct  mold  of  doctrine  and  a 
right  administration  of  Christ's  au- 
thority upon  the  earth.  All  good  men 
should  stand  openly  for  the  truth,  in 
its  advocacy  and  for  its  supremac>\ 
What  was  the  result  of  this  admoni- 
tion, whether  the  church  was  saved, 
whether  John's  authority  was  resisted, 
whether  Diotrephes  himself  was  ex- 
cluded or  won  to  the  truth,  these  ques- 
tions cannot  be  answered.  Self-will 
will  ruin  a  church.  Heresy,  in  its 
primary  import,  means  a  division  in 


116 


111.  JOHN 


13  °  I  had  many  things  to  write,  but  I 
will  not  with  ink  and  pen  write  unto 

14  thee :   but  I  trust  I  shall  shortly  see 
thee,  and  we  shall  speak  face  to  face. 

Peace  be  to  thee.    Our  friends  salute 
thee.    Greet  the  friends  by  name. 


13  I  had  many  things  to  write  to  thee, 
but  I  wish  not  to  write  to  thee  with 

14  ink  and  pen ;  but  I  hope  straightway 
to  see  thee,  and  we  shall  speak  face  to 
face. 

Peace  be  to  thee.    The  friends  salute 
thee.    Salute  the  friends  by  name. 


m  2  John  12. 


the  church.    Factiousness  and  wrong 
teaching  are  both  enemies  of  the  wel- 
fare and  existence  of  the  church. 
VII.  13,14.  Close  OF  THE  LETTER. 

13.  Many  things  concerning  their 
personal  relations,  concerning  the 
teachings  of  revelation,  concerning  the 
welfare  of  the  church  pressed  upon 
him  while  writing,  but  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case  were  too  urgent  for 
delay.  Write,  rather,  write  unto  thee. 
The  less  occasion  was  there  for  him  to 
write  much  because  he  hoped  soon  to  see 
him.  I  will  not,  rather,  lam  uiunll- 
ing.    Ink  and  pen.    (See  2  John  12.) 

14.  But  introduces,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  proposal  of  a  speedy  visit. 
I  trust  .  .  .  thee,  rather,  /  hope 
shortly  to  see  thee.  There  will  then  be 
the  unrestrained  fellowship  of  Chris- 
tian hearts  and  mutual  converse.  Near- 
ness to  a  common  Christ  makes  near- 
ness to  each  other.  Heaven  will  be 
such  personal  fellowship  entirely  puri- 
fied and  perpetuated.  Peace.  This 
is  the  only  instance  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment of  this  personal  formula.  Jesus 
with  this  term  greeted  his  disciples  (John 
20:19).  Our.  .  .  thee,  rather,  ^^e 
friends  salute  thee.  This  is  the  only 
New  Testament  instance  of  the  Chris- 
tian brethren  being  called  friends.  Sa- 
lute. Tlie  Christian  salutation  would 
be  the  holy  kiss,  a  method  of  greeting 
yet  preserved  in  the  East  (Rom.  le  :  le). 
The  church  as  a  social  organization,  a 
family  in  Christ,  must  have  the  social 
spirit.  Even  Paul  was  cheered  by  the 
presence  of  a  few  friends  with  bright 
words  and  faces  (Acts  28  :  is).  John  had 
the  names  of  many  of  the  brethren  in 
his  mind,  as  Paul  also  carried  in  his 
memory  the  names  of  many  faithful 
men  and  women,  (see  Rom.  le.)  Jesus 
knows  the  names  of  all  his  followers 
(John  10  :  3).  The  personal  character  of 
this  letter  addressed  to  a  person,  not  to 
a  church,  explains  the  use  of  the  term 
friends,  rather  than  tlie  more  formal 
term  of  brothers.  Jesus  himself  had 
hallowed  this  term  friend  in  John  15  : 


15.  Such  a  letter  received  by  a  person 
or  by  the  church  would  be  placed 
among  the  archives  of  the  church  as  a 
part  of  its  treasures ;  would  be  read 
before  the  church  (see  i  Thess.  5-27); 
would  be  copied  and  sent  to  other 
churches,  (see  coi.  * :  i6.)  In  this  way, 
little  by  little,  the  writings  of  the  New 
Testament  were  gathered  together  and 
formed  one  collection. 

Note  I.  The  church  life  as  re- 
vealed IN  THESE  LETTERS.  In  these 
letters  we  see  a  membership  nominally 
Christian,  but  with  much  of  an  un- 
christian spirit.  This  is  true  of  all  the 
churches  to  which  Paul  sent  his  letters. 
(See  the  letters  to  the  churches  at 
Corinth,  Galatia,  Thessalonica. )  That 
a  spiritual  regeneration  was  insisted 
upon  as  a  prerequisite  for  member.ship 
is  evident  from  the  expressed  teach- 
ing everyAvhere  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. (See  Acts  2:47.)  But  the  cliurch 
life,  as  manifest  in  the  first  century, 
is  very  imperfect.  There  was  in  the 
churches,  as  a  rule,  a  plurality  of 
elders.  (See  thus  i  :  4.)  There  was  also 
a  democratic  church  government,  in 
which  the  majority  could  receive  or 
exclude  a  member.  (See2Cor.  2:6.)  This 
power  could  be  used  to  keep  in  the  un- 
worthy member  (i  cor.  5  : 2)^  or  drive 
out  the  worthy,  as  in  3  John  9.  A  re- 
generate church  needs  the  spirit  and 
wisdom  of  Christ  in  order  that  unity 
may  be  preserved  and  Christ's  king- 
dom advanced.  Diotrephes,  Deme- 
trius, and  Gains  may  all  have  been 
elders  in  the  church  to  which  John 
had  written.  The  church  had  its  own 
independent  life,  it  was  a  complete 
church  in  itself.  The  church,  as  em- 
bracing all  the  believers  in  a  district, 
liad  not  yet  arisen.  The  church  life 
and  procedure  were  very  simple, 
though  the  domineering  spirit  of  Di- 
otrephes was  of  precisely  that  kind 
which  gives  birth  to  the  papacy  with 
its  grasping  power. 

In   the  "Teaching   of  the   Twelve 


III.  JOHN 


117 


Apostles "  are  the  following  words 
which  illustrate  the  nieaniug  of  ver.  7  : 
"Let  every  apostle  who  cometh  to  you 
be  received  as  the  Lord.  He  shall  not 
overstay  one  day,  though  if  need  be, 
the  next ;  but  if  he  remain  three  days 
he  is  a  false  prophet.  And  let  not  the 
apostle  on  departing  take  aught  save 
bread  till  he  come  to  a  stopping-place ; 
and  if  he  take  money  he  is  a  false 
prophet.  And  whoso  saith,  in  the 
Spirit,  give  me  moneys  or  other  things, 
you  shall  not  hearken  to  him."  The 
term,  apostle,  as  used  here,  does  not 
refer  to  the  Twelve,  but  to  any  one  sent 
out  by  the  church.  Those  scattered 
by  persecution  became  missionaries, 
spreading  the  word  (Acts  u  :  19).  It  was 
in  this  way,  through  personal  and 
church  activity,  that  Christianity  won 
its  way  in  the  first  centuries  through 
the  entire  Roman  empire. 

Note  II.  John's  cse  of  the  term, 
TRUTH.  John  alone  presents  Jesus 
Christ  as  himself  the  absolute  truth 
(John  14 : 6) .  He  uses  this  term  five  times 
in  2  John,  and  six  times  in  tliis  letter, 
two  private  letters.  Bishop  Alexander 
notes  the  varying  significations  in 
which  John  makes  use  of  the  term. 

I.  Truth  as  objectively  presented. 

1.  As  living  and   embodied  in  the 

Son  (John  U  :  6). 

2.  As  living  and  embodied  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  (l  John  5  :  7). 

3.  As  embodied  in  the  sum  total  of 
the  revelation  of  Jesus,  the  absolute 

truth  (John  1  :  17  ;   8  :  32,  40  ;    16  ;  13  ;    17  :  17). 

II.  The  truth  received  by  us  into  the 
heart  and  life  becomes,  subjectively, 

the  truth  in  us  (l  John  l  :  8  ;  2:4;  2  John  2  ; 
I  John  3), 

1.  Truth  in  thought   (i  John  2  :  21 ;  2 

John  1). 

2.  Truth  in  action  (1  John  1  :  6). 

3.  Truth  in  speech  (John  8  :  45,  46). 

4.  Truth  in  actuality ;  the  fact  as 
opposed   to  that  which  is  seeming  (1 

John  3  :  18  ;    2  John  1  ;    3  John  1). 

The  Christian,  looked  upon  in  the 
ideal  way,  must  be  truthful  in  word, 
must  correspond  in  thought  and  char- 


acter with  Jesus  Christ,  the  absolute 
truth,  must  be  real  in  nature,  not  a 
mere  seeming,  or  hypocrisy.  As  the 
Christian  grows  into  the  likeness  to 
Christ  there  will  be  a  growing  purity 
in  thought,  in  conduct,  and  in  doctrine. 
John  insists  upon  a  correctness  in  doc- 
trine as  well  as  a  correctness  in  life. 
A  falsity  in  one  will  naturally,  in  time, 
beget  a  falsity  in  the  other. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  only  thing  about  a  man  that 
deserves  and  commands  the  respect  of 
others,  in  the  long  run,  is  personal  char- 
acter (ver.  1). 

2.  It  indicates  a  high  state  of  piety 
when,  to  express  our  highest  wishes  for 
friends,  we  hope  that  they  may  be  as 
much  prospered  in  outward  afTairs  as 
they  are  in  tiieir  inner  life.  Outward 
prosperity  ought  always  to  promote  piety; 
frequently  it  hinders  it  and  makes  the  life 
material  (ver.  2). 

3.  The  great  desire  of  Jesus  for  his  dis- 
ciples was  that  they  might  be  kept  from 
evil  (John  17  :  15).  The  great  joy  of 
John's  heart  was  that  a  man  was  living 
in  conformity  with  God's  will  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  ingratitude  of  a  child  is  sharper 
than  a  serpent's  tooth  ;  the  beautiful  life 
of  a  child  brings  gladness  to  the  parent, 
the  Christian  teacher,  the  heart  of  Jesus 
(ver.  4). 

5.  Jesus  sometimes  needed  a  home  when 
on  his  missionary  journeys  (Luke  9  :  54). 
It  is  a  mark  of  the  Christian  to  be  hospi- 
table toward  all  who  are  trying  to  be 
helpful  to  Christ  (ver.  5  ;  Acts  28  :  15). 

6.  It  is  possible  to  do  a  thing,  very  small 
in  itself,  in  a  very  worthy  way  (ver.  6). 

7.  The  New  Testament  order  is,  first 
Christ,  then  the  church  ;  Christ  saves,  the 
church  helps  (ver.  9). 

8.  To  do  wrong  is  a  wicked  thing;  to 
lead  others  to  do  wrong,  to  hinder  other 
people,  is  a  more  wicked  thing.  Diot- 
rephes  was  a  hinderer,  a  stumbling- 
block  in  the  way  of  others.  It  is  more 
natural  to  hiuder  than  to  help  (ver.  10). 


JUDE 


1  »JUDE,  the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  •>  brother  of  James,  <^  to  them  that 
are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and 
*  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,  and « called : 


1  JDDE,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
brother  of  James,  to  the  called,  be- 
loved in  God  the  Father,  and  kept  for 


Matt.  10  :  3.  b  Luke  6  :  16;  Acts  1 :  13, 

d  John  17  :  11,  12,  15;  1  Peter  1 :  5. 


c  John  17  :  17,  19. 
e  Rom.  8  :  30. 


1,2.  Salutation  and  prayer. 

1.  The  author  of  this  letter  is  Jude, 
rather,  Judas.  The  form  is  shortened 
in  the  Received  version,  perhaps  to  dis- 
tinguish him  from  .fudas  the  apostate. 
This  Judas  is  the  same  as  the  brother 
of  our  Lord.  (See  Introduction.)  He 
does  not  give  himself  any  official  desig- 
nation, but  describes  himself  as  a 
servant,  meaning  a  bond  slave,  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Paul  speaks  of  himself 
in  the  same  manner  (Titus  x ;  i).  Alford 
thinks  that  this  term  has  reference  to 
those  who  were  especially  engaged  in 
his  service  in  spreading  the  gospel. 
Brother  of  James.  The  James 
here  mentioned  is  a  man  of  larger 
prominence  in  the  church  than  Judas 
himself.  He  was  not  an  apostle,  but 
one  who,  by  his  relationship  to  Jesus, 
his  position  as  pastor  of  the  mother 
church,  his  character  of  marked  piety, 
being  known  as  James  the  Just,  was 
a  man  of  commanding  influence  and 
power  in  the  first  century.  It  would 
be  unfitting  to  claim  relationship  with 
the  glorified  Christ,  inasmuch  as  all 
would  feel  that  the  ties  which  bound 
him  to  an  earthly  Christ  would  all  be 
sundered  by  Christ's  ascension  and 
glorification,  (see  Matt,  la  :  «.)  The 
brothers  of  Jesus,  including  Judas  and 
James,  did  not  at  first  accept  the  ilea- 
siahship  of  Jesus ;  it  was  only  by  the 
stupendous  fact  of  the  resurrection 
that  they  were  won  (John  7:5).  Judas 
would  naturally  appeal  to  the  superior 
authority  of  James,  because  he  wrote 
mainly  for  the  same  persons  to  whom 
James  wrote,  that  is,  Jewish  Christians. 
To  .  .  .  called,  rather,  To  them  that 

118 


are  called,  beloved  in  God  the  Father, 
and  kejit  for  Jesus  Christ.  The  readers 
are  defined  in  three  ways,  called,  be- 
loved, kept.  Called  has  a  general 
New  Testament  meaning  of,  not  invita- 
tion merely,  but  of  the  acceptance  of 
God's  grace.  He  writes  to  them  as 
bearing  not  merely  the  name  of  Chris- 
tians, but  as  having  Christian  char- 
acter, having  come  into  the  knowledge 
of  the  Saviour.  In  Matt.  20  :  16 
"  called  "  stands  in  contrast  with  elect, 
chosen.  In  other  places,  especially  in 
Paul's  writings,  it  stands  as  the  result 
of  a  predetermining  choice  of  God. 
Beloved.  The  readers  are  bound  to 
Judas,  not  by  ties  of  earthly  kinship 
or  personal  relationship,  but  from  hav- 
ing a  common  relation  to  God  they 
are  all  children  of  God.  Having  come 
into  a  new  life  through  the  Holy  Spirit, 
having  been  adopted  into  the  spiritual 
household  of  God,  being  sons  and 
daughters  in  reality,  they  love  each 
other.  The  term  Father  implies  sons 
and  daughters,  and  the  family  life 
and  love.  Preserved  in,  or,  kept 
for,  Jesus  Christ.  The  tense  of 
the  participle  implies  a  completed 
act,  that  continues  in  its  results.  This 
is  a  favorite  term  in  the  later  writ- 
ings of  the  New  Testament.  Peter 
uses  it  five  times,  John  eight  times  in 
1  John,  Judas  four  times  in  this  letter 
(ver.  1, 6, 31, 24).  The  keeping  power  im- 
plied is  that  of  God  alluded  to  in  John 
17  :  15.  The  time  to  which  Judas  refers 
is  that  of  the  appearance  of  Jesus,  the 
day  of  his  coming.  Christ's  people 
were  redeemed  by  himself,  created 
anew  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  guarded 


JUDE 


119 


2  Mercy  unto  you,  and  f  peace,  and  love, 
be  multiplied. 

3  Beloved,  when  I  gave  all  diligence 
to  write  unto  you  sol  the  common  sal- 
vation, it  was  needful  for  me  to  write 
unto  you,  and  exhort  you  that  >>  ye  1 
should  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith 
which  was  once  delivered    unto  the  i 


2  Jesus  Chri.-t :  Mercy,  and  peace,  and 
love,  be  multiplied  to  you. 

3  Beloved,  while  giving  all  diligence 
to  write  to  you  coucerningourcommon 
salvation,  I  found  it  necessary  to  write 
to  you  exhorting  you  to  contend  ear- 
nestly for  the  faith  delivered  once  for 


/  1  Peter  1  :  2  ;  2  Peter  1  :  2. 


g  Titus  1  :  4. 


ft  Phil.  1  ;  27  ;  1  Tim.  1  :  18  ;  6  ;  12  ;  2  Tim,  1  :  13. 


by  God ;  they  are  finally  presented  to 
himself  as  his  own  (Fph.  5:27).  The 
entire  Godhead  is  concerned  in  the 
saving  and  keeping  of  the  believer. 

2.  In  1  and  2  Timothy  we  have  grace, 
mercy,  peace.  la  1  and  2  Peter  we  have 
grace  and  peace.  Judas  gives  mercy, 
peace,  love.  Mercy  expresses  God's 
feelings  toward  them  as  sinners,  his 
compas.siou ;  peace  is  the  result  in  the 
heart,  of  God's  mercj^,  of  a  reconcilia- 
tion effected;  love  may  refer  to  tlieir 
love  for  each  other  or  to  God's  love  for 
them.  It  is  used  in  the  latter  sense  in 
ver.  21  and  in  2  Cor.  13  :  14.  .Mul- 
tiplied. The  Christian  life  should 
be  an  always  enlarging  life,  it  should 
not  be  largest  at  the  first.  'The  Chris- 
tian infancy  should  grow  into  a  Chri.s- 
tian  maturity.  If  the  Christian  life 
is  not  cultivated,  it  may  become  a 
dwindling  life  (Heb.  5 :  12). 

3,  4.  Design  of  the  letter; 
reasons  for  writing. 

3.  Beloved  indicates  a  reason  for 
writing,  and  tends  to  mitigate  the 
severity  of  the  terms  afterward  used. 
When  .  .  .  diligence,  rather,  while 
I  was  giving  all  diligence.  The  ex- 
pression diligence  reveals  an  intensive 
desire  on  the  part  of  Judas.  Com- 
mon salvation.  Compare  a  similar 
expression  in  Titus  1  :  14,  "common 
faith."  It  is  implied  that  he  was 
about  to  write,  or  was  actually  writing 
to  them  concerning  the  fact  of  a  com- 
mon salvation,  the  great  truths  of  the 
gospel,  the  heritage  of  all  believers. 
It  was  needful,  rather,  /  tvas  con- 
slrai)ied.  The  reason  for  the  change 
of  purpose  is  found  in  the  next  verse. 
There  is  a  change  here  in  the  tense  of 
the  verb,  being  in  the  present  tense  in 
the  first  part,  indicating  a  general  pur- 
pose, changing  now  to  the  aorist,  point- 
ing to  an  immediate  and  special  act. 
The  letters  of  the  New  Testament 
sprang  from  emergencies  and  neeils 
calling  them  into  existence.  Con- 
tend.   Something  of  the  same  figure 


is  emphasized  in  Phil.  1 :  27,  "striving 
together  for  the  faith."  It  is  an  appeal 
to  fight  for,  to  defend,  to  stand  over,  the 
truth  committed  to  them.  Tlie  con- 
tending for  the  truth  must  always  be 
in  love.  Nothing  is  more  un.seemly 
tlian  a  bitter  spirit  displayed  in  behalf 
of  Christ's  teachings.  Faith.  This 
does  not  refer  to  faith  as  that  personal 
dependence  upon  Clirist  that  brings 
salvation,  but  to  tiie  substance  of  the 
things  believed  by  them,  the  gospel  of 
Clirist.  Faith  is  used  in  the  objective 
sense.  The  passage  in  1  Tim.  3  :  16 
and  the  five  faithful  .sayings  of  Paul 
found  in  1  Tim.  1:15;  3:1;  4:9;  2 
Tim.  2:21;  Titus  3  :  11  may  be  pic- 
tures of  the  first  teachings  given  to  be- 
lievers, portions  of  the  creeds  of  the 
first  century  that  have  come  down  to 
us.  See  reference  to  the  same  common 
belief  entrusted  to  them  to  be  cared 
for  in  2  Tim.  1  :  13,  14.  Once  de- 
livered, rather,  once  for  all  delivered. 
This  refers  to  the  completeness  and 
unchangeableness  of  the  truths  given 
to  them.  Jesus  did  not  reveal  all  his 
teachings  to  his  disciples  during  his 
earthly  ministry  (Jo^a  i6:ij).  There 
is  an  enlarging  knowledge  of  the  New 
Testament,  of  the  doctrines  and  their 
relations  to  each  other.  It  has  been 
reserved  to  each  period  of  church  his- 
tory to  bring  out  some  one  doctrine 
into  a  greater  distinctness.  Augustine 
brought  out  the  doctrine  of  human  sin- 
fulness, the  council  of  Nicasa  affirmed 
clearly  the  divinity  of  Jesus  as  Son  of 
God  ;  the  Heformation  emphasized  the 
teaching  of  justification  by  faith.  The 
present  century  has  developed  the  doc- 
trines of  the  person  of  Christ  and  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  is  no 
limit  to  the  development  of  the  truth, 
but  no  additions  have  been  made  or 
can  be  made  to  that  which  we  have 
given  to  us  through  Jesus  and  the  in- 
spired writers.  The  mass,  the  doctrines 
of  purgatory,  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy, 
prayers  for  the  dead,  infant  baptism, 


120 


JUDE 


4  saints.  '  For  there  are  certain  men 
crept  in  unawares,  ''  who  were  before 
of  old  ordained  to  this  coudemnatiou, 
ungodly  men,  'turning  the  grace  of 


4  all  to  the  saints.  For  there  crept  in 
stealthily  some  men,  who  uf  old  were 
set  forth  beforehand  to  this  condemna- 
tion, ungodly  men,  changing  the  grace 


i  Gal.  2  :  4;  2  Peter  i  :  1. 


k  Eom.  9  .  21   22. 


(  Rom.  6:1:  Gal.  5  :  13  ;  2  Peter  2  .  10. 


aspersion  for  baptism,  the  priesthood 
as  a  sacerdotal  order — all  these,  not 
being  contained  in  the  New  Testament, 
explicitly  or  by  implication,  have  no 
warrant  for  their  existence.  Tradi- 
tions and  customs,  however  widely 
practised  and  held,  have  no  power  as 
against  the  New  Testament  teaching. 
Errors  of  doctrine,  heresies,  corrup- 
tions in  teaching  and  life,  call  for  a 
defense  of  the  faith.  (se«  gbi.  i  :  9.)  It  is 
noticeable  that  the  appeal  here  is  sent 
to  all  Christians  to  be  zealous  for  the 
truth,  inasmuch  as  to  them  had  been 
committed  the  complete  and  unchang- 
ing facts  of  the  gospel. 

4.  We  have  here  the  occasion  for  the 
letter.  Certain  men.  There  is  a 
tone  of  depreciation  and  contempt  in 
these  words,  as  for  men  unknown  and 
insignificant  in  themselves.  But  they 
created  a  great  peril  to  the  purity  of 
the  church,  inasmuch  as  they  belonged 
to  that  large  class  of  teachers  who  were 
introducing  licentiousness  under  the 
garb  of  religion.  Crept  in  un- 
awares, rather,  privily.  Paul  speaks 
in  the  same  way  in  Gal.  2:4;  "false 
brethren  privily  brought  in."  Judas 
condemns  the  secrecy,  the  false  meth- 
ods employed  in  their  introduction 
into  the  church.  These  teachers  were 
members  of  the  church ;  but  it  is  as- 
serted that  there  had  been  in  them,  at 
their  introduction  into  the  church, 
opinions  and  purposes  so  at  variance 
with  Christian  teachings  that  they 
ought  never  to  have  come  in.  Even 
the  apostles  did  not  have  the  power  to 
read  the  heart  in  the  reception  of  mem- 
bers. (See  Acts  5  :  1, 2.)  They  camc  in  to 
introduce  a  heathen  license  in  the 
matter  of  teachings  and  morals.  Who 
...  condemnation,  rather,  even 
they  who  were  of  old  set  forth  unto  the 
condemnation.  We  must  not  under- 
stand this  of  any  predestination  to  this 
end,  the  allusion  is  rather  to  the  de- 
scription of  the  men  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecies,  and  the  utterances  of 
the  New  Testament  teachers.  The 
word  rendered  ordained  occurs  five 
times  in  the  New  Testament — Rom.  15  : 


4  twice,  Gal.  3  :  1,  Eph.  3  :  3,  and  this 
passage,  and  is  twice  rendered  "  written 
before."  The  reference  here  must  be 
to  some  fact  in  time,  not  to  any  divine 
purpose  in  eternity.  The  presence  of 
these  teachers  and  their  falsities  ought 
not  to  surprise  them,  for  their  origin 
and  method  had  been  portrayed  be- 
forehand. The  term  rendered  of  old, 
sometimes  refers  to  things  of  recent 

event  (see  Mark  15  :  44  ;   2  Peter  1  •  9)^  whcrC- 

as  the  references  to  an  eternal  past  are 
designated  by  diflferent  terms.  (See  Eph. 
1:4;  Acts  15  :  18.)  The  historical  events 
mentioned  subsequently  in  this  letter 
may  be  regarded  as  prophetic  warn- 
ings. The  Old  Testament  prophetic 
writings,  the  apocryphal  literature  of 
the  times,  and  the  prophecies  of  Enoch 
alluded  to  in  ver.  14,  may  be  regarded 
as  definite  .sources  of  prediction.  To 
be  forewarned  as  to  doctrinal  errors  is 
to  be  armed  against  them.  Condem- 
nation. He  refers  here  to  the  judg- 
ment passed  upon  them  in  this  letter, 
(seerer.  11.)  Ungodly.  They  are  im- 
pious  in  character,  as  is  shown  in  the 
following  statement.  Turning  .  .  . 
lasciviousness.  Whether  as  teach- 
ers or  members  they  asserted  that  Chris- 
tians were  free  to  live  lives  of  sensuality. 
Having  been  called  to  a  freedom  in 
Christ  they  assumed  to  make  this  free- 
dom an  occasion  to  the  flesh  (Gai.  6 :  is). 
This  licentiousness  may  have  arisen 
from  either  of  two  sources.  It  may 
have  sprung  from  a  distorted  and  false 
notion  of  the  position  of  Christians, 
that  they  were  free  from  the  restraints 
of  the  law  so  that  what  would  be  sin 
for  others  would  not  be  sin  for  them. 
Or  it  may  have  come  from  the  philo- 
sophic system  called  gnosticism,  ac- 
cording to  which  all  matter  is  evil  in 
nature,  that  the  soul  is  too  pure  to  be 
corrupted,  and  the  body  too  impure  to 
be  capable  of  pollution.  Therefore  the 
professing  child  of  God  might  plunge 
into  all  excesses  without  peril,  might 
do  anything  whereby  the  soul  might 
gain  knowledge.  Paul  teaches  that 
the  believer  is  freed  from  condemna- 
tion, but  thereby  becomes  a  bondman 


JUDE 


121 


our  God  into  lasciviousness,  and  "  de- 
nying the  only  Lord  God,  and  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 
5  I  will  therefore  put  you  iu  remem- 
brance, though  ye  ouce  knew  this, 
how  that  °  the  Lord,  having  saved  the 
people  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  after- 


of  our  God  into  wantonness,  and  deny- 
ing the  only  Master,  and  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 
5  But  I  wish  to  remind  you,  though  ye 
know  all  things  once  for  all,  that 
Jesus,'  having  saved  the  people  out  of 


m  Titus  1  :  16 ;  2  Peter  2  :  1 ;  1  Jotiu  2  :  22. 


n  1  Cor.  10 : 1-12. 


1  Or,  the  Lord. 


to  Christ  (Rom.  6  :  14-23).  The  spirit  of 
licentiousness,  under  the  garb  of  piety, 
was  everywhere  prevalent,  and  was 
combated  by  the  apostles.  See  Paul's 
teachings  on  this  subject  in  1  Cor.  6  : 
9,  18 ;  Rom.  6:1;  also  Peter's  teach- 
ings in  2  Peter  2  ;  also  John's  teachings 
in  1  John  3  :  7-10.  Denying  ... 
Christ^rsither, denying  our  only  Master 
and  Lord,  Jesns  Christ.  The  best  MSS 
omit  the  term,  God.  The  terms  ren- 
dered Lord  twice  in  the  Received  ver- 
sion differ  in  the  Greek ;  the  differences 
are  shown  in  the  Revised  version. 
Both  terms  are  to  be  applied  to  Christ, 
though  Alford  contends  that  we  must 
refer  3Icister  to  God,  inasmuch  as  the 
constant  usage  of  the  New  Testament, 
except  in  2  Peter  2  :  1,  favors  this. 
That  Jesus  Christ  was  regarded  as 
divine  by  the  New  Testament  writers 
is  evident  from  the  manner  in  whicli 
they  everywhere  speak  of  him.  If 
both  these  terms  apply  to  Jesus,  then 
he  is  looked  upon  as  God.  If  only  the 
latter  term  may  be  applied  to  Christ, 
then  it  is  evident,  from  the  close  asso- 
ciation of  Christ  with  God,  that  he  is 
regarded  as  one  far  beyond  any  mere 
human  being.  It  is  possible  tliat  the 
use  of  the  term  our,  as  applied  to  God 
and  to  Christ,  implies  that  there  was  a 
wide  divergence  between  these  men  and 
the  true  believers;  God  and  Christ  did 
not  belong  to  them,  but  to  the  believers 
only.  The  denial  spoken  of  may  refer 
to  a  denial  of  the  reality  of  the  incar- 
nation (1  Johu  2  :  22,  23)^  or  to  a  denial 
of  tlie  supremacy  of  Christ,  or  to  a 
virtual  but  real  denial  of  Christ  by  an 
unchristly  life.  When  a  creed  speaks 
in  an  orthodox  way  in  one  direction, 
and  an  ungodly  life  speaks  in  another 
direction,  the  life  outweighs  the  creed. 
5-7.  Examples  of  God's  puni- 
tive justice.  Judas  turns  now  to  the 
Old  Te-stament  that  he  may  present 
instances  of  God's  justice  in  punisliing 
the  ungodly,  the  impious,  the  licen- 
tious. "These  examples,  revealing  God's 
essentially  holy  nature,  are  in  them- 


.selves  prophecies  of  what  will  come  to 
tlie  false  members  and  teachers  of  his 
day.  They  will  serve  as  warnings  to 
the  ungodly,  and  as  encouragements  to 
the  faithful  part  of  the  church.  Three 
examples  are  given. 

5.  (First  example,  the  judgment 
upon  unl>elieving  Israel.)  I  .  .  .  re- 
membrance^  rather,  mno  I  desire  to 
put  you  in  retnemhrance.  It  is  implied 
that  the  readers  were  already  instructed 
in  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  s-aiuts, 
and  needed  to  be  reminded  only  of 
their  previous  knowledge.  (Comp.  2  Peier 
3:1)  Intellectual  knowledge  alone 
will  not  purify  the  life,  it  needs  to  be 
kindled  with  a  moral  enthusiasm. 
Once  knew  this,  rather,  knew  all 
things  once  for  all.  Compare  a  similar 
expression  in  1  John  3  :  20.  The  ex- 
pression must  be  limited  to  that  of 
which  Judas  is  speaking — the  essential 
elements  of  the  faith  under  considera- 
tion. No  large  knowledge  akin  to  om- 
niscience, or  a  knowledge  on  general 
subjects,  or  a  knowledge  imparted  to 
them  apart  from  their  intellectual  and 
moral  standing,  is  or  can  be  thought 
of.  There  may  be  here  a  tacit  rebuke 
to  the  large  claims  made  by  the  false 
teachers  that  they  had  certain  impor- 
tant teachings  which  the  believers  did 
not  have,  but  had  come  to  them  through 
special  revelations.  Lord.  The  MSS 
here  have  varying  readings,  some  giv- 
ing Lord,  some  Jesus,  some  God.  Al- 
ford and  the  Cambridge  Bible  prefer 
Jesus  as  the  best  supported,  correspond- 
ing to  the  use  of  Christ  in  1  Cor.  10  :  4 
as  applied  to  Old  Testament  history. 
The  Revised  version  gives  "Lord," 
in  which  case  the  allusion  is  rather  to 
God  the  Father.  It  seems  scarcely 
po.ssible  that  the  name  .lesus,  the  hu- 
man title  of  Christ,  would  be  applied 
to  an  incident  of  the  Old  Testament 
history.  On  internal  grounds  this 
would  decide  the  question  tliat  what- 
ever reading  the  MSS  may  give,  tlie 
name  Jesus  cannot  be  adopted.  Saved 
the  people,  rather,  a  people,  allud- 


122 


JUDE 


ward  "destroyed  them  that  believed 
6  not.  And  the  augols  which  kept  not 
their  first  estate,  but  left  their  own 
habitation,  p  he  hath  reserved  in  ever- 
lasting  chains    under  darkness   unto 


the  laud  of  Egypt,  afterward  destroyed 
6  those  who  believed  not.  And  angels 
who  kept  not  their  principality,  but 
left  their  own  habitation,  he  has  kept 
in  everlasting  bonds  under  darkness, 


0  Heb.  3:  17-19,  4  :  1,  2. 


2  Peter  2:4;  Rev.  20  :  10. 


ing  to  his  own  people,  the  nation  of 
Israel.  He  saved  his  own  people  by 
delivering  them  from  Pharaoh,  by  the 
passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  and  by 
all  the  events  that  accompanied  their 
deliverance.  Afterward  destroyed. 
This  is  to  be  understood  of  tlie  destruc- 
tion of  the  same  people  in  the  wilder- 
ness. It  embraces  the  catastrophe  in 
the  matter  of  Korah  (Num.  le  :  49),  that 
of  Baal-peor  (Num.  25),  and  the  general 
wasting  away  of  the  people,  so  that  the 
rebellious  and  unbelieving  fell  as  car- 
cases in  the  wilderness,  (see  Heb.  3 :  12-19. ) 
We  may  not  refer  the  afterward  to 
the  captivity  in  Baljylon  or  to  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem.  The  gross  dis- 
obedience brought  a  speedy  punish- 
ment ;  it  may  be  inferred  that  God  will 
now  speedily  interfere  on  behalf  of 
righteousness  aud  truth.  Two  divine 
acts  are  here  mentioned:  one  act  of 
mercy — the  saving  his  people,  and  one 
act  of  judgment — the  subsequent  de- 
struction of  the  same  people.  There 
is  manifest  in  this  the  unchangeably 
holy  nature  of  God ;  he  acts  not  accord- 
ing to  favoritism,  but  accordiug  to 
character.  God's  justice  is  conclu.sively 
shown  in  that  the  retribution  fell  upon 
them  that  believed  not.  In  Judas'  day 
the  same  moral  discrimination  would 
be  shown.  No  deliverance  would  come 
to  the  ungodly,  even  if  they  were  num- 
bered among  tiie  congregation  of  the 
righteous.  In  the  corresponding  pas- 
sage in  Peter  the  destruction  by  the 
flood  is  made  vi.se  of  to  illustrate  the 
same  principle,    (sce  2  Peter  a.) 

C.  (A  second  example,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  disobedient  angels.)  The 
author  now  selects  an  instance  from 
the  unseen  world,  and  from  beings 
higher  ia  order  than  men.  This  pas- 
sage is  common  to  Peter  (a  Peter  2). 
And  .  •  •  habitation,  rather,  and 
angels  xoho  kept  not  their  own  prin- 
cipality, hut  left  their  proper  kabifa- 
tion.  For  first  estate  we  have  the 
preferable  reading  principality,  in  har- 
mony   with    its    rendering    elsewhere 

(Bom.  8  :  84  ;   Eph.  8  :  10  ;  6  :  12  ;   Col.  1  :  16 ;   3  : 


10, 16).  The  reference  is  to  their  original 
investiture  as  rulers  under  God,  having 
a  high  and  noble  rule ;  but  they  left 
their  proper  office,  power,  and  relation 
to  God.  Own  habitation.  It  was 
theirs  by  creation,  through  God's  ap- 
pointment ;  this  they  left  for  a  habita-: 
tion  not  their  own,  not  made  for  them. 
They  left  a  habitation  of  light,  they 
formed  a  kingdom,  a  power  of  dark- 
ness (Col.  1  :  13).  This  IS  the  sin  they 
committed,  leaving  tlicir  original  con- 
dition, rebelling  thereby  against  God. 
How  many  there  were  when  the  sin 
was  committed,  in  what  the  sin  con- 
sisted— these  questions  have  been  much 
discussed.  But  they  must  ever  remain 
unanswered  questions.  It  has  been 
assumed  by  many  that  the  sin  spoken 
of  is  the  same  that  is  mentioned  in 
Gen.  6  :  2,  4.  But  against  that  view 
are  these  considerations:  The  sons  of 
God  there  mentioned  were  not  angels, 
but  the  descendants  of  Seth,  who  in- 
termarried with  the  children  of  Cain, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  _  of 
angels  committing  fleshly  sins  —  sins 
that  cannot  be  reconciled  with  the 
Saviour's  teachings  concerning  the  na- 
ture of  angels  (Matt.  23  -.  so).  The  book 
of  Enoch  declares  that  the  angels 
sinned  through  their  sensual  nature. 
The  sin  spoken  of  in  the  next  verse  is 
one  of  sensuality ;  it  is  not  probable, 
therefore,  that  the  sin  here  mentioned 
would  be  of  the  same  character.  The 
passage  here  refers  to  the  original  re- 
bellion of  the  angels,  their  fall  from 
being  heavenly  powers  to  becoming 
spirits  of  evil  and  darkness.  Re- 
served, rather,  kept.  We  cannot 
escape  noticing  the  play  upon  the 
words  used  ;  the  angels  kept  not  their 
own  principality,  therefore  they  were 
kept  under  everlasting  chains 
under  darkness,  rather,  bonds. 
Darkness  is  conceived  of  as  holding 
sway  over  them  as  a  ruler.  They  are 
held  in  captivity  by  their  bonds.  The 
same  thought  is  expressed  in  2  Peter. 
Judgment  .  .  .  day.  There  is  a 
perpetual  ])!issing  of  God's  judgments 


JUDE 


123 


7  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  Even 
as  1  Sodom  and  Gomon-ha,  and  the 
cities  about  them  in  like  manner,  giv- 
ing themselves  over  to  fornication,  and 
going  after  strange  flesh,  are  set  forth 
for  an  example,  suffering  the  ven- 
geance of  eternal  fire. 

8  'Likewise  also  these  fiUhy  dreamers 


7  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  As 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities 
about  them,  in  like  manner  with  these 
giving  themselves  over  to  fornication, 
and  going  away  alter  other  flesh,  are 
set  forth  as  an  example,  suffering  the 

8  vengeance  of  eternal  tire.  Yet,  in  like 
manner,  these  also  in  their  dreaming 


q  Gen.  19  :  24 ;  Deut.  29  :  23 ;  2  Peter  2  :  6. 


r  Jer.  23  :  25-28 1  2  Peter  2  :  10. 


upon  men,  but  there  remains  a  final 
and  formal  day  of  trial  at  the  end  of 
this  era.  This  is  spoken  of  by  Je.sus 
(.Matt.  13;  40),  by  Paul  (Acts  17 :  31),  by  John 
(1  John  i  ;  17).  There  is  a  conscious  self- 
condemnation  which  is  a  partial  penalty 
now ;  but  neither  for  believer  nor 
for  the  finally  impenitent  is  there  a 
full  recompense  until  the  last  day. 
Paul  alludes  to  a  judgment  to  be  passed 
on  angels  (i  Cor.  s  :  »).  The  apocryphal 
book  of  Enoch  dwells  much  on  the 
punishment  of  the  angels. 

7.  (A  third  example  of  judgment 
upon  heathen  cities.)  For  a  similar 
account  see  2  Peter  2  :  6.  We  have 
had  one  instance  of  God's  retributive 
power,  the  punishment  of  the  chosen 
people ;  a  second  instance  of  penalty 
in  the  unseen  spiritual  world.  We 
now  have  an  instance  in  the  outside 
world,  the  penalty  that  came  upon  the 
heathen  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrali. 
These  two  cities  stand  out  preeminently 
as  examples  of  unbridled  lust,  of 
animalism,  as  cities  that  invented  new 
and  monstrous  sins.  They  remain  as 
bywords  of  reproach  and  infamy. 
The  cities  ...  themselves,  ratiier, 
the  cities  about  them,  having  in  like 
manner  with  these  given  themselves. 
To  what  does  these  refer,  to  the  angels, 
to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  or  to  the 
false  teachers  and  members?  Alford 
and  Farrar  maintain  that  the  refer- 
ence is  to  the  angels,  but  their  view  is 
bound  up  with  the  unfounded  notion 
that  the  angels,  spiritual  in  their  na- 
ture, committed  fornication  with  the 
daughters  of  men.  The  reference  is 
to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  which  not 
only  themselves,  but  the  towns  also 
that  were  corrupted  by  them,  suffered 
God's  retribution.  Strange  flesh. 
There  were  abominable  sins  committed 
among  the  heathen.  See  Lev.  18  :  22- 
25 ;  Rom.  1  :  27,  and  the  many  refer- 
ences in  classic  writers  on  the  special 
and  unnatural  sins  practised  even  in 
the  days  of  the  Greek   and    Roman 


civilizations.  It  is  said  that  the  Nico- 
laitans  (kbv.  i  :  20)  were  guilty  of  the 
sins  of  Sodom.  In  the  poems  of  Casd- 
mon  and  in  Milton's  "Paradise  Lost," 
pride  chiefly  was  looked  upon  as  the 
sin  of  the  angels,  not  sensuality.  Set 
forth  .  .  .  eternal  fire,  rather,  set 
forth  as  an  example,  suffering  the  pun- 
ishment of  eternal  fire.  This  may  refer 
either  to  the  cities  which,  destroyed  by 
fire,  are  yet  looked  upon  as  suflering 
an  everlasting  punishment,  inasmuch 
as  they  have  not  been  rebuilt,  or  it  may 
refer  to  the  people  of  these  cities, 
whose  destruction  is  typified  by  the 
fate  of  the  cities  themselves,  who  are 
regarded  as  sutt'ering  the  just  punish- 
ment of  their  sins.  The  latter  view  is 
the  better.  Jesus  speaks  of  Nineveh 
as  rising  in  the  judgment,  in  which 
case  the  reference  is  exclusively  to  the 
people  of  that  city  (Matt.  12 :  «).  There 
is  an  eternal  punishment  spoken  of  by 

Jesus  (Matt.  25:  46),  by  Paul  (2  Thcss.  1  :9). 

Both  the  angels  and  the  Sodomites  are 
regarded  as  under  punishment  now. 
Tiie  unbelieving  Jews,  sinning  in  their 
util)elief,  the  angels  sinning  through 
their  pride,  the  cities  of  the  plain  sin- 
ning through  their  sensual  appetites 
perished  irrevocably  under  the  opera- 
tion of  God's  holy  laws.  These  several 
instances  of  punishment  might  well, 
therefore,  serve  for  warnings  to  the 
ungodly  men  of  Judas'  daj'. 

8-19.  The  ungodly  men  ffi-ly 
DESCRIBED.  There  is  no  part  of  the 
New  Testament,  excepting  Matt.  23, 
containing  the  Saviour's  manifold  woes 
upon  his  wicked  opponents,  equaling 
this  in  its  inlensity  of  expression  and 
invective.  In  their  character,  in  their 
operations,  in  the  judgments  coming 
upon  them,  these  men  are  fully  de- 
scribed. TJie  sins  of  these  men  resem- 
ble those  just  spoken  of  as  sins  against 
nature;  the  men  themselves  resemble 
tiie  notably  ungodly  men  of  the  olden 
times  («'•  8-11). 

8.  Likewise    .    .    .    dreamers, 


124 


JUDE 


defile  the  flesh,  despise  dominiou,  and 
■speak  evil  of  dignities.  Yet  'Michael 
the  archangel,  when  contending  with 
the  devil  he  disputed  about  the  body 
of  Moses,  "durst  not  bring  against  him 
a  railing  accusation,  but  said,  » The 


defile  the  flesh,  reject  dominion,  and 
rail  at  dignities.  But  Michael  the 
archangel,  when  contending  with  the 
devil  he  disputed  concerning  the  body 
of  Moses,  dared  not  bring  against  him 
a  railing  judgment,  but  said,  The  Lord 


t  Dan.  10  :  13,  21 ;  12  : 
X  1  Chron.  12:  17; 


1 ;  Ee?.  U  :  7. 
Zech.  3  :  2. 


2  Peter  2  :  11. 


rather,  yet  in  like  manner,  these  also 
in  their  dreamings.  These  men  are 
described  as  walking  in  the  same  de- 
structive course  as  the  persons  upon 
whom  penalties  had  come,  notwith- 
standing these  warnings.  The  par- 
ticiple rendered  in  their  dreamings 
belongs  equally  to  the  three  following 
statements.  It  describes  the  character 
of  the  men  as  visionary,  as  living  in  a 
land  of  dreams,  not  realizing  the  true 
condition  of  affairs  as  it  really  is  in 
God's  sight.  It  may  further  describe 
them  as  so  fully  set  in  their  wicked- 
ness that  even  in  their  dreams,  as  well 
as  in  their  waking  moments,  they 
executed  wickedness.  Three  things 
are  affirmed  of  them.  They  follow  the 
example  of  Sodom  in  its  licentious- 
ness, defile  the  flesh  by  unnatural 
lust.  The  allusion  is  not  to  their  own 
flesh,  but  to  flesh  in  a  general  way,  to 
our  common  human  nature,  which  they 
degraded.  If  the  animal  part  of  man 
is  not  restrained  by  the  commands  of 
the  moral  law,  it  is  but  a  step  to  a  sen- 
sual life.  That  human  nature  in  this 
century  needs  the  restraints  of  the  high 
moral  commands  of  God  is  evident 
from  the  rapid  growth  of  Jlormonism, 
and  the  presence  of  communistic  so- 
cieties with  their  sensual  practices. 
Despise  •  .  .  dignities,  rather,  and 
set  at  naught  dominion  and  rail  at  dig- 
nities. Calvin  understands  these  two 
expressions  to  refer  to  their  contempt 
of  the  civil  authorities,  indicating 
seditious  and  anarchistic  men.  Others 
understand  them  to  refer  to  the  de- 
fiance of  the  church  authorities,  to 
presbyters  who  were  set  at  naught  by 
these  turbulent  men.  It  is  better, 
however,  to  understand  dominion  as 
standing  for  the  headship  of  Christ 
(ver. 4),  which  was  utterly  set  at  naught 
by  them,  denying  his  sovereignty  by 
their  disobedience  to  his  commands.  A 
contempt  for  Christ  would  beget  a  con- 
tempt for  the  civil  laws  and  for  tlie 
church  which  represented  Christ.  The 
dignities  may  refer  also  to  the  unseen 


and  .supernatural  world,  inasmuch  as 
they  speak  with  irreverence  of  angels, 
using  mocking  terms  also  concerning 
Satan  (ver.  lo).  If  they  were  insubor- 
dinate to  God  and  the  higher  intelli- 
gences, breaking  over  God's  moral 
laws,  they  would  also  be  disobedient  to 
all  other  laws.  A  right  relation  to- 
ward Christ  means  a  church  that  is 
loved  and  a  citizenship  that  is  regarded 
as  sacred.  A  good  man  cannot  be  a 
bad  church-member  or  a  bad  citizen. 

9.  Yet,  rather,  but.  The  name 
Michael,  meaning  "who  is  like 
God?"  occurs  elsewhere  only  in  Dan. 
10  :  13 ;  Rev.  12  :  7.  The  term  arch- 
angel occurs  elsewhere  only  in  1 
Thess.  4  :  16  and  in  Dan.  12  :  1  in  the 
Septuagint.  There  is  no  allusion  to 
this  event  in  the  Old  Testament  Scrip- 
tures nor  in  any  extant  book.  Origen, 
who  died  A.  d.  254,  says  the  reference 
is  taken  from  an  apocryphal  book 
called  "  The  Ascension  of  Moses." 
The  Bible  account  of  the  death  of 
Moses  is  very  brief  (neat.  3*  :  5,  6),  but 
the  Jews  had  many  legends  concerning 
it.  There  was  a  prevalent  tradition 
that  Michael  had  been  appointed  to 
minister  at  the  death  of  Moses,  and 
that  Satan  urged  that  his  murder  of 
the  Egyptian  (Exod.  2  :  12)  had  deprived 
him  of  the  right  of  sepulture.  Judas' 
manner  of  Avriting  makes  it  evident 
that  the  event  was  well  known  to  all 
his  readers.  This  could  not  have  been 
the  case  had  this  been  made  known  to 
him  by  a  special  revelation  to  himself, 
for  he  takes  it  for  granted  that  all  are 
familiar  with  it.  Durst  not.  The 
drift  of  the  passage  indicates  that  this 
restraint  arose  from  the  former  great- 
ness of  Satan.  Even  in  speaking  to 
an  evil  angel  there  was  a  self-restraint 
caused  by  the  presence  of  greatness  and 
authority.  Accusation,  Y&ih&v,  judg- 
ment. The  condemnation  is  referred 
to  the  Almighty,  to  whom  alone  justice 
and  judgment  ultimately  belong.  In 
Peter's  corresponding  statement  the 
reference  is  to  angels,  not  to  Moses,  and 


JUDE 


125 


10  Lord  rebuke  thee,  y  But  these  speak  i  10  rebuke  thee '  But  these  rail  at  vvhat- 
evil  of  those  things  which  they  know  ever  things  they  know  not ;  but  what 
not:  but  what  they  kuow  naturally,  things  naturally,  as  the  irrational  crea- 
as  brute  beasts,  in  those  things  they  1      tures.  they  understood,  in  these  they 

V  2  Peter  2  :  12. 


the  Scripture  allusion  seems  to  be  found 
in  Zech.  3  :  2.  How  did  Jude  become 
acquainted  with  this  incident  ?  It  is  not 
found  in  the  Scriptures ;  it  did  not  come 
to  him  through  any  special  revelation. 
We  are  shut  up  to  two  sources,  either 
a  trustworthy  tradition  not  found  in 
the  Scriptures,  or  a  floating  tradition 
which  he  found  ready  to  hand,  and 
popularly  received.  Plumptre  thinks 
that  the  presence  of  the  trai^lition  here 
does  not  in  itself  declare  its  historic 
character;  it  served  merely  as  a  fitting 
illustration  of  the  point  he  was  urging, 
the  need  of  veneration  for  authority  as 
such,  whether  the  incident  was  his- 
torically true  or  not.  Alford  writes  in 
this  way:  ".Jude  took  the  incident 
from  some  primitive  tradition,  which 
tradition,  slightly  modified,  is  also 
given  by  the  prophet  Zechariah.  That 
the  incident  is  related  as  a  matter  of 
fact  is  evident  on  the  very  face  of  it. 
That  being  thus  related  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  is  a  conclusion  which  will  or 
will  not  be  made  according  as  we  are 
or  are  not  persuaded  of  the  authority 
of  our  epistle  as  a  part  of  the  canonical 
Scripture."  It  is  evident  that  if  we 
eliminate  this  incident  from  the  Scrip- 
tures as  not  worthy  of  credence,  we 
must  also,  on  the  same  ground,  refuse 
to  accept  the  like  statement  in  Zech. 
3  ;  2.  That  the  incident  took  place  in 
the  unseen  world  is  no  proof  of  its  un- 
worthiness,  especially  when  we  con- 
sider that  Christianity  itself,  in  its 
founding  and  in  its  preservation,  is  a 
supernatural  system.  That  there  were 
trustworthy  traditions  outside  of  the 
written  Scriptures  is  seen  in  Paul's 
writings,  in  which  he  mentions  the 
names  of  the  opponents  of  Moses  (2 
Tim.  3:8).  It  remains  true,  however, 
that  a  person  may  regard  this  letter  as 
canonical  and  inspired,  and  yet  regard 
this  incident  as  not  neces.sarily  his- 
torical in  character.  It  is  conceivable 
that  Jude,  finding  this  tradition  known 
to  all,  believed  in,  in  a  general  way,  l)y 
all,  made  use  of  it  in  this  manner 
without  considering  whether  it  was 
founded  on  fact. 


"Have  we  any  right  to  assume  that 
inspiration  raises  a  writer  to  the  in- 
tellectual position  of  a  critical  historian 
with  power  to  discriminate  between 
legend  and  fact?  St.  Jude  probably 
believed  the  story  about  the  dispute 
between  Michael  and  Satan  to  be  true  ; 
but  even  if  he  knew  it  to  be  a  myth, 
he  might  nevertheless  readily  use  it 
as  an  illustrative  argument,  .seeing  that 
it  was  so  familiar  to  his  readers.  If  an 
inspired  writer  were  living  now,  would 
it  be  quite  incredible  tliat  he  should 
make  use  of  Dante's  '  Purgatory '  or 
Shakespeare's  ' King  Lear'?"  (Plum- 
mer). 

lU.  But  .  .  .  themselves,  rather, 
but  these  rail  at  whatsoever  things  they 
know  not ;  and  what  they  understand 
naturally  like  the  creatures  without 
reason,  in  these  things  they  are  de- 
stroyed. These  implies  a  feeling  of 
contempt  for  them,  and  a  surprise  also 
at  their  audacity.  Know  not.  This 
expression  implies  a  certain  knowledge, 
not,  however,  complete  and  full,  of  the 
higher  order  of  beings,  good  and  evil ; 
at  these  beings  they  u.se  only  railing 
terms.  They  fear  them  not ;  they  defy 
them.  INIistaken  notions  concerning 
the  angels  had  much  to  do  with  the 
worship  and  thought  of  the  first  cen- 
tury. (See  Col.  1  :  18)  Understand 
naturally.  This  is  a  different  term 
from  that  rendered  knoit\  applying 
here  to  the  knowledge  gained  only 
from  the  physical  and  sensual  side 
of  the  nature.  They  perverted  even 
their  animal  appetites,  going  beyond 
the  beasts  in  their  lusts.  (Comp.  Rom. 
1  :  26. 27.)  In  the  second  century  were 
many  unworthy  and  foul  sects.  In 
these  things.  The  reference  is  to  the 
elements  of  knowledge  which  they 
possess  in  common  with  the  irrational 
creatures,  through  which  al.so  they 
work  out  their  physical  and  moral  rijin. 

(Read  2  Peter  2  :  12.) 

11.  As  these  ungodly  men  resembled 
the  disobedient  .Jews  and  angels,  and 
the  fleshly  cities  of  Sodom  and  fio- 
morrah.  in  like  manner  they  resembled 
three  of  the  notably  bad  men  of  the 


126 


JUDE 


11  corrupt  themselves.  Woe  unto  them  ! 
for  they  have  gone  in  the  way  '■  of  Cain, 
and  'ran  greedily  after  the  error  of 
Balaam  for  reward,  and  perished  ''in 
the  gainsaying  of  Core. 

12  "These  are  spots  in  your  '* feasts  of 


11  are  destroyed.  Woe  to  them  !  Because 
they  went  in  the  way  of  Cain,  and 
rushed  on  in  the  error  of  Balaam  for 
wages,  and  perished  in  the  gainsaying 
of  Korah. 

12  These  are  the  hidden  rocks  in  your 


z  Gen.  4  ;  5-14;  1  John  3  ;  12.  a  Num.  22  :  7,  21 ;  2  Peter  2  ;  15. 

0  2  Peter  2  :  13,  U.  d  1  Cor.  11  :  21. 


6  Num.  16  :  1,  etc. 


Old  Testament  history.  Woe.  Jesus 
used  this  term  eight  times  in  his  ad- 
dress in  Matt.  23,  indicative  of  the  cor- 
rupt condition  and  impending  doom  of 
those  thus  addressed.  As  used  by  liim 
there  was  a  blended  pity,  tenderness, 
and  condemnation,  in  sight  of  their 
present  and  future  wretchedness.  He 
made  use  of  heavy,  condemning  words 
that  through  them  they  might  see  their 
own  moral  condition  and  flee  from  it. 
If  these  ungodly  men  had  already 
begun  to  suffer  God's  judgments,  the 
woe  indicates  his  feelings  of  horror, 
his  reprobation  of  their  course  in  life. 
Have  gone,  rather,  went.  Cain. 
He  stands  as  a  type  of  selfishness,  self- 
will,  envy,  hate,  murder.  These  men 
have  lived  selfi.sh  lives,  not  concerned 
about  God's  commands  or  the  ruin  of 
others.  See  John's  use  of  Cain's  name, 
1  John  3  :  12.  Farrar  and  Plumptre 
think  that  Judas,  in  his  reference  to 
Cain,  makes  allusion  to  some  of  the 
many  Jewish  traditions  concerning  him 
and  his  impieties.  These  men  were 
traveling  on  the  same  road  in  which 
Cain  walked  ;  they  were  Cains  in  heart. 
Ran  ...  reward,  rather,  ran  vio- 
lently in  the  error  of  Balaam  for  hire. 
Balaam  stands  for  a  certain  intellectual 
keenness  and  power,  for  enlightenment 
of  mind  in  the  knowledge  of  God's 
will,  for  licentiousness,  for  avarice. 
See  the  story  of  Balaam,  Num.  22  to 
24.  Error  refers  to  ihe  moral  de- 
linquency of  Balaam,  his  departure 
from  the  truth.  Ran  violently.  The 
verb  thus  rendered  means  to  pour  out 
one's  self  upon  any  course  of  life.  It 
was  a  life  earnest  in  its  badness.  Hire. 
This  is  the  price  paid  for  the  imgodly 
life  of  the  Balaam  kind,  whether  it  be 
money  gotten  by  false  teachings,  the 
influence  gained  by  the  departure  from 
the  truth,  or  the  pleasure  enjoyed. 
The  wages  of  sin,  in  the  end,  is  death 
(Rom.  6  :  23).  Core,  rather,  Korah. 
For  the  Scripture  incident,  see  Num. 
16.     Korah  stands  for  the  organized 


opposition  to  the  truth  and  authority 
of  God  as  manifested  in  the  church. 
He  arrayed  himself  against  Aaron  and 
the  religious  ordinances  of  his  times. 
The  opening  earth  swallowed  him,  ex- 
pressing God's  utter  disapproval  of  his 
principles  and  methods.  These  un- 
godly men  were  repeating  in  the  first 
century  the  wickedness  and  rebellion 
of  Korah  in  the  olden  times,  Jude 
speaks  of  a  punishment  that  had 
already  overtaken  them.  This,  how- 
ever, might  be  his  strong  manner  of 
saying  that  a  judgment  would  speedily 
overtake  them.  It  is  implied  here 
that  the  believing  part  of  the  church 
occupies  the  place  filled  by  Moses, 
Aaron,  and  their  faithful  followers. 
Selfishness,  licentiousness,  and  insub- 
ordination are  all  portrayed  here  as 
found  in  these  ungodly  men,  and  as 
incurring  a  just  penalty  from  the  God 
of  truth  and  righteousness.  The  study 
of  church  history  is  valuable  in  show- 
ing that  few  fundamental  errors  arise 
in  the  church,  or  assail  it  from  with- 
out, that  have  not  in  past  centuries 
arisen,  done  their  work,  and  been  con- 
demned by  God  and  the  truth.  The 
ungodly  teachers  are  described,  not  by 
Avay  of  contrast  with  others,  but  as 
they  are  in  themselves  (ver.  12, 13).  The 
sins  of  the  teachers  have  been  com- 
pared with  those  of  the  unbelieving 
Jews,  the  disobedient  angels,  the  licen- 
tious Sodomites.  They  have  been  com- 
pared with  the  archangel  Michael,  to 
their  great  disparagement.  They  have 
been  likened  to  a  wicked  trinity  of 
Old  Testament  men— Cain,  Balaam, 
Korah.  These  teachers  are  now  por- 
trayed as  they  are  in  themselves,  their 
own  characters,  by  means  of  a  number 
of  forcible  illustrations. 

12.  An  important  variation  in  the 
reading  occurs  here.  These  .  .  . 
charity,  rather,  These  are  they  who 
are  hidden  rocks  in  your  love  feasts. 
It  is  easy  to  see  how,  in  a  careless 
transcribing,  agapais,    meaning    love 


JUDE 


127 


charity,  when  they  feast  with  you, 
« feeding  themselves  without  fear  : 
'clouds  they  are  without  water,  e carried 
about  of  winds ;  trees  wliose  fruit 
withereth,  without  fruit,  ^  twice  dead, 


love-feasts,  when  they  feast  with  you, 
fearlessly  shepherding  themselves ; 
waterless  clouds  swept  along  by  winds ; 
autumn    trees,    without    fruit,    twice 


/  ProT.  25  :  14 ;  2  Peter  : 


g  Eph.  i  :  U. 


h  2  Pct«r  3  :  20. 


feasts,  might  be  changed  into  apatuis, 
deceits.  Hidden  rocks.  The  meaning 
of  this  is  a  rock,  a  reef  nearing  the 
surface  covered  by  the  water,  upon 
which  the  vessel  might  easily  be 
wrecked.  Judas  describes  the  danger- 
ous power  of  the  teachers  as  consisting 
in  tlieir  concealed  wickedness.  The 
term  occurs  in  this  place  only  in  the 
New  Testament,  but  it  is  frequent  in 
other  writings.  The  word  rendered 
"spots"  in  2  Peter  2  :  13  is  a  word 
similar  to  this,  a  rock  that  appears 
above  the  surface  as  a  spot,  a  blot  upon 
the  pure  face  of  the  waters.  Love 
feasls.  These  were  social  gatherings 
of  the  Christian  brotherhood  springing 
up  in  the  first  century,  not  commanded 
as  ordinances  of  tlie  church,  but  aris- 
ing as  the  expression  of  the  new  com- 
munity of  feeling  for  each  other.  They 
were  at  the  first  a  simple  repast,  chan- 
ging in  time  into  something  more  elab- 
orate. They  were  at  the  first  held  in 
connection  with  the  Lord's  Supper, 
but  distinct  from  it.  Abuses  liad  begun 
to  spring  up  at  these  feasts  even  in  the 
days  of  the  apostles.  {See  i  Cor.  ii  :  21.) 
Dangers  lurk  alongside  of  even  the 
best  things,  insomuch  that  these  love 
feasts  that  ought  to  have  been  the 
means  of  making  the  church  life  a 
real  family  fellowship,  became  often- 
times a  source  of  selfishness,  gluttony, 
class  distinction,  of  scandal,  and  im- 
morality. Feast  with  you  sliows 
that  these  false  teachers  had  even  yet 
a  membership  in  the  churches.  Feed- 
ing .  .  .  fear,  rather,  shepherds  that 
without  fear  feed  themselves.  The  term 
rendered  feeding  means  feeding  as  a 
shepherd,  showing  conclusively  that 
the  ungodly  persons  here  described 
were  men  claiming  to  lie  teachers.  It 
is  the  same  word  that  is  used  in  Acts 
20  :  28;  1  Peter  5  :  2,  meaning  in  both 
passages  the  pastoral  oflice.  One  who 
IS  a  teacher  has  a  far  wider  opportu- 
nity for  spreading  error  than  one  wlio 
fills  simply  the  place  of  a  member. 
These  persons  did  not  act  as  true  sliep- 
herds  would,  caring  for  others,  watch- 


ing over  the  flock,  but  were  false  shep- 
herds, such  as  described  by  Isa.  4G  :  11 ; 
Ezek.  34  :  1,  2,  8,  10,  indulging  their 
own  lusts  with  impunity  in  defiance  of 
autliority.  Tlie  love  feasts  were  turned 
by  them,  and  for  them,  into  places  of 
excess  and  sensuality.  Clouds  .  .  . 
Avinds,  rather,  clouds  without  water 
carried  along  by  winds.  In  the  cor- 
responding place  in  2  Peter  2  :  17  we 
have  wells.  The  same  figure  is  used 
in  Prov.  25  :  14.  The  clouds  dropping 
water  bring  refreshings  and  harvests; 
without  water  they  are  a  disappoint- 
ment, a  deception.  These  teachere 
could  not  supplj'  the  real  wants  of  their 
followers,  they  were  not  in  fellowship 
with  Christ,  who  is  the  truth.  Jude 
alludes  to  the  light  and  frivolous  char- 
acter of  these  teachers,  varying  also  in 
their  teaching.  Carried  along.  See 
also  Eph.  4  :  14  for  an  illustration  of 
fickleness  of  belief.  These  teachers 
were  showy,  attractive,  but  deceptive, 
enslaving  others  to  false  notions  and 
false  lives  because  themselves  enslaved. 
Trees  . .  .  fruit,  rather,  autumii  trees 
ivithout  fruit.  They  are  like  trees  in 
the  late  autumn,  when  there  is  nothing 
but  the  withered  and  withering  leaf. 
The  trees  themselves  aiv  withered  just 
at  that  season  when  men  are  looking 
for  fruit.  They  have  not  lost  their 
strength  through  fruit-bearing,  for  they 
are  without  fruit,  implying  also  that 
they  have  been  fruitless  all  the  time. 
Jesus  spoke  frequentl  v  eoncerning  fiuit 
aTid  fruit-bearing  (m""'!-  sio;  7:i6-2»; 
Luke  13  :  G-tf).  Conii)are  also  barren  fig 
tree  (•«»"•  ^i  ■■  w).  Twice  dead, utterly 
dead.  Jude  does  not  intend  to  refer  to 
a  twofold  death  that  would  come  to 
the  teachers,  a  death  here  and  a  death 
hereafter,  but  to  the  apparent  dying  of 
the  tree  when  the  leaves  fell  and  the 
real  dying  that  ensued.  There  is  a 
forcible  climax  in  the  terms  used  : 
withering,  fruitless,  twice  dead,  rooted 
up.  As  the  dead  trees  naturally  are 
cut  down  or  rooted  up  (»ec  Matt,  u :  10), 
so  will  these  teachers,  deail  morally 
and   spiritually,   be  destroyed.    Com- 


128 


JUDE 


13  '  plucked  up  by  the  roots ;  ^  raging 
waves  of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their 
own  shame  ;  wandering  stars, '  to  whom 
is  reserved  the  blackuess  of  darkness 
for  ever. 

14  And  Enoch  also,  ^  the  seventh  from 
Adam,    prophesied    of   these,    saying, 


13  dead,  rooted  up;  raging  waves  of  the 
sea,  foaming  out  their  own  shame ; 
wandering  stars,  for  whom  the  black- 
ness of  darkness  has  been  kept  forever. 

14  And  to  these  also  Enoch  a  seventh 
from  Adam  prophesied,  saying.  Be- 
hold, the  Lord  came,   with  his  holy 


i  Ezek.  17  :  8-10 ;  Matt.  15  :  13. 


*  Isa.  57  :  20. 


I  2  Peter  2  :  17. 


m  Gen.  5  :  18. 


pare  passages  which  speak  of  being 
rooted  up  as  symbols  of  destruction, 
Ps.  30  :  28 ;  52  :  5 ;  Prov.  2  :  22. 

13.  In  one  sense  the  teachers  are 
protruding  rocks,  dangerous  to  the 
mariner ;  in  another  sen.se  they  are 
raging  seas.  They  furnish  a  picture 
of  violence,  of  recklessness,  of  dangers 
to  all  who  entrust  themselves  to  their 

care.  (Comp.  thewordaoflaa.57:  29.)  ShaiHC. 

The  word  is  literally  shames,  as  in- 
dicating the  manifold  forms  of  decep- 
tion, sensuality,  and  turbulence  in  their 
teachers.  Jude  does  not  intend  that 
each  figure  employed  should  be  taken 
in  its  literalness,  but  he  desires  by  the 
heaping  up  of  term  upon  term  to  ex- 
press his  utter  abhorrence  of  their 
deeds,  their  characters,  their  influence. 
Wandering  stars.  The  Greek  term 
here  is  that  which  means  planets  as 
distinct  from  the  fixed  stars.  Jude 
here  means  comets,  meteors,  and  such 
kindred  phenomena  which  flash  out 
for  a  time,  are  of  no  service  for  pur- 
poses of  light  or  guidance,  and  then  dis- 
appear in  the  darkness.  In  like  man- 
ner these  men,  flashing  out  with  large 
pretensions,  will  sink  into  destruction 
utter  and  final.  Jesus  speaks  of  the 
outer  darkness  («»".  22 :  13).  Judas  has 
already  spoken  of  the  everlasting  chains 
(ver.  6);  of  eternal  fire  (ver.  7).  The 
rocks,  the  clouds,  the  twice-dead  trees, 
the  raging  waves,  the  meteors  going 
out  into  darkness,  stand  for  what  is 
dangerous,  deceptive,  turbulent,  mis- 
chievous in  sky  and  on  earth  and  sea. 
This  passage  is  a  commentary  on  his 
words  in  ver.  9,  urging  men  to  con- 
demn sparingly.  He  does  not  intend 
that  rank  ungodliness  and  dangerous 
teachings  shall  be  tenderly  dealt  witli. 
There  are  times  when  only  stern  words 
and  forcible  figures  can  rightly  ex- 
press the  attitude  of  the  faithful  proph- 
et and  teacher.  These  ungodly  men 
are  compared  in  a  sevenfold  way  to 
natural  objects ;  they  are  like  creatures 
without  reason  (ver.  10) ;  like  hidden 
•racks  (ver.  12)  j  like  shepherds  caring 


not  for  the  flocks  (ver.  12) ;  like  de- 
ceptive clouds  (ver.  12) ;  like  fruit  trees 
utterly  dead  eer.  is) ;  like  raging  M-aves 
(ver.  13)  ;  like  wandering  stais  (ver.  is). 
In  no  other  place  are  so  many  figures 
heaped  upon  one  another. 
14,  15.  A  PROPHECY  OF  Enoch 

IS  GIVEN,  TESTIFYING  AGAINST  THE 
UNGODLY.  Judas  has  uttered  words 
of  great  severity  against  the  false  teach- 
ers and  ungodly  people.  He  is  not 
without  warrant  in  this,  inasmuch  as 
old-time  prophecies  had  been  uttered 
concerning  men  like  these.  To  him, 
as  to  all  his  Jewish  readers  alike,  the 
words  of  admitted  prophecy  would  be 
sure  and  unerring  words. 

14.  Of  these,  rather,  to  these.  The 
term  here  used  implies  an  utterance 
concerning  them  as  also  in  addition 
an  address  to  them  in  a  direct  way. 
Enoch.  See  for  all  we  know  of  him 
Gen.  5  :  21-24;  Heb.  11  :  5.  Attempts 
have  been  made  to  allegorize  the  name, 
inasmuch  as  his  age  is  stated  as  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  years,  but  there 
is  no  occasion  to  doubt  his  real  exist- 
ence. Many  Jewish  fal)les  are  gathered 
around  his  name,  such  as  his  great 
wisdom  and  skill  in  natural  science. 
Seventh.  This  number  in  the  Old 
Testament  is  full  of  significance,  im- 
plying completeness.  Inasmuch  as  he 
was  the  head  of  the  seventh  generation, 
including  Adam,  this  fact  is  stated  as 
adding,  in  a  certain  way,  significance 
and  force  to  his  prophecy.  Jewish 
writers  are  ever  noting  the  occurrence 
of  this  number,  as  that  Moses  was  the 
seventh  from  Abraham.  See  in  the 
Introduction  the  recurrence  of  the 
number  three  in  the  structure  of  this 
letter.  Prophesied.  This  term  has 
a  twofold  meaning.  It  primarily 
means  a  speaking  for  God  and  from 
God.  He  was  a  true  prophet  who 
spoke  words  for  the  times,  denouncing 
unrighteousness,  revealing  God's  will, 
encouraging  right  doing.  Knowing 
God's  nature  as  one  of  holiness,  .and 
understanding  thereby  the  principles 


JUDE 


129 


Behold,  n  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten 
15  thousand  of  his  saints,  to  execute 
judgment  upon  all,  and  to  convince 
all  that  are  ungodly  anioug  them  of 
all  their  ungodly  deeds  which  they 
have  ungodly  comuiitted,  and  of  afl 
their  "hard  speeches  which  ungodly 
sinners    have    spoken    against    him. 


15  myriads,  to  execute  judgment  on  all, 
and  to  convict  all  the  luiKodly  of  all 
their  works  of  ungodliness  which  they 
did,  and  of  all  the  hard  things  which 
ungodly  sinners  spoke  against   him. 


n  Deut.  33  :  2  ;  Dan.  7  :  10 ;  Zech.  U  :  5 ;  Malt.  25  :  31  ;  2  Thess.  1:7;  Rev.  1  :  7. 
0  1  Sam.  2  :  3  ;  Ps.  31  :  18 :  94  :  4  ;  Mai.  3  :  13. 


of  the  divine  government  in  the  world, 
a  religious  teacher  could  foretell  that 
God  would,  in  time,  punish  ungod- 
liness. There  could  also  be  a  definite 
illumination  of  the  mind  whereby  this 
teaching  would  be  clearly  known. 
There  is  also  a  place  for  predictive 
prophecy.  The  coming  of  a  deliverer 
is  first  announced  in  Gen.  3  :  15.  Sac- 
rifices which  were,  in  reality,  a  sym- 
bolic prophecy  were  established,  with- 
out doubt,  by  a  divine  command.  It 
would  be  fitting  in  a  time  when  wicked- 
ness abounded,  and  to  a  man  like 
Enoch,  living  in  fellowship  with  God, 
that  special  revelations  should  be  given. 
This  prediction  has  been  fulfilled  iu 
manifold  ways  at  diflerent  times.  God 
came  at  the  flood ;  in  the  judgments 
upon  Israel  and  the  surrounding  na- 
tions, at  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  ;  it  will 
be  further  fulfilled  at  the  final  personal 
coming  of  Christ.  This  prophecy  does 
not  refer  to  any  definite  time,  but  is  a 
general  declaration  that  God  will  in- 
tervene on  behalf  of  righteousness  upon 
the  earth.  Lord.  The  term,  Lord, 
rau.st  not  be  interpreted  to  mean  that 
Enoch  had  a  full  view  of  the  person, 
mission,  and  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
In  a  general  way  the  term  here  stands 
for  God  in  some  of  his  manifestations. 
We  must  not  interpret  into  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Old  Testament  saints  the 
full  New  Testament  teaching.  Com- 
eth, rather,  came.  This  is  the  historic 
tense  of  prophecy,  the  prophet  speak- 
ing of  a  future  era  as  if  it  already  were 
present  or  were  past,  he  himself  stand- 
ing in  the  midst  of  it.  No  one  can 
rationally  deny  a  predictive  element 
to  prophecy  if  he  admit  the  exi.stence 
of  an  all-knowing  God  with  whom  the 
prophet  is  in  fellowship.  Saints, 
rather,  ho/y  ones.  The  reference  here 
is  to  angels  as  holy  beings.  (See  Deut.  33 : 

J;     Zech.    U  :  5  ;      Matt.    16  :  27.)         God      haS 

myriads  of  holy  angels  and  holy  saintly 
living  ones  from  the  earth  in  his  service. 


(SeeHeb  12:12.)  For  our knowledge  ofan- 
gels  we  are  dependent  upon  revelation. 

15.  This  verse  gives  the  i)urpose  of 
the  Lord's  coming.  Execute  judg- 
ment. Reference  is  here,  not  to  a  test 
of  all  men,  so  much  as  the  passing  of 
a  righteous  doom  upon  those  deserving 
punishment.  Convince,  rather,  con- 
vict. To  convict  is  a  far  stronger  word 
than  to  convince,  which  usually  means 
to  persuade  a  man  of  the  reasonable- 
ness of  a  certain  cour.se  of  action. 
Here  it  means  to  pass  sentence  upon 
the  ungodly  as  the  result  of  their  evi- 
dent guilt.  The  characteristic  feature 
of  the  antediluvian  world  was  its  un- 
godliness, the  term  ungodly  occurring 
four  times  in  this  verse.  There  was  a 
depravity  of  heart  that  came  out  in  a 
depraved  life.  (See  Oeu.  e  ;  5.)  It  is  po.s- 
sible  that  in  these  words  we  have  the 
substance  of  the  teachings  given  by 
Enoch,  his  denunciations  of  the  un- 
godly men  of  his  age.  Some  think 
that  the  style  here  is  diflerent  from 
that  of  Jude,  and  favors  the  view  that 
this  is  a  direct  quotation  from  Enoch. 
Hard.  Nothing  would  be  more  natural 
than  that  in  such  an  age  filled  with 
impiety,  rough  and  abusive  words 
would  be  uttered  concerning  him  and 
concerning  God's  government.  In  say- 
ing that  God  does  not  notice  the  deeds 
of  men,  that  he  does  not  care,  that  he 
makes  no  moral  discriminations,  that 
wickedness  will  not  be  punished,  that 
piety  is  not  profitable  —  these  state- 
ments, in  reality,  revile  God  and  his 
government.  Byron's  portrait  of  Cain 
reveals  such  a  man  saying  hard  things 
against  God. 

16-19.  The  ungodly  te.\chers 
ark  described  as  mockers,  sen- 
SUAL, SCHISMATIC.  Having  given  the 
quotation  from  Enoch  in  which  the 
ungodly  are  described  as  speaking  hard 
things  against  God,  Jude  now  justifies 
that  statement  by  a  furtlier  description 
of  them.    They  are  portrayed  as  per- 


130 


JUDE 


16  These  are  murmurers,  complainers, 
walking  after  their  own  lusts ;  and 
p  their  mouth  speaketh  great  swelling 
words,  1  having  men's  persons  in  ad- 
miration because  of  advantage. 

17  "■  But,  beloved,  remember  ye  the  words 
which  were  spoken  before  of  the 
apostles   of    our   Lord    Jesus   Christ ; 


16  These  are  murmurers,  complaining  of 
their  lot,  walking  according  to  their 
desires  ;  and  their  mouth  speaks  swell- 
ing words  ;  admiring  men's  persons, 
for  the  sake  of  profit. 

17  But  do  ye,  beloved,  remember  the 
words  which  vvere  before  spoken  by  the 
apostles   of    our    Lord    Jesus    Christ ; 


p  2  Peter  2  :  18. 


q  ProT.  2U  :  21 ;  James  2  :  1-9. 


r  2  Peter  3  :  2. 


sons  in  revolt  against  God,  against  the 
present  order  of  things,  as  mockers  to 
whom  holy  things  count  nothing,  as 
destitute  of  the  highest  life,  as  destroy- 
ing the  unity  of  the  church. 

16.  These  men  so  described  in  proph- 
ecy, men  pointed  out  and  condemned  by 
Jude,  are  murmurers,  complain- 
ers, the  words  occurring  here  only  in 
the  New  Testament.  They  murmur 
against  God's  decrees,  and  find  fault 
with  his  providence.  They  blame  God 
for  their  condition  in  life,  and  for  the 
moral  restrictions  which  he  had  im- 

Eosed  upon  them.  They  are  out  of 
armony  with  God.  There  is  prob- 
ably also  a  spirit  of  insubordination 
against  the  constraints  of  society  and 
the  church,  especially  against  the 
church  if  discipline  had  been  exer- 
cised against  them.  The  moderm  term 
pessimism  reveals  the  state  of  mind 
indicated,  a  view  which  regards  all 
things  as  in  disorder,  which  finds  no 
source  of  happiness  or  hope ;  an  utter 
extreme  from  the  view  of  Paul,  who 
placed  God  in  the  center  of  the  moral 
universe,  and  looked  upon  all  things 
as  working  for  good  to  those  in  har- 
mony with  God.  Walking  .  .  •  lusts. 
This  course  of  life  is  a  result  of  their 
character.  Throwing  off  the  restraints 
of  the  law  and  love  of  God,  self-willed, 
they  would  naturally  walk  after  their 
own  passions,  which  would  be  as  gods 
to  them.  Living  this  kind  of  a  life 
they  would  naturally  grow  discon- 
tented. A  selfisii  life  is  an  unsatisfying 
life.  Swelling  words.  This  may 
refer  to  the  claims  of  wisdom  made  by 
them,  to  tlie  large  knowledge  assumed. 
They  boasted  of  their  knowledge,  far 
surpassing  that  of  the  common  people, 
affirming  tlieir  superiority  to  all  the 
laws  and  restraints  of  God.  Their 
Christian  liberty  included  the  right  to 
be  free  from  all  God's  commands,  other- 
wise their  liberty  itself  would  be  a  de- 
lusion. Paul  speaks  of  being  made 
free  from  the  law  of  .sin,  but  made  cap- 


tive to  the  law  of  Christ.  No  heresy 
of  the  New  Testament  times  was  more 
dangerous  or  more  seductive  than  the 
teaching  that  the  Christian  life  is  free 
from  the  binding  power  of  the  moral 
law.  It  introduced  licentiousness,  not 
in  an  open  way,  but  under  the  guise  of 
religion.  It  was  in  reference  to  such 
knowledge  that  Paul  said,  "Knowl- 
edge puffeth  up"  (1  Cor.  8:1).  Their 
assumed  knowledge  was  not  a  real 
knowledge,  but  one  falsely  so  called  (i 
Tim.  6:20).  It  is  eternal  life  to  know 
God  and  Jesus  Christ,  having  the  char- 
acter that  naturally  comes  from  this 
knowledge  within  the  heart  (John  i7 :  s). 
Paul  counted  all  things  but  loss  that 
he  might  know  Christ  (pwi.  s  :  8). 
Having  ...  advantage,  rather, 
shotring  respect  of  persons  for  the  sake 
of  advantage.  This  is  an  accurate  de- 
scription of  Balaam,  who  sold  his  powers 
for  the  reward  that  he  hoped  to  gain 
from  Balak.  These  men  formed  their 
beliefs  on  mercenary  plans.  They  re- 
belled against  God,  but  they  were  ser- 
vile toward  men  for  the  sake  of  posi- 
tion, pleasure,  profit.  Many  references 
are  made  in  the  New  Testament  to 
teachers  who  taught  for  the  sake  of 
money  (Titns  i :  i,  u).  See  Paul's  words 
and  example  in  refusing  to  take  money 
for  his  teaching  (Acts  20  :  33, 34).  James 
forbids  the  spirit  manifested  by  these 
men  (James  2 : 1-3).  The  Spirit  of  Jesus 
Chri.st  does  not  create  or  foster  a  social 
caste  in  the  church  ;  it  rather  makes  a 
holy  society,  a  brotherhood,  a  reason- 
able communism.  Tiie  teacher  must 
not  teach,  courting  popularity.  He 
must  speak  what  God  bids  him,  whether 
men  will  hear  or  forbear. 

17.  Believers  ought  not  to  be  sur- 
prised that  mockers  arise.  But  be- 
loved, rather,  bid  ye,  beloved.  The  j/e 
is  emphatic,  in  contrast  with  the  un- 
godly element  in  the  church.  As  in 
ver.  5,  Jude  recalls  their  former  knowl- 
edge and  remembrance.  Spoken  be- 
fore.   The  tense  is  imperfect,  which 


JUDE 


131 


18  how  that  they  told  you  'there  should 
be  mockers  in  the  last  time,  who  should 
walk    after  their  own  ungodly  lusts. 

19  These  be   they  'who   separate  them- 


18  that  they  said  to  you,  in  the  last  time 
there  will   be  scoffers,  walking  after 

19  tlieirown  ungodly  desires.    These  are 
they  who  make  separations;  natural, 


s  Acts  20  :  29;  1  Tim.  4:  1,  2;  2  Tim.  3:1;  2  Peter  3  :  3. 
(  Isa.  65  :  5 ;  Ezek.  U  :  J  ;  Hosea  4  :  H  ;  9  :  10 ;  Heb.  10  :  25  ;  1  John  2  :  19. 


often  means  a  repeated  doing,  as  if  Jude 
or  if  the  apostles  had  been  accustomed 
to  forewarn  them.  The  reference  may 
be  either  to  oral  teachings  or  to  their 
writings.  For  a  long  time  there  was  a 
.set,  formal  round  of  teachings  before 
the  Gospels  took  their  present  shape. 
It  is  implied  here  that  his  readers  were 
fully  acquainted  with  the  apostolic 
teaching,  so  that  they  would  at  once  ac- 
cept his  statement  as  in  accord  with 
their  own  knowledge.  It  is  implied 
also  that  the  teaching  of  the  apostles 
was  authoritative,  so  that  if  anything 
had  been  taught  by  them,  it  ought  to 
be  accepted  by  the  church  as  an  article 
of  belief  or  rule  of  conduct.  As  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  were  incomplete 
(joho  16  :  12)  J  he  made  provision  for  the 
enlargement  of  the  truth  through  the 
Holy  Spirit  promised  to  them  (J"hn  le  : 
IS);  the  formal  teachings  of  the  apostles 
are  to  be  accepted  as  of  equal  authority 
as  if  spoken  by  Christ  himself.  In  tiie 
corresponding  place  in  2  Peter  3  :  2 
allusion  is  made  to  the  prophets  as 
foretelling  the  coming  of  false  teachers. 
In  this  passage  Jude  alludes  to  the 
apostles  as  announcing  their  coming. 

(See   Aot»  20  :  29,  30  ;    1  Tim.  4:1.)        AH    the 

Epistles  reveal  the  presence  of  false 
teachers  and  false  teachings,  sometimes 
almost  crowding  the  truth  out  of  its 
place  (G«i-  8:1).  That  Jude  does  not 
put  himself  among  the  apostles  is  an 
indication  that  he  does  not  regard  him- 
self as  one.  This  expression  would 
not,  in  itself,  make  it  certain  that  he 
was  not  an  apostle ;  but  taken  in  con- 
nection with  other  incidents  makes  it 
one  of  the  certainties  that  he  was  not 
one  of  the  Twelve.  This  letter  would 
not  thereby  lose  its  power  as  a  part  of 
the  Scriptures,  for  other  writers,  as 
Mark  and  Luke,  were  not  of  the  apos- 
tolic body.  The  expression  spoken  be- 
fore does  not  assert  that  a  long  period 
had  elapsed  since  these  warnings  were 
given,  though  if  this  letter  was  written 
about  A.  D.  75,  most  of  the  apostolic 
body  were  already  dead. 

18.  Told  . .  .  timC)  rather,  said  to 


you,  hi  the  last  time.  This  is  the  sub- 
stance of  the  announcement  by  the 
apostles.  Last  time.  Thisisnot  Jude's 
expression,  but  that  of  the  apostles. 
They  did  not  mean  an  age  far  distant 
from  their  own.  The  last  lime  was 
that  era  which  began  with  the  coming 
of  Christ,  so  that  they  were  already  in 
that  period.  See  instances  of  a  like 
use  of  this  term  in  2  Tim.  3:1,2;  1 
John  2  :  18  ;  1  Peter  1  :  20.  The  same 
word  for  mockers  is  used  here  as  in 
2  Peter  3  :  3.  Inasmuch  as  Peter  was 
an  apostle,  and  Jude  speaks  of  the 
warnings  given  by  the  apostles,  it  is 
probable  the  passage  in  this  letter  is  a 
quotation  from  Peter's  writings.  The 
word  is  an  unusual  one,  occurring  only 
here  and  in  Peter.  The  mockers,  in 
Peter's  day,  made  sport  of  the  predic- 
tions concerning  the  return  of  Jesus. 
Jude  does  not  specify  in  what  partic- 
ulars this  mockery  consisted.  Mockery 
is  more  difficult  to  meet  than  argu- 
ment; it  is  also  harder  to  reach  such 
men  and  bring  them  under  the  power 
of  the  truth.  A  spirit  thoughtful  and 
reverent,  that  questions  even  the  fun- 
damentals of  the  faith,  may  be  reasoned 
with  and  convinced,  but  a  spirit  that 
treats  the  most  serious  questions  in  a 
light  and  flippant  way  cannot  be 
reached.  Who  should  walk,  rather, 
walking.  Ungodly  lusts,  literally, 
lusts  of  ■ungodlinesses,  meaning  that 
these  unholy  desires  arise  from  the 
various  forms  of  impiety.  In  the 
prophecy  from  Enoch,  ver.  15,  the 
word  ungodly  occurs  in  an  emphatic 
manner. 

19.  Again  .Tude  returns  to  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  false  teachers,  describing 
them,  not  as  realizing  the  prophetic 
announcement  (ver.  n,  is),  but  as  they 
reveal  themselves  in  the  church  life 
and  in  their  own  personal  lives.  Three 
thingsareasserteaof  them.  Separate 
themselves,  rather,  causing  divisions. 
This  word  occurs  only  here  in  the  New 
Testament.  The  author  does  not  mean 
tliat  they  separate  themselves  from  the 
church,  becoming  thereby  schismatics, 


132 


JUDE 


selves,  "sensual,  having  not  the  Spirit.  I  20  having   not   the    Spirit.    But  ye,    be- 
20     But  ye,  beloved,  ^  building  up  your-  |       loved,  building  up  yourselves  on  your 

u  1  Cor.  2  :  14;  James  3  :  15.  x  Col.  2 :  7. 


for  they  belong  to  the  church  and  at- 
tend the  love  feasts.  These  men  had 
departed  from  the  practice  of  piety, 
and  were  walking  in  the  ways  of  un- 
godliness. They  were  men  having  the 
spirit  of  Korah,  leading  to  separation 
in  the  church.  These  were  persons 
who  would  despise  the  poorer  mem- 
bers, associating  with  the  wealthy, 
making  divisions  on  social  lines.  They 
laid  claims  to  a  large  knowledge  and  a 
spiritual  enlightenment,  holding  ordi- 
nary believers  in  contempt.  They  were 
selfish  at  feasts,  and  had  a  domineering 
spirit  like  Diotrephes  (3  John  9).  Paul 
writes  of  members  causing  divisions 
(Eom.  16  :  17, 18) ;  of  members  who  make 
a  god  of  their  passions  {F^n.  s  -.  is,  19). 
The  present  participle  shows  their 
habit  to  be  that  of  making  separations 
in  the  membership.  A  factious  person 
is  as  dangerous  to  a  church  as  one  hold- 
ing unsound  views.  The  etymological 
meaning  of  heretic  is  that  of  one  ma- 
king divisions  (thus  3  :  10).  Sensual. 
This  does  not  mean  licentious,  de- 
praved, which  is  the  usual  meaniug  of 
the  term  to-day.  The  term  is  that  em- 
ployed by  Paul  in  1  Cor.  3  :  14  in  de- 
scribing the  natural  man  as  distinct 
from  the  spiritual  man  ;  it  is  also  used 
in  1  Cor.  15  :  44,  where  the  natural 
body  is  distinguished  from  the  spiritual 
body.  Jude  means  that  the  man  lives 
in  the  domain  of  his  emotional  and 
perceptive  faculties,  and  is  not  under 
the  control  of  the  moral  nature,  the 
enlightened  reason,  the  conscience 
which  forms  a  part  of  his  spiritual 
nature.  Paul,  at  times,  separates  man 
into  three  parts — body,  soul,  spirit  (1 
Theso.  6  :  23).  The  word  here  rendered 
sensual  is  the  translation  of  soul,  hence 
a  psychical  man,  not  so  low  as  the  fleshly 
man,  but  not  identical  with  the  spir- 
itual man.  Lying  between  the  two 
terms,  body  and  spirit,  it  is  regarded 
as  in  alliance  with  the  flesh  and  under 
its  control.  Not  having  the  Spirit. 
The  article  is  not  found  before  spirit, 
so  that  it  is  a  matter  of  doubt  whether 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  meant  or  not.  It  is 
usually  the  case  that  the  term  .spirit, 
without  any  modifying  term,  refers  to 
man's  spirit  only.    It  is  better  to  re- 


gard Jude  as  referring  here  to  man's 
spirit.  So  supreme  has  the  lower  part 
of  man's  nature  become,  so  selfish 
and  self-indulgent  has  been  the  life, 
that  the  spiritual  element  in  them  had 
become  almost  extirpated ;  they  were 
as  men  having  no  spirit  upon  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  could  work.  In  all 
probability  these  godless  teachers  hcd 
claimed  to  be  especially  spiritual  poi- 
sons, to  whom  special  revelations  had 
come  through  the  Spirit  insomuch  that 
thej'  were  above  the  commands  of  the 
moral  law,  and  could  indulge  in  fleshly 
passions  without  injury.  Jude  declares 
that  not  only  are  they  not  under  the 
control  of  the  Spirit,  but  that  there  is 
nothing  in  them  to  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  can  appeal.  It  is  the  severest 
indictment  that  can  be  brought  against 
men :  that  through  disuse  and  misuse 
the  highest  faculty  in  their  nature, 
that  through  which  they  may  become 
the  children  of  God,  has  become  almost 
extinct,  so  that  even  God  cannot  reach 
them.  They  have  become  intellectual 
animals. 

20-23.  Words  of  counsel  fob 
the  believing  element  in  the 
CHURCH.  In  contrast  with  the  im- 
passioned invective  used  concerning 
the  sensual,  licentious,  and  heretical 
teachers,  extenduig  from  ver.  10  to  ver. 
19,  Jude  now  turns  in  calm  exhorta- 
tion to  the  holy  element  of  the  church. 
As  destructive  errors  were  rife  among 
them,  assailing  the  truth  even  within 
the  church,  it  was  needful  for  them  to 
be  especially  on  their  guard.  A  growth 
in  the  spiritual  life  is  urged  upon  them 

(ver    20,  21). 

20.  The  best  safeguard  against  error, 
in  doctrine  or  life,  is  a  rich  and  full 
spiritual  life.  This  verse  is  a  resump- 
tion of  the  exhortation  beginning  in 
ver.  17.  But  ye.  These  words  are  em- 
phatic, in  contrast  with  the  pestilential 
men  described  above.  Building 
up.  The  false  teachers  were  making 
divisions,  thereby  rending  the  church 
into  factions,  destro.v'ing  its  unity  and 
power.  These  are  exhorted  to  build 
tliemselves  up.  The  foundation  on 
which  this  believing  structure  is  to  rest 
is  faith,  looked  upon  here  not  as  the 


JUDE 


133 


selves  on  your  most  holy  faith,  J  pray-  I       most  holy  faith,  praying  in  the  Holy 
21  iugin  the  Holy  Ghost,  ^  keep  yourselves    21  Spirit,  keep  yourselves  in  the  love  of 
in  the  love  of  God,  "looking  for  the         God,  looking  for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord 
mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  uuto  | 

y  Eph.  6  :  18.  z  John  15  :  9,  10;  Acts  11  :  23 ;  1  JuUn  5  :  18,  21. 

a  Lam.  3  :  25,  26;  Titus  2  :  13 ;  2  Peter  3  :  12. 


internal  belief  in  God,  the  saving  faith, 
but  faith  in  its  objective  sense,  with  the 
meaning  of  belief,  creed.  (Seever.  3.)  It 
is  a  most  holy  faith  in  contrast  witli 
the  unholy  and  foul  teachings  of  the 
errorists.  The  appeal  is  not  to  the 
building  of  the  individual  spiritual 
life,  but  of  the  organized  body,  looked 
upon  as  a  temple  of  God.  (see  1  cor.  s) 
It  is  the  growth  in  godliness,  in  holy 
living,  in  clear  intellectual  perception 
of  the  truth,  in  right  views  of  Scrip- 
ture teachings,  a  growth  that  depends 
upon  their  own  co-operation.  It  is  a 
divine-human  growth  in  knowledge 
and  clearness  insisted  upon.  In  this 
growth  three  things  are  essential, 
pras'er,  a  sense  of  God's  love,  an  ex- 
pectancy of  Christ's  mercy.  Praying 
.  .  .  Ghost,  rather.  Spirit.  The  term 
Ghost  should  always  be  displaced  by 
that  of  Spirit,  inasmuch  as  the  term 
ghost  has  become  associated  with  tlie 
disembodied  human  spirit.  This  ex- 
pression occurs  nowhere  else  in  the 
New  Testament,  but  its  teaching  is  in 
correspondence  with  other  New  Testa- 
ment teachings.  See  the  expression 
"speaking  in  the  spirit"  (i  Cor.  12 ;  .s). 
Compare  also  the  expression  in  Rom. 
8  :  26.  In  order  to  pray  aright  there 
must  be  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  suggestions  in  the  creation  of  the 
prayer.  The  Spirit  knows  what  is  the 
mind  of  God  (i  Cor.  2 :  u) ;  the  Spirit 
can  therefore  effectively  help  iii  prayer. 
Some  would  join  the  expression,  "in 
the  Holy  Spirit,"  to  the  preceding  part 
of  this  passage,  but  it  is  better  to  join 
it  with  the  praying.  The  false  teach- 
er.s  were  destitute  of  the  Spirit ;  the  be- 
lievers live,  as  it  were,  in  the  domain 
of  the  Holy  Spirit;  they  pray  in  the 
Spirit.  The  life  of  prayer  will  beget 
in  them  a  spiritual  clearness  whereby 
they  will  be  kept  free  from  destructive 
errors. 

21.  Keep.  This  verb  is  in  the 
aorist  tense,  implying  thus  one  com- 
plete act  of  their  life,  an  act  t«  be  con- 
tinued through  their  upbuilding  and 
their  praying.    Love  of  God.    Tliis 


may  refer  to  their  love  for  God  or  to 
God's  love  for  them.  It  is  more  in  ac- 
cord wiih  the  New  Testament  usage  to 
regard  tliis  as  God's  love  to  them  ;  they 
were  to  keep  themselves  witliiu  the 
limit  of  God's  favoring  and  approving 
love,  manifested  by  their  continued 
growth  in  the  Christian  character  and 
in  their  devout  spiritual  life  (-Joim  is : 

9;     Rom.  8  :  39  ,     2   Cor.   5  :  U).        LookiUg 

for,  in  the  present  tense,  expresses  the 
attitude  of  the  life,  revealing  a  con- 
fident   expectancy    of    receiving    the 

mercy  spoken  of.     (See  Titus  2  :  13  ;  Heb.  10  : 

34;  11  :  35.)  Tliis  mcrcy,  which  is  con- 
stantly manife.st  in  his  treatment  of 
the  penitent,  guilty  man,  issues  in  its 
fulness  in  tlie  eternal  life,  which  is 
revealed  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
There  is  an  eternal  life  now  (J«hu  i7 ;  3); 
its  full  power  and  glory  will  be  realized 
only  in  the  after  life  (^att.  19 : 2»).  Some 
join  the  expression  unto  eternal  life 
with  both  preceding  statements,  keep- 
ing yourselves  and  receiving  and  wait- 
ing for  the  Saviour's  mercy,  both  of 
which  united  will  form  such  a  char- 
acter as  will  ripen  unto  eternal  bless- 
edness. Without  any  formal  teaching 
concerning  the  Trinity,  Jude  gives  full 
expression  to  the  distinctions  in  the 
Godhead,  Father,  Christ,  Spirit.  This 
incidental  allusion  to  the  Trinity  is,  in 
reality,  a  strong  proof  that  this  doc- 
trine was  accepted  by  all  in  the  first 
centurj'.  It  is  noticeable  that  the 
mercy  is  here  attributed,  notas  usually 
to  God,  but  to  the  Father  and  to  the 
Son,  as  is  the  case  in  the  pastoral 
Epistles.  The  entire  Godhead  is  con- 
cerned directly  in  the  salvation  of  the 
soul. 

The  attitude  of  believeks  to- 
ward PERSONS  WHO  HAVE  BEEN  LED 
INTO  ERROR.  These  must  be  dealt 
with  according  to  their  special  char- 
acteristics, with  a  greater  or  less  .sever- 
ity. Jude  has  previously  exhorted  them 
to  contend  for  the  completed  faith  de- 
livered to  them  (ver.  3).  Concerning 
the  false  teachers  themselves,  he  lias 
expres.sed  himself  as  having  no  hope 


134 


JUDE 


22  eternal  life.     ^  And  of  some  have  com- 

23  passion,  making  a  difEerence:  and 
others  save  with  fear,  « pulling  than 
out  of  the  tire ;  hating  even  ^  the  gar- 
ment spotted  by  the  flesh. 


22  Jesus  Christ,  to  eternal  life.  And 
some  refute  when  they  are  contend- 
ing ;  and  some  save,  snatching  them 

23  out  of  the  lire ;  and  some  compas- 
sionate with  fear,  hating  even  the  gar- 
ment spotted  by  the  flesh. 


c  Amos  4:11;  Zech.  3  :  2. 


d  Lev.  13  :  47-59;  Zeoh.  3  :  4,  5;  1  Cor.  5  :  9-11. 


for  them  (ver.  12).  But  many  of  the 
members  had  been  exposed  to  their 
disastrous  influences;  these  must,  if 
possible,  be  rescued  from  the  error. 
Tiiree  kinds  of  men  are  described.  He 
displays  great  wisdom  in  classifying 

them  (ver.  22,  23). 

22.  And  .  .  .  difference,  tlie  Ee- 
vised  version  reads,  A7id  on  some  have 
mercy,  who  are  in  doubt.  But  the  Bible 
Union  version  renders :  And  some  refute 
when  they  are  contending.  The  MSS 
here  vary  exceedingly.  The  Exposi- 
tor's Bible  says :  "  The  Greek  text  here 
is  in  so  corrupt  a  state  that  the  original 
cannot  be  restored  with  certainty."  In 
half  a  score  of  places  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament there  is  doubt  concerning  the 
original  text,  but  on  no  one  of  these 
does  any  important  teaching  rest.  Al- 
ford  reads,  And  some  indeed  convict 
when  C07itending  with  you.  The  word 
refute  or  convict  is  the  same  word  as 
used  in  John  16  :  8;  Eph.  5  :  11.  So 
also  Plumptre.  The  older  manuscripts 
adopt  this  reading.  For  who  are  in 
doubt,  the  Eevised  version  reads  in  the 
margin,  "  when  they  are  disputing  with 
you."  According  to  one  reading,  the 
meaning  seems  to  be,  those  professing 
Christians  who  were  honestly  in  the 
darkness  and  in  doubt  must  be  tenderly 
dealt  with.  They  must  not  be  up- 
braided or  unduly  censured  ;  they  must 
be  led  into  the  larger  truth  by  a  ^yise 
presentation  of  right  views.  It  requires 
great  wisdom  to  deal  with  the  doubts 
and  perplexities  of  men.  According  to 
the  older  reading,  the  meaning  seems 
to  be,  those  teachers  who  are  given  to 
disputing  should  be  severely  dealt  with. 
"There  is  more  point  in  the  contrast 
between  the  teachers  who  need  a  severe 
rebuke  and  those  who  may  be  saved 
with  fear,  than  in  the  two  degrees  of 
pity  presented  by  the  Received  text" 
(Plumptre). 

23.  And  others  .  .  .  fire,  rather, 
and  some  save,  snatching  them  out  .0/ 
the  fire.  These  persons  have  gone 
farther  on  the  road  to  error  than  the 
first  class.    Partly  through  their  own 


low  spiritual  condition,  partly  through 
diflerent  temperaments,  partly  through 
stronger  seductions,  these  are  nearly 
swept  into  the  doctrines  and  life  of  the 
licentious  teachers.  There  seems  to 
be  here  a  reminiscence  of  the  words  in : 
Zech.  3  :  1,  "a  brand  plucked  from  the  '. 
fire";  see  also  Amos  4  :  11;  Gen.  19  : 
16,  17.  These  persons  need  a  more 
rigorous  and  severe  treatment  than  the 
first  class;  they  were  in  greater  peril. 
Their  feet  had  almost  slipped  (ps-  '3 : 2). 
The  third  class  is  not  mentioned  at  all 
in  the  Received  version,  and  on  some 
have  mercy  with  fear.  These  persons 
also  require  a  tender  concern  for  them 
and  a  sympathetic  treatment.  They 
are  to  have  consideration  and  mercy 
shown  to  them.  The  expression  with 
fear  may  have  reference  to  the  person 
in  error ;  the  result  of  the  eflbrt  to  save 
him  is  in  great  doubt.  Or  it  may  mean 
that  the  eSbrt  to  save  brings  a  danger 
to  the  believer,  the  evil  may  be  so  con- 
tagious that  it  may  contaminate  the 
one  attempting  the  rescue.  Persons 
associated  closely  with  evil  and  evil 
persons  are  in  great  peril  themselves. 
One  may  mingle  intimately  with  error 
only  by  keeping  close  to  Him  who  is 
the  truth  and  holiness.  There  must  be 
a  love  for  the  errorist,  but  a  hatred  for 
the  error.  Hating  .  .  .  flesh.  The 
garment  spoken  of  is  that  which  is 
worn  next  to  the  body.  If  the  body 
were  unclean  or  leprous,  the  garment 
would  contaminate  any  person  touch- 
ing it.  James  speaks  of  a  moral  de- 
filement, using  the  word  here  rendered 
spotted  (James  3  :  6).  Zcchariah  also 
speaks  of  foul  garments  (zech.  3 :  1-3). 
The  garment  stands  for  anything  in  the 
outward  life  that  becomes  an  occasion 
of  sinfulness.  In  the  Old  Testament 
times  there  was  a  ceremonial  unclean- 
ness  that  belonged  to  outward  things; 
in  all  this  was  the  effort  on  the  part  of 
God  to  awaken  in  them  the  sense  of 
moral  uncleanness.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  Jude  discriminates  between  the 
one  who  seduced  into  error  and  the 
various  kinds  of  men  who  were  led 


JUDE 


135 


24  'Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  keep 
you  from  falling,  and  'to  present  you 
faultless  K  before  the  presence  of   his 

25  glory  with  exceeding  joy,  '■  to  the  only 
wise  God  our  Saviour,  be  glory  and 
majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both 
now  and  ever.    Amen. 


24  Now  to  him  who  is  able  to  guard  you 
from  falling,  and  to  set  you  without 
blemish  in  gladness  before  the  presence 

25  of  his  glory  ;  to  the  only  God  our  Sa- 
vior, through  Jesus  Ciirist  our  Lord, 
be  glory,  majesty,  might,  and  au- 
thority, before  all  time,  and  now,  and 
forever.    Amen. 


«  John  10  :  29,  30 ;  Rom.  16  :  25 ;  Eph.  3  :  20.  /  Eph.  5  :  27 ;  Cul.  1  :  22 ;  Rer.  14  :  1-5. 

g  Matt.  25  :  31 ;  1  Peter  i  :  13.  A  Rom.  16  :  27  ;  1  Tim.  1  :  17  ;  2:3:  2  Peter  1 :  1. 


astray,  adjusting  his  treatment  to  the 
standing  of  each  chiss.  The  wi.se 
teacher  must  rightly  divide  the  word 
of  truth  (2  Tim.  2 :  15).  A  recklcss  and 
unwise  coutention  for  the  truth,  and  the 
indiscriminate  condemnatiou  of  all  who 
do  not  have  right  conceptions  of  the 
truth,  may  work  great  disaster  to  the 
cause  of  ChrLst. 

24,  25.  The  doxology.  In  ver. 
21  Jude  had  exhorted  them  to  keep 
themselves  in  the  love  of  God.  He 
now  lifts  up  their  heart  to  that  same 
God  whose  grace  can  keep  them  unto 
eternal  life  hereafter,  and  from  stum- 
blings in  the  present  life.  False  tea,ch- 
ers  abound,  errors  arise  on  every  side, 
many  believers  are  entangled  in  the 
enticing  errors,  but  above  all  remains 
God  in  his  almightiness,  his  serenity, 
in  his  ultimate  supremacy  over  all  men 
and  all  beliefs.  To  this  God  the  writer 
now  turns  their  attention. 

24,  25.  Able.  God  is  that  one  who 
is  almighty,  and  his  almightiness  is 
under  the  control  of  wisdom  and  love. 
In  John  10  :  29  Jesus  spoke  of  the 
ability  of  God  his_  Father  to  guard 
them.  Keep.  This  is  not  the  same 
word  that  is  used  in  ver.  21,  but  is  a 
term  that  means  placing  a  _  military 
guard  around  one  for  protection.  See 
the  same  word  u.sed  by  the  Saviour  in 
John  17  :  12.  Falling,  rather,  stum- 
bling. The  word  stwnibiing  is  less 
serious  than  falling,  so  that  one  ni;iy 
stumble  and  yet  not  fall,  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  word.  (Sue  Rom.  u  :  ii.) 
Through  God's  grace  and  the  enlight- 
enment of  the  Ploly  Spirit  they  will  be 
kept  not  only  from  apostasy,  but  from 
the  grievous  errors  contended  against 

in  this  letter,    (see  the  same  word  in  James  2  : 

10;  2  Peter  1:10.)  The  Holy  Spirit  is 
given  for  the  purpose  of  leading  the 
believer  into  the  truth  (Joi">  is  :  is).  If 
the  Scriptures  alone  were  followed,  if 
traditions  and  cu.stoms  were  to  lose 
their  power  when  not  supported  by  the 


inspired  writings,  many  doctrines  and 
practices  now  held  erroneously  would 
lose  their  power.  Infant  baj>tism,  as- 
persion, baptismal  regeneration,  pray- 
ers for  the  dead,  the  mass,  an  uncon- 
verted church -membership  would 
speedily  disappear.  There  is  no  prom- 
ise here  of  a  personal  life  that  would 
be  without  sin.  There  is  no  life  higher 
than  the  Christian  life,  but  in  this  life 
there  are  all  gradations.  No  holy  man 
of  God  has  ever  yet  shown  how  much 
of  God's  keeping  power  he  may  appro- 
priate, keeping  from  personal  defile- 
ment and  from  docfrinal  deviations. 
To  present  ...  joy,  rather,  to  set 
you,  before  the  presence  of  his  glory  with- 
out blemish  in  exceeding  joy.  Without 
blemish  expresses  the  ultimate  condi- 
tion of  God's  people.  They  are  fre- 
quently so  described  (Eph.  1:4;  5:J7; 
Phil.  2:15;    Col.  1:22).      They  wjll  be  SpOt- 

less  because  Christ  is  spotless  (Heb,  9 :  u ; 
1  Peter  1 :  19).  Glory  stauds  for  the  mani- 
festations of  Christ  in  his  splendor. 
When  here  on  the  earth  his  condition 
was  one  of  humiliation.  It  is  now  a 
condition  in  glory  (John  n  :  24).  lie 
will  appear  in  glory  (Matt.  i6  :  27).  It  is 
natural  tiiat  a  spotless  life  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  glorified  Christ  will  create 
joy,  exceeding  joy,  represented  by  one 

word  in  the  Greek  (Luke  1  :  14,  44;  Acts  2  : 

«).  Only  wise  God,  omit  wise. 
This  doxology  is  similar  to  that  in  1 
Tim.  1  :  17.  No  verb  is  expressed ;  it 
may,  therefore,  be  a  statement  or  a 
prayer.  God  is,  or  let  God  be.  God 
our  Saviour  .  .  .  ever,  rather,  God 
our  Saviour,  thro^igh  Jesus  Christ  otir 
Lord,  be  qlory,  majesty,  dominion,  and 
power  before  all  time  and  now  and  for- 
evermore.  God  is  called  our  Saviour 
as  in  1  Tim.  2  :  .S,  inasmuch  as  God's  love 
is  the  originating  cause  of  salvation. 
(See  John  3 :  16.)  But  God's  loveis  mani- 
fested, and  salvation  is  secured  through 
Jesus  Christ.  That  Jude  accepted  the 
divinity   of  Jesus    Christ   cannot   be 


136 


JUDE 


doubted,  for  he  so  closely  joins  Jesus 
with  the  Father.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible for  one  born  a  Jew  to  join  the 
name  of  a  created  being  with  the  name 
of  the  uncreated  God.  These  four  terms, 
glory  .  .  .  power,  sum  up  God's 
greatness,  glory,  and  omnipotence.  All 
of  these  are  for  the  believer  and  against 
the  false  teacher  and  the  life  in  sin. 
Compare  the  various  doxologies  in  the 
New  Testament  to  see  in  what  varied 
ways  the  writers  portray  and  praise 
God.  Before  all  time  expresses  the 
past  eternity.  This,  with  the  and  now 
and  the /orewermore,  joins  all  the  eter- 
nities together  in  their  fitting  adora- 
tion of  God.  This  letter  contains  no 
special  salutations  as  do  so  many  of 
the  New  Testament  letters.  (Comp.  Rom 
16.)  It  is  so  far  a  letter  of  universal 
application.  Amen,  so  let  it  be,  or  so 
in  truth  it  is.  The  Expositor's  Bible 
presents  the  closing  doxology  in  the 
form  of  Hebrew  poetry : 

Now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  guard  you 

from  stumbling, 
And  to  set  you  before  the  presence  of  his 
glory  without  blemish  and  in  exceeding 
joy. 
To  the  only  God  our  Saviour, 
Through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
Glorv,  majesty,  dominion,  and  power. 
Before  all  time,  and  now,  and  forever- 
more.    Amen. 

In  this  beautiful  way  this  letter,  deal- 
ing with  tempestuous  times  and  deadly 
errors,  ends.  We  see  no  longer  the  felse 
teacher,  the  fatal  error,  the  devastating 
justice  of  God  bringing  penalty;  we 
have  a  vision  of  God  only;  a  vision 
fitted  to  comfort  the  distressed,  to  awe 
the  wicked,  to  inspire  with  fresh  cour- 
age the  faithful. 

Note  I. 
The  Love  Feasts.  There  are  but 
two  New  Testament  ordinances  rest- 
ing on  divine  command — baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper.  In  the  first  cen- 
tury, without  any  divine  command, 
but  prompted  by  a  desire  to  show  their 
true  brotherly  love,  they  established 
the  love  feast.  It  was  held  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Supper,  but  forming  no 
part  of  it.  The  term  love  feast  occurs 
here  only  in  the  New  Testament,  but 
in  1  Cor.  11  we  have  a  description  of  it 
when  observed  in  a  perverted  way.  It 
was  intended  to  be  a  social  meal,  in 


which  the  church-members  would  take 
part.  Very  soon  corruption  destroyed 
its  power.  It  became  an  occasion  for 
feasting,  for  the  creation  and  manifest- 
ing of  social  ranks  within  the  church. 
In  time  they  became  entertainments 
for  the  rich.  In  Alexandria,  in  spite 
of  the  protest  of  Clement,  the  flute,  the 
harp,  the  lyre,  made  the  occasion  one 
of  mere  entertainment.  In  other  places 
the  rich  I'etired  altogether  from  the 
love  feasts,  and  the  institution  became 
a  kind  of  poorhouse  institution.  In 
A.  D.  112,  when  Ignatius  wrote  his 
epistle,  the  love  feast  was  yet  united  to 
the  Supper.  When  Justin  Martyr 
wrote  his  "  First  Apology  "  (a.  d.  140), 
the  love  feast  had  become  separated 
from  the  Supper.  In  391  the  Cduncil 
of  Carthage  decreed  that  the  Supper 
should  be  taken  while  fasting,  which 
involved,  of  necessity,  the  absolute 
and  permanent  separation  of  the  two. 
After  the  close  of  the  fourth  century 
they  entirely  disappeared.  Some  Ger- 
man Baptist  churches  have  something 
akin  to  these  old-time  feasts,  a  simple 
meal  of  which  the  members  partake,  the 
design  being  to  unite  the  church-mem- 
bers into  one  true  family  life.  It  is 
needful,  however,  jealously  to  guard 
everything  in  and  about  the  church 
lest  it  become  an  occasion  of  weakness, 
and  be  invested  with  something  of  a 
sacred  character.  As  baptism  became 
to  many  a  means  of  regeneration,  and 
the  Lord's  Supper  became  a  sacrifice, 
so  the  love  feast  became  an  agency  for 
disintegrating  the  onenessof  the  church, 
and  introducing  feasting  and  sensu- 
ality. There  is  a  danger  that  even 
good  institutions  may  be  perverted  into 
agencies  for  evil.  Compare  comment 
on  1  Cor.  11  :  21. 

Note  II. 
Relation  of  Jude  to  the  book 
OF  Enoch.  The  prophecy  of  Enoch 
in  ver.  15  agrees  in  the  main  with  a 
passage  found  in  the  book  of  Enoch. 
This  work  was  known  only  by  frag- 
ments, for  centuries.  In  1773  Bruce, 
the  explorer,  found  an  entire  copy  of 
the  work  in  Abyssinia  in  an  Ethiopic 
translation.  It  was  translated  and  be- 
came the  property  of  the  world  in  1821. 
Opinions  vary  widely  as  to  the  age  of 
the  book.  Dorner  attributes  it  to  the 
first  century  after  Christ.     Dillmann, 


JUDE 


137 


who  edited  the  work,  places  it  in  the 
first  ceutury  before  Christ,  making  it 
current  before  the  days  of  the  New 
Testament.  If  it  was  not  written  until 
the  first  century  after  Christ,  then  the 
passage  in  this  letter  cannot  he  a  quo- 
totiou  from  the  book;  but,  on  the  otlier 
hand,  the  book  may  have  quoted  from 
the  letter.  That  the  statements  in  the 
letter  and  in  the  book  of  Enoch  are 
almost  parallel  to  each  other  is  evident 
when  the  two  passages  are  placed  side 
by  side. 

Farrar  contends  earnestly  that  Jude 
quotes  from  this  apocryphal  book,  but 
without  thereby  declaring  the  trust- 
worthiness of  the  entire  book,  but  him- 
self doubtless  accepting  parts  of  the 
book  as  trustworthy.  TertuUian  alone 
of  the  early  church  teachers  advocated 
the  book  as  worthy  of  being  placed 
alongside  of  the  canonical  writers. 
Plummer  thinks  it  possible,  though 
not  prol)able,  that  both  Jude  and  the 
book  of  Enoch  made  use  of  old-time 
traditions  coining  down  to  them  and 
accepted  as  trustworthy,  believing 
them  to  be  genuine  propheciesof  Enoch. 
He  thinks  that  Jude  may  have  quoted 
from  the  book,  even  if  he  recognized 
the  general  apocryphal  character  of 
the  work,  but  accepting  this  passage  as 
a  geiuiine  prophecy.  He,  with  other 
writers,  holds  that  Jude  might  be  in- 
spired, and  yet  quote  from  the  book 
while  in  ignorance  of  its  apocryphal 
character.  It  would  be  ditficult  to 
hold  this  view  and  at  the  same  time 
give  any  force  to  the  teachings  and 
promises  of  Christ  in  reference  to  a 
divine  guidance,  (see  John  le :  i3.)  In  the 
conflict  of  opinions,  it  is  possible  to 
maintain  the  following  statements:  (1) 
It  has  not  been  proved  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  scholars  that  the  book  was 
in  existence  before  the  time  of  Christ. 
Gieseler,  Wieseler,  and  Volkmar  main- 
tain that  it  is  a  composition  of  the  first 
century.  (2)  It  cannot  be  proved  that 
both  the  letter  and  the  book  do  not 
quote  from  a  preceding  and  trustworthy 
tradition.  (.3)  There  is  nothing  in  the 
passage  in  Jude  or  in  tlie  book  that 
cannot  be  sustained  by  plain  teachings 
of  the  Old  Testament.  There  is  ab- 
solutely nothing  new  in  this  passage, 
but  the  one  statement  that  it  was  a 

Erophecy  of  Enoch.     (4)  If  it  should 
e  proved,  in  any  way,  that  the  pas- 


sage is  a  quotation  from  the  book,  it 
cannot  be  proved  that  it  was  not  a 
trustworthy  tradition  that  found  its 
way  into  a  book  in  many  respects  un- 
worthy of  confidence.  (5)  A  quotation 
of  a  true  statement,  even  from  a  heatlieu 
author,  is  not  in  conflict  with  the  cus- 
tom of  other  inspired  writers.  Paul 
quotes  from  heathen  poetry  with  ap- 
proval (Acis  17:28).  Of  the  book  of 
Enoch  in  its  entirety,  it  may  be  said 
that  it  belongs  to  that  class  of  writings 
which  were  produced  in  large  numbers 
in  the  decaying  days  of  Judaism,  con- 
cerning which  Paul  speaks  asold  wives' 

fables  (1  Tim.  4:7). 

Note  III. 

The  teachings  of  this  letter 
con'cerning  sin.  1.  its  manifold 
FORMS.  Few  writings  in  so  short  a 
compass  have  more  allusions  to  sin  in 
its  practical  outcome.  Nowhere  defi- 
ning sin  or  treating  it  in  a  formal  way 
as  Paul  and  John  do,  to  some  extent, 
it  yet  reveals  sin  as  working  its  way 
into  life  inmany  forms.  Especially 
does  the  writer  describe  sins  in  their 
grosser  and  more  outbreaking  forms. 
Like  James,  the  author  treats  sin  and 
piety  on  their  practical  side.  It  turns 
the  grace  of  God  into  licentiousness 
(ver.  4);  leads  to  a  denial  of  Christ's 
lordship  (ver.  4);  leads  to  abominable 
sins  (ver.  7);  to  unnatural  sins  (™f- 8); 
sets  at  naught  authority  and  rails  at 
the  higher  orders  of  being  (ver.  8);  con- 
tributes to  the  excesses  of  wickedness 
(ver.  10);  to  hatred  and  murder  (^er.  ii); 
to  a  wrong-doing  for  the  sake  of  hire 
(ver.  11);  causcs  rebellion  against  re- 
cognized authority  (ver.  ii);  creates  un- 
godliness ('■er.  15)'  makes  murraurers 
and  complainers  (ver.  i6);  makes  lust- 
ful lives  (ver.  16, 18);  leads  to  pride  and 
favoritism  (ver.  i6);  induces  mockery 
and  divisions  in  the  church  (ver.  ly); 
takes  away  the  presence  of  the  Spirit 
and  makes  an  animal  life  (ver.  19 ). 

2.  The  penalty  of  sin.  Jude  is 
a  mes.sengcr  of  doom  for  the  persist- 
ently ungodly.  Sometimes  the  penalty 
comes  in  the  present  life  as  in  the  case 
of  Sodom.  It  a.ssuredly  will  come  in 
time.  God's  justice  and  God's  mercy 
dwell  side  by  side  in  this  letter.  The 
moral  universe  is  built  up  on  the  plan 
of  righteousness;  sin  unforgiven  must 
be  sin  punished.    He  reveals  a  great 


138 


JUDE 


white  throue  for  the  ungodly,  a  throne 
of  grace  for  the  believer.  He  declares 
that  sin  leads  to  condemnation  (>er.  4) ; 
destruction  comes  to  the  disobedient 
(ver.  5) ;  the  wicked  will  be  kept  under 
darkness,  will  suffer  eternal  fire,  will 
inherit  the  blackness  of  darkness  for- 
ever (ver.  6,  7, 13) ;  judgment  wiU  come 
on  them  for  their  ungodliness  (ver  15)  ; 
they  will  be  separated  from  God's  love, 
cannot  look  for  the  mercy  of  the  Sa- 
viour, will  not  inherit  eternal  life, 
will  not  dwell  in  the  presence  of  God, 
will  not  own  eternal  joy  (ver.  21,  24.  25). 
He  reveals  God  as  a  God  of  holiness, 
of  righteousness,  of  inflexible  justice ; 
a  God  who  sees  the  heart,  who  has  no 
fellowship  with  sin ;  who,  at  the  same 
time,  has  mercy  in  store  for  the  sup- 
pliant, and  delights  to  keep  men  even 
from  the  stumblings  of  life. 

Note  IV. 
Jude's  treatment  of  error. 
Jude  sent  out  words  that  were  like  a 
flame  of  fire  in  denouncing  all  un- 
cleanness.  He  made  no  compromise 
with  falsehood  or  false  teachers.  He 
denounced  openly  the  teachings  that 
took  away  the  foundations  from  re- 
ligion and  morality  alike.  To  him  the 
words  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
and  of  the  apostles  were  the  standards 
of  right  teaching  and  believing.  At 
the  same  time  he  exhibits  great  tender- 
ness in  dealing  with  persons  led  astray, 
with  the  weak  in  the  faith,  with  doubt- 
ing Christians.  Sometimes  persons  are 
led  astray  more  by  intellectual  miscon- 
ceptions than  by  badness  of  heart. 
Jude  urges  considerateness,  discrimina- 
tion in  dealing  with  errorists;  whole- 
sale denunciation,  a  bitterness  of  spirit, 
a  lack  of  judiciousness  may  fix  a  per- 
son more  deeply  in  his  error.  Con- 
viction, tenderness  of  spirit,  a  love  for 
the  truth,  and  tact  are  needful  in  deal- 
ing with  perverted  teachings. 

Note  V. 
God's  sovereignty  and  man's 
FREE  agency.  There  is  a  peril  that 
God's  purposes  shall  be  held  in  so 
exclusive  and  one-sided  way  that  a 
modified  fatalism  shall  prevail  and 
no  room  be  found  for  man's  freedom. 
High  Calvinism,  as  illustrated  in  the 
old  school  Baptists,  is  one  extreme ; 
on  the  other  hand,  some  theological 


systems  emphasize  man's  freedom  in 
such  a  way  as  to  eliminate  largely 
God's  sovereignty.  The  universe  de- 
mands an  intelligent  and  holy  God 
who  has  plans,  a  Father  wise  and  con- 
trolling things  in  the  interests  of  his 
kingdom,  and  at  the  same  time  men 
who  are  not  machines,  but  consciously 
free,  governed  by  motives.  The  letter 
of  Jude  presents,  in  a  balanced  way, 
both  sides  of  this  belief.  In  ver.  21  be- 
lievers are  urged  "to  keep  themselves 
in  the  love  of  God."  It  is  a  salvation, 
not  of  simple  almightiness,  but  through 
watchcare.  In  ver.  24  is  the  aftirma- 
mation  of  God's  sovereignty,  his  keep- 
ing power  ;  either  half  of  this  teaching, 
taken  by  itself,  becomes  a  practical 
falsehood ;  taken  together  they  form 
a  large  and  necessary  and  comforting 
teaching. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  What  the  Christian  has  received  of 
God's  spiritual  blessings  is  small  com- 
pared with  the  full  measure  that  God  has 
in  store.  It  is  a  great  mistake  when  the 
Christian  life  is  largest  at  the  first,  shriv- 
eling instead  of  growing  (Heb.  5:12; 
ver.  1,  2). 

2.  Indifference  to  the  teachings  of  the 
gospel  is  the  mark  of  a  sluggish  life.  A 
so-called  liberality,  which  consists  in 
holding  lightly  the  teachings  of  Christ, 
is  against  Christ,  who  is  the  truth  (ver.  3). 

3.  Holy  teachings  ought  to  lead  to  holy 
living,  Anything  that  conduces  to  un- 
clean or  selfish  living,  to  the  denial  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  forgetfulness  of  the  moral 
law,  cannot  be  from  God  (ver.  4). 

4.  A  good  beginning  may  make  a  bad 
ending.  A  good  beginning  needs  a  good 
continuance.  An  open  Red  Sea  may  be 
followed  by  a  grave  in  the  wilderness 
(ver.  5). 

5.  Sin  everywhere  leads  to  disaster.  A 
sin  even  in  heaven  among  the  angels 
brought  destruction  and  death  to  them, 
for  whom  God  provided  no  redemption 
(ver.  6). 

6.  The  great  day  ought  to  be  a  source  of 
alarm  to  the  ungodly.  It  has  a  promise 
of  punishment  only  (ver.  7). 

7.  The  flesh  gives  an  open  door  to  temp- 
tation, and  is  a  source  of  peril  to  the  soul. 
Fleshly  lusts  war  against  the  soul  (1  Peter 


JUDE 


139 


2  :  11).    The  body  needs  to  be  kept  under 
(1  Cor.  9  :  27  ;  ver.  7). 

8.  God's  moral  laws  are  undeviating  in 
their  results.  The  same  God  who  smote 
Sodom,  who  sent  the  deluge,  who  de 
stroyed  the  angels,  will  not  to-day  look 
lightly  upon  sin.  What  a  man  or  angel 
sows  that  shall  he  reap  (ver.  8). 

9.  An  ungoverned  tongue  soon  becomes 
an  ungovernable  tongue.  The  habit  of 
censoriousness,  of  fault-finding,  of  con- 
demnation grows  by  use ;  we  should  judge 
ourselves  severely,  others  in  moderation 
(ver.  9). 

10.  It  is  a  growing  habit  of  this  age  to 
speak  in  a  light  and  trifling  way  about 
Satan.  Pictures  are  made  of  Satan  that 
laughter  may  be  created.  How  different 
Is  the  serious  and  earnest  tone  of  the  New 
Testament  writers  !  He  is  a  being  to  be 
feared  and  guarded  against,  full  of  evil, 
the  god  of  this  world  (ver.  10). 

11.  It  is  possible  for  men,  made  in  God's 
image,  to  sink  lower  than  the  beasts.  To 
live  for  to-day  only  is  to  live  like  the  ani- 
mals ;  to  live  sensual  lives  is  to  go  lower 
than  the  beasts,  for  they  do  not  violate 
the  laws  made  for  them  (ver.  10). 

12.  Bad  people  often  live  most  after  they 
are  dead,  influencing  others  to  walk  in 
the  ways  of  evil.  Every  Cain,  Balaam, 
Korah,  should  be  a  beacon  light  to  warn 
us  of  danger  (ver.  11). 

13.  No  persons  are  so  dangerous  to  others 
as  professing  Christians  without  any  spir- 
itual life.  It  is  easier  to  convert  a  heathen 
man  than  to  reclaim  an  apostate,  or  one 
confessing  Christ  but  not  knowing  the 
power  of  a  saved  life  (ver.  12, 13). 

14.  Christianity  centers  about  Jesus 
Christ.  His  first  coming  established 
Christianity.  His  personal  presence  in 
heaven  secures  the  salvation  of  the  be- 


liever and  the  increase  of  his  kingdom. 
His  second  coming  insures  a  righteous 
administration  of  awards  and  penalties. 
This  coming  will  be  in  great  power  and 
glory  (ver.  14,  15). 

15.  Men  must  make  their  choice  be- 
tween God's  will  and  their  own  lusts  and 
desires.  To  be  self-willed  menus  selfish- 
ness, sinfulness,  destruction.  A  person 
may  be  lost  a.s  effectively  through  pride  ot 
heart  as  through  sensuality  (ver.  16). 

16.  Arguments  may  be  met  by  argu- 
ments. Mockings,  taunts,  and  sneers  can 
be  answered  only  by  patient  endurance. 
It  is  harder  for  a  Christian  to  withstand  a 
sneer  or  ridicule  than  to  suffer  losses  and 
persecutions.  Satan  has  many  methods 
of  waging  his  warfare.  The  Christian 
has  a  complete  armor  furnished  him  by 
his  God  (Eph.  6  :  10-18;  ver.  18.  19). 

17.  The  Christian  life  is  begun  at  con- 
version. It  is  built  up  gradually  through 
patient  continuance  in  well-doing.  As 
in  all  departments  of  life  and  work,  God 
does  nothing  apart  from  the  man's  own 
choice  and  will  (ver.  20). 

18.  The  greatest  blessing  in  the  world  is 
God's  love  to  us.  It  devised  the  way  of 
salvation,  sent  Jesus  as  Saviour,  promised 
help,  and  prepared  heaven  (ver.  21). 

19.  The  man  in  doubt  needs  not  so  much 
censure  as  wise  counsel.  Timid  hearts 
nwy  be  driven  into  Infidelity  by  unwi.se 
condemnation,  instead  of  tender  guid- 
ance (ver.  22,  23). 

20.  God  in  heaven  is  concerned  about 
each  one  of  his  followers.  He  is  con- 
cerned about  the  little  things  of  life,  the 
stumblings  as  well  as  the  falls.  Jesus 
prayed  for  Peter  that  he  might  not  fall. 
He  lifts  up  his  children  when  they  do  fall. 
Both  Jude  and  Luther  sing,  "  A  mighty 
fortress  is  our  God  "  (ver.  24,  25). 


REVELATION 


The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ— salutation. 

1  »THE  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
*wliich  God  gave  unto  him,  to  show 
unto  his  servants  things  which  "must 
shortly  come  to  pass. 


THE  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  God  gave  him,  to  shew  to  his 
servants  the  things  which  must  shortly 
come  to  pass ;  and  he  sent  and  signified 
through  his  angel  to  his  servant  John ; 


a  Gal.  1  :  12. 


h  John  5  :  20  ;  8  :  26. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  the  prologue 
embracing  the  title  and  description  of 
the  Revelation  (ver.  i-s),  the  salutation 
to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  (ver.  4-8), 
and  a  vision  of  the  Lord  Jesus  in  his 
present  glorified  state  (ver.  9-20).  John's 
Gospel  has  a  prologue,  1  :  1-14.  The 
Revelation  has  a  similar  introduction. 
This  is  incidental  evidence  that  the 
author  of  both  is  the  same  person. 

1-3.  The  TITLE  and  de.scription 
OF  the  Revelation.  We  have  in 
this  opening  passage  the  original  source 
of  the  Revelation — God;  the  divine 
medium  through  whom  it  comes — Jesus 
Christ ;  the  human  agency — John.  We 
have  the  message  defined  as  a  Revela- 
tion, an  unfolding,  an  uncovering  of 
things  otherwise  hidden.  John  tes- 
tifies of  three  tilings — the  word  of  God, 
the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  of  things 
seen  by  him.  A  threefold  blessing  is 
given.  The  revelation  is  concerning 
things  soon  to  come  to  pass. 

1.  Revelation  (^apokalypse)  means 
an  uncovering  of  things  hidden.  Only 
here  is  this  word  found  in  this  book. 
In  the  Epistles  we  have  teaching ;  in 
the  Gospels  we  have  a  life  presented ; 
here  we  have  a  revealing  of  the  future. 
It  reveals  by  means  of  symbols^  and 
figures  which  are  thouglit  of  as  intel- 
ligible to  the  reader.  The  author  im- 
plies that  his  book  will  be  made  more 
plain  and  impressive  by  reason  of  this 
peculiar  method  of  revelation.  It  is 
not  meant  to  be  mysterious  to  darken 
the  future,  but  to  throw  light  upon  it. 

140 


It  is  a  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ; 

that  is,  not  concerning  Christ  so  much 
as  from  Jesus  Christ.  As  this  revela- 
tion is  concerning  the  church,  the  prog- 
ress and  destiny  of  Christ's  cause  on 
the  earth,  it  is  fitting  that  Christ  should 
give  it.  He  is  the  founder  of  the  church 
(Matt.  16:18),  the  head  of  the  church 
(Kph.  1  :  21).  It  is  his  body,  he  loves  it; 
he,  therefore,  reveals  its  difiiculties,  its 
course,  its  triumph.  It  is  a  revelation 
through  Christ  from  God.  On  earth 
Jesus  revealed  what  had  been  given 
him  from  the  Father  ( Johu  6 :  16 ;  u  :  10), 
In  tlie  upper  life  where  he  has  fi.iller 

knowledge     (Mark  is  :  32;    Phil.   2:7),     the 

Father  is  regarded  as  the  final  source 
of  knowledge.  What  God  has  given 
to  Jesus,  he  does  not  withhold  from  his 
people.  Jesus,  in  this  book,  stands 
joined  with  the  Father  as  a  joint  object 
of  worship,  not  in  any  way  as  a  crea- 
turely  subject  (5  :  is).  Jesus  reveals  to 
his  servants  .  .  .  pass,  rather,  eveyi 
the  things  which  must  shortly  come  to 
pass.  This  expresses  the  subject  of  the 
revelation.  It  is  not  concerning  a  far- 
distant  future,  but  what  is  shortly  to 
come  to  pass.  This  phrase  "must  be 
interpreted  here  and  in  22  :  6  relatively 
to  Divine  measurements  of  time " 
(Swete).  In  many  places  allusion  is 
made  to  the  speediness  of  the  coming 

(2  :  16  ;   S  :  30  ;    17  :  10  ;    22  ;  20).      At  ICQSt  in 

the  beginning  of  the  events  here  spoken 
of  they  were  shortly  to  come  to  pass. 
The  book  of  Revelation  is  for  the  coun- 
sel, the  upbuilding  of  the  Christians  of 
that  day.  Must  expresses  the  Divine 
mind  tl'iat  made  the  things  necessary. 


Ch.  I.] 


REVELATION 


141 


2  And*  he  sent  and  siprnified  it  by  his 
angel  unto  his  servant  John:  'who 
bare  record  of  the  word  of  God,  and 
of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
of  all  things  'that  he  saw. 

3  s  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy, 
and  keep  thosethings  which  are  written 
therein  :  for  ^  the  time  is  at  hand. 


2  who  testified  the  word  of  God  and  the 
testimony  of   Jesus   Christ,   whatever 

3  things  he  saw.  Happy  he  that  reads, 
and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  the 
prophecy,  and  keep  the  things  that  are 
written  therein ;  for  the  time  is  at 
hand. 


(i  22:  16;  Acts  12  :.ll. 


e  6  :  9 :  John  19  :  35 ;  21  :  24 ;  1  Cor.  1  :  6. 
(/  22  :  7  ;  Luke  11  :  28.  A  Phil.  4  :  5. 


/  1  John  I  :  1-J. 


Behind  history  and   providence  is  a 

Eersonal  God.  In  Jonah  3  :  10  we  see 
ow  the  repentance  of  the  people  made 
God's  punishment  of  the  citj^  needless 
and  impossible.  In  2  Peter  2:8,9  we 
see  God  delaying  punishment  that  re- 
pentance may  come.  In  Matt.  24  :  34 
Jesus  announces  that  the  sufferings  de- 
scribed would  soon  begin  to  come  upon 
them;  in  their  full  accomplishment 
they  would  not  come  to  pass  for  ages 
hence.  This  revelation  is  of  the  same 
kind.  Unless  the  things  spoken  of 
would  soon  come  to  pass,  they  would 
be  of  no  use  to  that  generation.  God's 
unfoldings  of  the  truth  are  always  for 
the  age  to  which  the  truth  is  given. 
Prophecy  is  for  present  use.  Mere 
prediction,  that  would  not  ripen  for 
centuries  afterward,  would  stimulate 
curiosity,  but  would  help  no  one.  Jesus 
sent  the  message  through  his  angel 
(17 : 1 ;  19 : 9)  to  his  Servant  John.  Paul 
designates  himself  as  a  servant  of  Je.sus 
(Rom.  1:1).  The  order  of  the  revelation 
is  from  the  Father,  through  the  Son, 
through  the  angel,  through  John  to  his 
servants.  A  revelation  is  possible, 
probable,  and  reasonable  if  God  is  a 
Father,  concerned  for  us  and  for  his 
cause,  especially  if  his  people  are  in 
need  of  help  for  to-day  and  light  for 
the  future. 

2.  Who  bare  record,  rather,  %vi(- 
ness.  The  ^ntness  is  that  which  John 
bears  in  this  book.  This  witness  is  of 
three  kinds;  the  word  of  God,  not 
referring  to  the  person  of  Christ,  the 
incarnate  Word  of  John  1:1;  Rev.  19  : 
13,  but  to  the  utterances  of  God ;  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  (comp.  22 ;  le),  the 
utterances  of  a  present  living  Jesus  to 
and  for  his  people;  and  .  .  .  saw, 
rather,  even  of  all  things  that  he  saw. 
This  embraces  the  utterances  of  God 
and  Jesus,  also  the  symbolic  represen- 
tations shown  to  him,  expressing  God's 


pui-poses.  John  heard  God's  words  and 
saw  God's  symbols.  What  John  saw 
and  heard  he  recorded  for  the  instruc- 
tion and  guidance  of  Christ's  people. 
The  recorded  revelation  makes  a  per- 
manent revelation. 

3.  The  worth  of  the  revelation  given 
is  shown  in  this,  verse.  John  supposes 
that  this  book  will  be  read  publicly  in 
Christian  assemblies  and  by  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ.  He  thinks  of  the 
person  who  will  read  the  me.'jsage  in 
the    churches,   before  the  days  when 

grinting  had  scattered  the  leaves  of  the 
criptures.  Blessed  is  he  that 
readeth.  The  New  Testament  writ- 
ings were  read  in  the  churches  (1  Thess. 
5  :  27).  He  places  a  blessing  on  the 
congregation  hearing  it  read,  and 
.  .  4  prophecy.  "The  writer  claims 
for  his  book  that  it  shall  take  rank 
with  the  prophetic  books  of  the  Old 
Testament.  .  .  The  claim  is  repeated 
in22  :  7,  10,  18f';  (SWETE).  The  de- 
sign of  the  reading  and  the  hearing 
is  that  the  heart  may  be  touched, 
and  keep  (Matt.  7:24).  Mere  intel- 
lectual knowledge  is  worthless.  The 
Scriptures  were  given  for  moral  up- 
building. The  knowledge  of  the  truth 
may  prove  a  curse,  if  its  teaching  is 
not  heeded.  For  shows  why  there 
should  be  a  reading  and  hearing  of 
the  message.  The  time  is  at  hand 
shows  an  immediateness  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  things  revealed. 
They  are  worthy  of  diligent  attention 
in  the  age  of  John.  If  they  are  not 
entirely  "fulfilled,  they  are  worthy  of 
the  attention  of  every  age  until  the 
complete  fulfilment  comes.  To  be  at 
havd  might  mean,  in  God's  mind, 
centuries  hence.  Evidently  here  it  is 
a  nearness  according  to  human  appre- 
hension, the  nearness  is  emphasized. 

4-8.  The  salutation.  Naturally 
follows,  as  in  the  Old  Testament  proph- 


142 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  I. 


4     JOHN  to  the  seven  churches  which      4     John  to  the  seven  churches  which 


are  in  Asia:  'Grace  be  unto  you,  and 
peace,  from  Him  ^  which  is,  and  '  which 
was,  and  which  is  to  come ;  ™  and  from 
the  seven   Spirits   which    are    before 


are  in  Asia :  Grace  to  you,  and  peace, 
from  him  who  is,  and  who  was,  and 
who  is  to  come ;  and  from  the  seven 


ft  Ver.  8  i  Exod.  3  :  17. 


m  1 :  5  ,-  5  :  6 ;  Zech.  4  :  10 ;  1  Cor.l2  :  4-13. 


ecies,  the  announcement  of  the  person 
who  received  from  God  the  message  for 
men.  So  high  was  the  standing  of 
John,  especially  in  Asia  Minor,  where 
he  made  his  home,  that  his  name  would 
commend  the  book  and  give  it  au- 
thority. His  tender  concern  for  them 
is  shown  in  invoking  upon  them  the 
blessing  of  the  Triune  God. 

4.  As  this  book  deals  much  in  sym- 
I)ols,  after  the  manner  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament prophecies  (Jer.  i  :  i)  the  author 
gives  his  name.  As  there  were  many 
books  of  this  general  kind  in  the  first 
centuries,  dealing  in  the  unfolding  of 
the  future,  everything  depended  on  the 
source  from  which  they  came.  The 
name  of  John  would  carry,  among  all 
the  disciples  of  Christ,  great  weight. 
Seven  churches.  "  The  Apocalypse 
is,  in  fact,  a  letter  from  1  :  4  onward, 
though  we  are  not  reminded  of  the  fact 
till  we  reach  the  closing  benediction 
(22 :  21);  it  might  havc  borne  the  title 
'To  the  Seven  Churches'"  (Swete). 
The  number  seven  is  used  here  in  a 
symbolic  sense.  There  were  more  than 
seven  churches  in  the  province  of  Asia. 
Having  the  center  of  his  work  at  Ephe- 
sus  John  would  know  them  all  inti- 
mately and  care  for  all.  Colosse  and 
Hierapolis  (Coi.  4 :  is)  were  in  this  prov- 
ince. Throughout  the  entire  book, 
seven  stands  for  completeness  rather 
than  for  the  actual  number.  The  seven 
churches  named  have,  therefore,  been 
selected  because  they  were  represen- 
tatives of  all  the  churches  of  that 
day,  and  easy  of  communication.  They 
were  actual  churches.  They  were 
also  types  of  the  churches  of  that 
age.  In  writing  to  the  seven,  he  is 
virtually  writing  to  all.  Whether  the 
condition  of  these  churches,  as  unfolded 
from  the  first  to  the  last,  is  intended  to 
give  the  portrait  of  the  churches  from 
that  era  to  the  close  cannot  be  decided. 
Asia  does  not  mean  the  continent  of 
Asia,  nor  all  Asia  Minor,  but  the  Pro- 
consular Province,  embracing  Phrygia, 
Mysia,  Lydia,  Caria,  and  the  islands 
in  the  neighboring  iEgeau  Sea.    Ram- 


say points  out  that  the  seven  cities 
named  were  the  best  points  of  com- 
munication with  the  seven  districts. 
In  his  ' '  Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches  " 
Ramsay  shows  special  knowledge  of 
the  province  of  Asia,  and  gives  valu- 
able suggestions  for  understanding  these 
letters.  He  bestows  his  blessing,  grace 
.  .  .  peace.  This  blessing  has  the 
Pauline  thought  in  it.  God's  grace 
must  first  come,  bringing  harmony  with 
God.  After  grace  follows  peace  with 
God  and  with  man.  There  can  be  no 
peace  without  a  reconciliation.  Peace 
is  a  child  of  reconciliation.  John  in- 
vokes peace,  Jesus  brings  peace  (John 
14  :  27).  John  indicates  the  source  of 
the  blessing,  coming  from  Him  who  is 
a  trinity  in  being.  The  Father  is  de- 
fined in  a  threefold  way,  which  is 
.  .  .  come,  rather,  who.  This  is  a 
paraphrase  of  the  unpronounceable 
name  revealed  to  Moses  (Exod.  3  .- 14)^ 
written  in  the  Old  Testament,  Jeho- 
vah, and  pronounced,  LORD,  God  is, 
God  was;  he  has  the  springs  of  an 
eternal  self-existence  within  himself. 
God  is  to  come,  alluding  to  his  future, 
eternal  duration.  This  expression  has 
no  reference  to  the  future  coming  of 
Jesus.  It  may  be  that  John's  mind 
was  so  full  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  that 
it  unconsciously  influenced  his  style  in 
describing  the  Father.  The  expres- 
sion, He  that  is  to  come,  is  often  used 
in  the  New  Testament  of  Christ  (Matt. 

10  :  3  ;  21  :  9  ;  John  6  :  14),  He  UCXt  men- 
tions the  Holy  Spirit,  seven  Spirits 

(3:1;   4:5;    5:6).      He    mcaUS    the    OUC 

personal  Holy  Spirit  under  the  figure 
of  seven  spirits,  a  complete  number 
showing  the  manifoldness  of  his  work 
in  the  heart  and  in  the  church  and 
world.  Representing,  as  he  now  does, 
the  glorified  Redeemer,  the  Spirit  car- 
ries on  a  perfect  work.  John  alludes, 
by  anticipation,  to  the  vision  in  4  :  5. 
There  is  a  visible  representation  of 
the  Spirit  and  of  the  Saviour ;  but,  by 
necessity,  none  of  the  Father. 

5.  Jesus  Christ  is  mentioned  last  be- 
cause it  is  John's  purpose  to  dwell  in 


Ch.  I.] 


REVELATION 


143 


5  his  throne ;  and  from  Jesus  Christ, 
•^who  is  the  faithful  witness,  a7itf  the 
« first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  Pthe 
prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

6  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  i  and  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and 
hath 'made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God  and  his  Father ;  •  to  him  he  glory 
and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 

7  'Behold,   he  cometh   with  clouds; 


5  spirits  that  are  before  his  throne ;  and 
from  Jesus  Christ,  the  faithful  witness, 
the  first-born  of  the  dead,  and  the 
ruler  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  To 
him  who  loves  us,  and  loosed  us  from 

6  our  sins  in  his  blood,  and  he  made  ua 
a  kingdom,  priests  to  God  and  his 
Father ;  to  him  be  the  glory  and  the 

7  might,  forever  and  ever.  Amen.  Be- 
hold, he  comes  with  the  clouds ;  and 


n  Isa.  55  :  4 ;  John  8  :  14 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  13.  o  1  Cor.  15  :  20 ;  Col.  1  :  18. 

y  11  :  15 ;  17  :  14 ;  Ps.  72  :  11 ;  Eph.  1  :  20.  9  7  :  14 ;  Zech.  13  :  1 ;  John  IS  :  8 ;  Eiod.  19  :  6. 

r  Exod.  19  :  6.  «  Heb.  13  :  21 ;  1  Peter  4  :  11.  t  Zech.  14  :  5  ;  Acts  1  :  9, 11. 


the  following  verses  on  him  exclusively. 
It  is  Jesus  who  reveals  God  and  who 
sends  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  defined 
in  a  threefold  way :  faithful  witness 
(1  Tim.  6  :  13).  Jesus  was  a  martyr,  but 
far  more.  He  bore  witness  to  God,  to 
the  truth  (John  is  :  37).  The  character 
here  ascribed  to  Christ  is  used  by  John 
as  an  indirect  appeal  in  urging  them  to 
faithfulness.  The  first  begotten, 
rather,  firstborn.  The  allu.sion  is  to 
the  Saviour's  resurrection  (1  cor.  15 :  jo; 
Col.  1:20).  Prince,  rather,  »'M?er.  (Comp. 

Matt.  28  :  18  ;   1  Peter  3  :  22.)      On  earth,  SOme 

to  whom  John  wrote  had  seen  Jesus  in 
his  humiliation.  Now  he  is  seated  on 
the  heavenly  throne,  clothed  in  glory. 
Loved,  rather,  loveth.  It  is  the  un- 
changed and  unchangeable  nature  of 
Jesus  to  love  his  people  (John  is:i). 
The  Christian  must  not  look  back  to  a 
Christ  who  did  love,  but  up  to  a  Christ 
who  does  love.  Out  of  his  love  comes 
redemption.  Washed,  rather,  loosed. 
Both  ideas  are  employed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, cleansing  and  freeing  from  bond- 
age. Matt.  20 :  28 ;  1  Peter  1  :  18  speak 
of  a  purchase,  a  ransom  given  to  de- 
liver from  the  bondage  of  sin.  Je.sus 
confers  more  than  pardon  of  sin,  he 
delivers  from  its  power.  In  his  own 
blood  expresses  the  means  by  which 
Jesus  delivers  us.  Through  the  entire 
book  salvation  through  the  .sacrifice  of 
Jesus  is  prominent.  On  earth  and  in 
heaven  the  saint  will  not  forget  the 
Eedeemer  or  the  means  of  redemption 

(6:9). 

6.  The  redeemed  Christian  is  a  reign- 
ing Christian.  Hath  made  .  .  . 
kings  and  priests,  rather,  a  king- 
dom. The  Christian  is  a  royal  man, 
overcoming  all  foes  and  adverse  agen- 
cies. Great  prominence  is  given  in 
this  book  to  the  reigning  of  the  saints 


(5  :  10  ;   20  :  4  ;   22  :  5).      PrieStS  CXpreSSeS 

their  relation  to  God.  In  the  Old  Tes- 
tament times  they  could  not  draw  near 
to  God  except  through  a  priesthood. 
Now  they  may  all  draw-  near,  even  into 
the  holiest  of  all,  since  the  veil  is  rent 
in  twain  (Matt.  27 :  6i).  All  believers 
con.stitutea  priesthood.  The  universal 
priesthood  of  the  believer  is  one  of  the 
essential  features  of  New  Testament 
Christianity.  Unto  God,  rather,  vnto 
his  God.  Paul  speaks  of  tlie  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  (Kph- 
1  : 3).  There  is  a  close  relationship  be- 
tween the  saved  sinner  and  his  Saviour, 
they  have  a  common  God  and  Father 
(John  20  :  17).  Such  a  pcrsou  is  entitled 
to  glory  and  dominion,  rather,  the 
glory  and  the  dominion.  Each  pious 
heart  joins  in  the  prayer.  The  book  is 
designed  to  show  that  he  will  finally 
receive  them. 

7.  Tlie  Christ  who  had  been  hidden 
from  men  will  come  again  in  glory. 
It  is  the  personal  Jesus  who  will  come 
again.  This  furnished  an  important 
part  of  Christ's  own  teaching  (w»tt.  24). 
These  words  are,  in  fact,  founded  upon 
that  discourse.  With  clouds,  rather, 
with  the  clouds,  is  a  reminiscence  of  the 

Saviour's    words    (Matt.    24  :  3O;   comp.    Dan. 

7  :  13).  The  coming  with  clouds  refers 
to  the  swiftness  of  his  coming,  and  also 
implies  a  coming  to  judgment.  Tlie 
clouds  are  a  symbol  for  the  trouble  and 
anguisli  of  that  day.  The  tenor  of  the 
entire  passage  is  tliat  of  puni.shment 
and  alarm.  The  coming  is  not  that  of 
one  for  whom  all  look  with  eagerness, 
and  before  whom  all  bow  in  submission. 
Rather  it  is  the  coming  of  a  judge  to 
meet  those  who  are  consciously  guilly 
and  alienated  in  mind.  John  alone 
notices  in  his  Gospel  the  fact  that  his 
side  was  pierced   (John  19  :  37).    Those 


144 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  I. 


"and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  "and 
» they  aiso  which  pierced  him:"  yaud 
all  kindreds  of  the  earth  "shall  wail 
because  of  liim"  [Zech.  12 :  10] .  Even 
so,  Amen. 

8  ^  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord, 
»  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which 
is  to  come,  >>  the  Almighty. 

The  vision  of  Christ. 

9  I  JOHN,  who  also  am  your  brother, 


every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  who 
pierced  him ;  and  all  the  tribes  of  the 
earth  shall  wail  over  him.  Even  so. 
Amen. 
8  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  he  who  is,  and  who  was, 
and  who  is  to  come,  the  Almighty. 


9     I,  John,  your  brother,  and  partaker 


u  Num.  24  :  17  ;  Job  19  :  25-27  ;  Matt.  26  :  64. 
z  Ver.  11, 17 ;  21  :  6 ;  Isa.  44  :  6  ;  Micah  5  :  2. 


X  Zech.  12  :  10. 
a  Ver.  4 ;  4:8. 


y  6  :  15-17. 
h  Gen.  17  :  1. 


who  thus  pierced  him  will  be  utterly 
overwhelmed  to  see  him  returning  as 
supreme  judge.  Ail  kindreds,  rather, 
all  the  tribes.  John  is  here  looking 
upon  a  guilty,  not  a  penitent,  world. 
Jesus  is  the  ruler  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth  (ver.  5),  When  guilty  Babylon 
falls  (18 :  9),  a  wicked  world  beholding 
it  mourns.  When  Jesus  came  at  first 
it  was,  not  to  condemn,  but  to  save 
(John  3  :  17).  Wheu  he  comes  again  it 
will  be,  not  to  save  the  guilty,  but  to 
condemn.  Shall  wail  because  of 
him,  rather,  shall  mourn  over  him. 
At  his  presence,  at  sight  of  him,  men 
will  mourn.  Mourning  now  will  bring 
comfort  (Matt.  5  :  4).  Mourning  then  is 
the  outgrowth  of  penalty,  guUt,  de- 
spair. Even  so,  Amen.  The  same 
two  words,  one  Greek,  one  Hebrew, 
occur  together  in  2  Cor.  1  :  20,  They 
form  a  double  confirmation  of  the  cer- 
tainty of  the  impending  coming  with 
its  judgments.  Tlie  amen  is  rendered 
"  verily  "  in  its  frequent  use  by  Christ 

(John  3  :  3). 

8.  We  have  here  the  voice  of  God 
the  Father,  wlio  breaks  in  upon  the 
thought  with  the  declaration  of  his 
own  infinite  nature.  Alpha  and 
Omega,  rather,  the  Alpha  and  the 
Omega.  Tlie  first  and  the  last  letters 
of  the  Greek  alphabet  express  the 
eternal  nature  of  God.  Omit  the  be- 
ginning and  the  ending.  Genera- 
tions pass  away,  he  abides  forever. 
The  speaker  is  defined  in  a  threefold 
way;  Lord,  that  is,  Jehovah;  the 
Almighty,  because  he  has  all  power. 
As  God  he  is  defined  in  a  threefold 
way  as  in  ver.  4.  While  speaking  ex- 
pressly of  the  Father,  John  has  doubt- 
less the  Son  in  mind,  as  the  revelation 
of  the  Father,  Immediately  preced- 
ing, John  speaks  of  the  redemption  of 


Jesus,  and  at  once  follows  a  vision  of 
Jesus.  The  same  divine  attributes 
that  dwell  in  the  Father  dwell  in  the 

Son  (John  6  :  19). 

Section  1.      9-20.   The  vision 

OP  THE  Son  of  man.  As  John  is  to 
bear  witness  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus, 
fittingly  now  comes  a  vision  of  the 
Lord  himself  with  his  message.  It  is 
the  first  of  many  visions  of  the  book, 
laying  a  foundation  for  them  all.  The 
key  that  unlocks  its  meaning  will  help 
to  explain  all.  This  is  the  first  vision 
in  the  book,  hence  its  importance.  It 
reveals  a  present  Christ ;  without  this 
as  a  foundation  thought  the  entire  book 
is  meaningless.  It  reveals  him  in  close 
connection  with  his  churches ;  he  walks 
among  them,  to  counsel,  to  warn,  to 
defend  them.  Tliey  are  his  churches. 
In  his  life  in  heaven  he  cares  for  the 
churches  on  the  earth.  There  is  an 
evident  conflict  between  the  reigning 
Christ  and  his  foes.  He  is  not  now  the 
peaceful  Christ,  but  Christ  tlie  warrior 
king.  To  him  the  words  of  Ps.  45  :  3-5 
may  well  be  applied.  This  vision  fur- 
nishes the  foundation  for  tlie  letters  to 
the  seven  churches,  each  of  which  con- 
tains some  reference  to  this  vision.  As 
Christ  and  his  people  are  one,  it  will  be 
understood  also  that  his  people  will 
have  conflicts  to  undergo.  We  may 
therefore  expect  tlie  book  to  be  full  of 
conflict  between  the  church  and  the 
world,  and  that  Christ  and  his  church 
will,  in  the  end,  achieve  a  great  and 
final  victory ;  Christ  means  conquest, 

9.  I  John.  The  style  here  is  in 
imitation  of  Dan.  7  :  28,  Daniel  in 
the  Old  Testament,  and  Revelation  in 
the  New  Testament,  have  many  points 
of    resemblance.      Who    also   .   .   . 


Ch.  I.] 


REVELATION 


145 


and  "companion  in  tribulation,  and 
■•iu  tlie  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus 
Clirist,  was  iu  the  isle  that  is  called 
Patmos,  *for  the  word  of  God,  and  for 

10  the  testimony  uf  Jesus  Christ.  'I  was 
in  the  Spirit  on  ethe  Lord's  day,  and 
heard  behind  me  ""a  great  voice,  as  of 

11  a  trumpet,  saying,  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  first  and  the  last:  and. 
What  thou  seest, '  write  in  a  book,  and 
send  it  unto  the  seven  churches  which 
are  in  Asia;  unto  Ephesus,  and  unto 


with  you  in  the  afUiction,  and  king- 
dom, and  patience  in  Jesus,  was  in  the 
island  called  Patmos,  on  account  of 
the  word  of  God  and  the  testimony  of 

10  Jesus.  1  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's 
day;  and  I  heard  behind  me  a  great 

11  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  saying,  Wliat 
tliou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send 
to  the  seven  churches ;  to  Ephesus,  and 


c  Phil.  1  :  7  ;  2  Tim.  1:8.  d  Rom.  8  :  17 ;  2  Thess.  3:5;  Heb.  10  :  12,  13. 

/  4  :  1,  2  ;  Ezck.  2:2;  Acts  10  :  10 ;  2  Cor.  12  ;  1-4.  g  Joho  20  :  26 ;  Acts  20  : 

ft  10  ;  8  ;  Ps.  68  :  33 ;  Ezek.  1  :  28.  t  Jer.  30  :  2  :  Hab.  2  :  2. 


e  12:  11;  20: 
7  ;  1  Cor.  16  :  i 


Christ,  rather,  your  brother,  and  par- 
taker with  you  in  the  tribulation  and 
kingdom  and  patience  which  are  in- 
Jesus.  John  joins  himself  with  the 
humblest  of  his  readers  as  a  brother, 
although  an  apostle,  and  the  one 
through  whom  the  revelation  comes. 
(Comp.  the  brotherhood  of  Jesus,  Heb. 
2  :  11.)  It  is  part  of  his  power  that  he 
identifies  himself  with  them.  Par- 
taker shows  that  John  was^atthistime, 
passing  through  persecutions.  He  is 
writing  from  an  inner  experience  of 
their  sufferings,  described  in  a  threefold 
way.  Tribulation  involves  persecu- 
tion, loss  of  property,  position,  the  social 
ostracism  that  for  centuries  was  the  lot 
of  all  Christians.  Jesus  had  foretold 
this  time  (John  i6  : 2).  Kiiigdom  and 
patience  which  are  in  Jesus  shows 
that  their  sufferings  belong  to  the  essence 
of  the  Christian  life ;  that  Jesus  shared 
in  them  all ;  that  they,  with  Jesus,  are 
joint  sharers  in  them  now.  (comp.  Matt. 
25 :  45 ;  Col.  1  :  24. )  Thosc  who  are  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  must  suffer  tribula- 
tion and  bear  it  bravely.  Was  .  .  . 
Patmos.  This  island,  now  called 
Patino  or  Patmosa,  is  one  of  the  Spor- 
ades  in  the  Icarian  Sea,  about  forty 
miles  southwest  of  Miletus,  a  rocky, 
barren  place,  twenty-five  miles  in  cir- 
cumference. The  cave  is  still  shown 
where,  according  to  the  tradition,  John 
had  his  visions.  It  is  implied  that  he 
was  banished  to  this  place  for  Christ's 
sake.  According  to  one  tradition,  he 
was  sentenced  to  work  in  the  quarries. 
Driven  away  from  his  friends,  Jesus 
Christ  came  to  him.  This  book,  written 
by  one  passing  through  persecution,  to 
those  who  also  were  suffering,  has 
always  been  a  comfort  in  all  subsequent 
dark  times. 

K 


10.  John  describes  the  condition 
under  which  the  vision  came.  In  the 
Spirit  does  not  mean  that  this  vision 
came  through  the  Spirit,  or  that  he 
Avas  spiritually  minded  on  that  day, 
but  that  he  was  in  the  state  described 
by  Paul  iu  2  Cor.  12  :  2,  3.  While 
meditating,  perhaps,  on  the  future  of 
Christ's  cause  he  was  caught  up  into  a 

spiritual  ecstasy.   (Comp.  l  Klugs  is  :  12  ;  Ezek. 

3  :  12,  u.)  While  preserving  his  mental 
clearness,  he  Mas,  as  it  were,  outside  of 
his  body.  Lord's  day.  Jewish  be- 
lievers, at  first,  worshiped  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  also  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week.  Gradually  they  came  to  observe 
the  first  day  exclusively  (iCor.  i6:2; 
Acta  20  : 7).  Whether  John  fir.st  used 
this  term,  in  this  place,  or  whether  it 
was  an  expression  current  at  the  time, 
cannot  be  known.  The  expression  is 
used  in  writings  about  A.  D.  100.  The 
allusion  is  to  the  first  day  of  the  week. 
It  is  the  Lord's  day — dedicated  to  him, 
because  Jesus  rose  on  this  day,  because 
it  testifies  of  him,  because  he  owns  it 
in  a  peculiar  sense.  (See  on  Murk  le :  2. ) 
Fittingly  Jesus  came  to  John,  in  his 
loneliness,  on  this  sacred  day  to  testify 
concerning  his  church  and  its  future. 
Heard  .  .  .  trumpet.  Inhisexalted 
spiritual  condition  John  heard  a  voice 
real,  clear,  loud,  like  a  trumpet  sound. 

11.  Omit  I  am  Alpha  and  Ome- 
ga, the  first  and  the  last,  and, 
Avhich  are  in  Asia.  These  words 
are  not  found  in  the  best  MSB.  The 
vision  is  not  for  John  onlj%  but  for 
the  churches  of  that  day.  The  vision 
and  teachings  were  to  be  put  in  a 
permanent  form,  written  in  a  book. 
They  became  thus  a  part  of  the  Scrip- 
turestothcm.  Ephesus  isfirstnamed, 
being  the  center  of  John's  labors.  They 


146 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  I. 


Smyrna,  and  uuto  Pergamos,  and  unto 
Thyatira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto 
Philadelphia,  •'  and  unto  Laodicea. 

12  'And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that 
spake  with  me.    And  being  turned,  "  1 

13  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks;  "and 
in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candle- 
sticks "one  like  uuto  the  Son  of  man, 
p clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the 
foot,  and  igirt  about  the  paps  with  a 

14  golden  girdle.  His  head  and  ^his  hairs 
were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow; 
and  » his  eyes  mere  as  a  flame  of  fire ; 


to  Smyrna,  and  to  Pergamus,  and  to 
Thyatira,  and  to  Sardis,  and  to  Phila- 

12  delphia,  and  to  Laodicea.  And  I  turned 
to  see  the  voice  that  was  speaking  with 
me.    And  having  tuined,  1  saw  seven 

13  golden  lamp-stands ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  lamp-stands  one  like '  the  Son  of 
Man,  clothed  with  a  garment  falling 
down  to  his  feet,  and  girded  round  at 

14  the  breasts  with  a  golden  girdle.  But 
his  head  and  his  hairs  were  white,  as 
white  wool,  as  snow;   and   his   eyes 


k  Col.  4  :  15, 16. 
p  Dan.  10  :  5.  6. 


I  Exoa.  3  :  2-6. 
q  Exod.  28  ;  6-8. 


m  E.xod.  25  :  37  ;  Zech.  4:2.  ji  2  :  1  o  Dan.  7  :  13 

r  Dan.  7  ;  9.  «  2  :  18 ;  Dan.  10  ;  6.  1  Or,  a  Son. 


occur  in  the  order  in  which  a  person 
starting  from  Ephesus  and  making  a 
circuit  would  naturally  visit  them : 
Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Pergamos, 
rather,  Pergamum;  then  inland,  Thy- 
atira, Sardis,  Philadelphia, 
Laodicea,  due  east  from  Ephesus. 
The  mes.sage  has  a  meaning  to  us 
also.  "  He  that  hath  an  ear  let  him 
hear"  (3  ;  22).  He  is  to  write  not 
only  what  he  hears  but  what  he  sees 

(ver.  19). 

12.  The  voice  attracts  attention  from 
its  trumpet-like  nature.  Golden  can- 
dlesticks, rather,  lampstands.  In 
the  tabernacle  and  in  the  temple  was  a 
golden  lampstand  with  seven  branches 
(Exod.  25 :  31)  standing  in  the  holy  place. 
The  Old  Testament  figure  furnished  a 
foundation  for  this  vision.  Here  the 
lampstands  are  distinct  from  each  other. 
The  Jewi-sli  commonwealth  was  one 
nation,  the  churches  of  Christ  are  dis- 
tinct organizations.  The  seven  here, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  churches,  stands  for 
completeness.  These  seven  lampstands 
represent  the  nature  of  all  churches  in 
their  ideal,  being  made  of  gold ;  they 
represent  their  office,  to  help  in  the 
scattering  of  the  light ;  they  show  their 
relation  to  each  other  as  distinct;  their 
one  common  relation  to  Christ  as  their 
guardian  and  keeper.  Ideally  the 
churches  are  divine  in  their  origin 
and  holy  in  character.  Their  real 
nature,  with  their  defects,  falling  far 
short  of  the  divine  conception,  appears 
in  the  two  following  chapters. 

13.  A  vision  greater  than  the  lamp- 
stands  now  is  seen,  one  like  unto 
the  Son  of  man,  rather,  a  Son.  The 
article  is  omitted  in  one  other  New 
Testament  passage  (Joim  5  :  27)^  where 
Jesus  is  evidently  meant.     John  does 


not  intend  merely  to  say  that  he  saw  a 
human  figure,  but  from  the  use  of  this 
expression,  without  the  article  in  Dan. 
7  :  13  and  its  constant  use  in  the  New 
Testament  with  the  article,  he  certainly 
intends  to  indicate  the  person  of  Jesus. 
He  presents  him  as  glorified,  yet  as 
one  with  us  in  having  a  human  nature. 
Every  part  of  his  person  and  clothing 
has  a  symbolic  meaning.  Clothed 
with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot 
indicates  his  dignity,  and  perhaps  also 
his  priestly  character  (Dun.  10  :  5;  Lev. 
16  :  4).  Girt  about  the  paps,  rather, 
breasts — not  at  the  waist,  shows  that  he 
is  engaged  in  the  active  service  of  the 
upper  sanctuary.  Jesus  is  an  ever- 
living  intercessor,  our  heavenly  high 

priest  (Heb.  T  :  25). 

14.  His  eternal  duration  and  the 
majesty  and  splendor  of  his  character, 
are  shown  in  his  whiteness  of  head  and 
liair.  White  . .  .  snow,  rather,  white 
as  white  wool — ivhite  as  snow.  With 
us  whiteness  of  hair  implies  age  and 
venerableness.  In  Dan.  7  :  9  is  a  vision 
of  the  ancient  of  days,  God  the  Father. 
In  the  New  Testament  we  see  God  re- 
vealed through  Christ.  Eternity  with 
God  does  not  weaken  his  powers.  Jesus 
is  eternal  in  duration,  supremely  holy 
in  character,  full  of  an  indescribable 
majesty  of  person.  His  intuitive, 
penetrating,  omniscient  knowledge  is 
shown  by  his  eyes.  Nothing  is  hidden 
from  him.  The  eyes  see,  the  flame  of 
fire  burns  up,  consumes,  the  evil  that 
is  discovered.  On  the  mount  of  Trans- 
figuration John  saw  the  person  of  Jesus, 
white  and  glistering  (Luke  9  :  29).  As 
an  artistic  figure  to  be  portrayed  on 
canvas,  the  burning  eye  would  not  be 
beautiful,  but  as  a  moral  conception, 
considered  by  the  mind  only,  it  is  im- 


Ch.  I.] 


REVELATION 


147 


15  'and  his  feet  like  unto  flue  brass,  as  if 
they  burned  iu  a  furnace;  and  "his 
voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters. 

16  »And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven 
stars:  and  'out  of  his  mouth  went  a 
sharp  twoedged  sword  :  •■  and  his  coun- 
tenance was  as  the  sun  shinetli  in  liis 
strength. 

17  And  "when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his 
feet  as  dead.  And  ^  he  laid  his  right 
hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me.  Fear 


1.')  were  as  a  flame  of  fire ;  and  his  feet  like 
burnished  brass,  as  if  it  were  glowing 
in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  as  the  voice 

10  of  many  waters.  And  he  had  in  his 
right  hand  seven  stars  ;  and  out  of  liis 
mouth  went  forth  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword  ;   and   his  countenance  was  as 

17  the  sun  shining  in  bis  power.  And 
when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as 
dead.    And  he  laid  bis  right  band  on 


t  Ezek.  1  : 
z\0:l;  Mai.  ^  : 


Dau.  10  :  6. 
Matt.  17  ;  2; 


u  Ezek.  43  : 
Acts  26  :  13. 


3.  X  2:1;  3:1.  |/  Isa.  49  :  2 ;  Epb.  6  :  17. 

a  Ezek.  1  :  28 ;  Dan.  10  :  17.  b  Dan.  8  :  18 ;  10  :  10, 12. 


pressive.  On  earth  the  eye  of  Je.sus 
pierced  the  thoughts  of  men  ;  how  much 
more  in  the  glorified  state  !  The  same 
representation  of  Christ  occurs  when 
he  comes  forth  in  conquest  as  a  man  of 
war  in  19  :  11,  12. 

15.  His  kingly  power  is  expressed 
in  this  passage.  His  feet  are  like 
unto  fine  brass  . . .  furnace,  rather, 
burnished  brass,  as  if  it  had  been  re- 
fined in  a  furnace.  They  are  fitted  to 
tread  upon  the  foe  and  consume  them 
in  anger.  The  brass  is  shining  from 
its  being  refined,  perhaps  white  from 
heat.  The  voice  is  majestic,  loud, 
alarming,  like  the  beating  of  the  ocean 
wave.  (Comp.  the  trumpet  voice  of 
ver.  10.)  His  voice  as  Saviour  is  ten- 
der, he  will  not  break  the  bruised  reed 
(Matt.  12:20).  On  earth  he  could  utter 
terrible  woes  (Matt,  23)^  so  now,  in  the 
upper  life,  he  can  speak  words  that 
will  overwhelm  the  enemy. 

"  He  is  clothed  in  a  garment  that  in- 
dicates priestly  functions,  but  the  other 
attributes  assigned  to  him  are  rather 
those  of  royalty.  His  white  hair  shi- 
ning like  wool  or  snow,  signifying  that 
in  him  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of 
knowledge  and  of  wisdom  ;  eyes  whose 
burning  glances  penetrate  through  the 
secrets  of  men's  inmost  hearts;  bis 
feet,  glowing  as  in  the  white  heat  of  a 
furnace,  ready  to  consume  the  enemies 
on  whom  he  treads ;  the  two-edged 
sword  going  out  of  his  mouth,  a  figure 
of  the  judicial  and  destroying  power 
of  the  Word  of  God ;  the  face  shining 
like  the  tropical  sun,  from  whose  dead- 
ly rays  man  and  beast  alike  tiee  for 
shelter;  the  voice,  powerful  as  the  surf 
booming  on  the  snores  of  Patmos — 
these  are  marks  of  royal  majesty  and 
power.  It  is  Je.sus  whom  John  sees, 
but  Jesus  the  high  priest  of  his  people 
and  king  of  all  the  earth"   (H.   C. 


Vedder,  d.  d.,  in  "The  Watchman," 
July  12,  190C). 

IG.  In  his  right  hand,  out- 
stretched, were    seven    stars.     The 

right  hand  could  defend  and  guard. 
Jesus  speaks  of  the  believer  in  his  own 
hand  and  in  the  hand  of  his  Father 
(John  10  :  28. 29).  The  seven  is  again  the 
complete  number.  The  kingly  Christ 
is  represented  as  having  in  his  mouth 
a  two-edged  sword.  The  words 
of  Jesus  will  be  like  a  sword  that  will 
smite  the  foe  utterly.  (Comp.  2  Thes..  2:8; 
Heb.  4 :  12.)  No  ouc  Can  escape  its  power 
and  destruction.  The  words  of  Jesus 
are  not  empty  words  or  threats,  but 
they  accomplish  his  purpose.  Who 
can  successfully  fight  against  the  strong 
Son  of  God?  Who  can  be  defeated  if 
he  fights  for  them?  The  face,  the 
countenance,  was  like  the  sun  shi- 
ning in  its  transcendent  brightness — 
unclouded.  John  chose  the  brightest 
conceivable  thing  to  represent  the  ap- 
pearance of  tlie  glorified  Lord. 

17,  18.  If  the  image  of  Jesus  here 
portrayed  were  outwardly  represented 
it  would  be  unattractive,  but  if  looked 
upon  with  the  mind  only  it  is  signifi- 
cant and  full  of  meaning.  Jesus  is 
the  eternal,  all-searching,  majestic, 
priestly  king,  whose  words  are  con- 
quests, whose  foot  treads  down  the 
enemy.  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead. 
John  had  lain  on  his  bosom  when 
on  the  earth.  But  the  vision  of  the 
glorified  Lord,  appearing  in  splendor, 
the  conqueror  of  death,  the  king 
of  the  rulers  of  the  earth,  over- 
whelmed him,  lowly  and  sinful  as  he 
was  (Dau.  7  :  17 ;  10  : 8,  9,  15).  There  is 
always  with    God,   glory,   tenderness, 

and    grace     (Isa.  6:15;    Lute  24  :  S7).      TllC 

touch  of  Jesus  brought  reassurance. 
His  words  are  a  reminiscence  of  his 
earthly    ministry :    Fear    not    («»"• 


148 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  I. 


18  not ;  "  I  am  the  first  and  the  last :  *  I 
am  he  that  liveth, « and  was  dead  ;  and, 
behold,  'I  am  alive  for  evermore, 
Amen  ;  and  s  have  the  keys  of  hell  and 

19  of  death.  Write  ^  the  things  which 
thou  hast  seen,  'and  the  things  which 
are,  ■'and  the  things  which  shall  be 

20  hereafter;  the  mystery  'of  the  seven 
stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right 
hand,  m  and  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks. The  seven  stars  are  "  the  angels 
of  the  seven  churches :  and  °  the  seven 
candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are 
the  seven  churches. 


18  me,  saying.  Fear  not ;  I  am  the  first 
and  the  last,  and  the  living  one  ;  and 
I  became  dead,  and  behold  1  am  alive 
forevermore ;  and  I  have  the  keys  of 

19  death  and  of  Hades.  Write  therefore 
the  things  which  thou  sawest,  and 
the  things  which  are,  and  the  things 
which  are  about  to  take  place  after 

20  these ;  the  mystery  of  the  seven  stars 
which  thou  sawest  on  my  right  hand, 
and  the  seven  golden  lamp-stands. 
The  seven  stars  are  angels  of  the  seven 
churches;  and  the  seven  lamp-stands 
are  the  seven  churches. 


c  Ver.  8.  d  Rom.  6:9;  Heb.  7  :  25.  e  John  19  :  30 ;  1  Cor.  15  :  3. 

/  4  :  9 ;  5  :  14.  jr  3  :  T ;  Ps.  68  :  20 ;  Isa.  22  :  22 ;  Acts  2  :  31.  ft  Ver.  14,  etc. 

!  2  :  1,  etc.  »;  4  :  1,  etc.  I  Ver.  16.  m  Ver.  12. 

o  Matt.  5  :  15 ;  Phil.  2  :  15.  n  2  :  1 ;  Mai.  2  :  7. 


17 : 7).  The  saved  sinner  need  not  be 
afraid  of  Jesus.  Jesus  makes  a  three- 
fold declaration,  revealing  his  own 
eternal  existence,  his  triumph  over 
death,  and  his  consequent  power  over 
death.  I  am  .  .  .  liveth,  rather,  / 
am  the  first  and  the  last  and  the  Living 
One.  He  proclaims  his  possession  of 
life  in  and  through  himself  in  like 
manner  as  Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment (Isa-  «  :  10-13).  He  therefore  had 
no  beginning  of  days,  and  will  have 
no  end  of  days.  Was  dead,  rather, 
became.  There  is  the  implication  that 
he  voluntarily  subjected  himself  to 
death  (John  lo  :  18).  in  joyous  tones  he 
claims  now  an  ever-living  life.  He  is 
the  Living  One ;  not  only  one  who  lives, 
but  he  has  the  springs  of  life  in  him- 
self. He  calls  attention  to  it:  be- 
hold. The  resurrection  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  a  wonderful  event.  It  se- 
cured the  salvation  of  tlie  soul,  it  es- 
tablished his  divinity,  and  gave  a 
foundation  for  his  universal  rulership. 
Omit  Amen.  Jesus  has  the  keys  of 
hell  and  of  death,  rather,  of  death 
and  of  Hades.  No  one  will  enter  into 
the  grave  unless  Jesus  opens  the  door. 
(Comp.  John  5  :  28.)  Those  ill  the  un- 
seen life  are  safe,  because  he  has  the 
keys.  They  will  come  out  at  the 
resurrection,  for  he  will  open  the  door. 
To  have  the  keys  of  a  house  is  to 
have  the  control  of  the  house.  Hades 
stands  here,  not  for  hell,  the  place 
of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  but 
the  realm  of  the  dead.  It  is  usually 
personified  in  this  book,  as  in  6  :  8. 
Jesus  claims  a  sovereignty  over  his 
saints,  over  the  wicked   waiting  to  be 


punished,  over  the  dead  of  all  classes. 
This  power  he  secured  through  his 
own  sufferings  and  death.  A  dis- 
tinction must  be  made  between  Ge- 
henna, rendered  hell,  the  abode  of  the 
finally  impenitent,  and  hades,  often 
wrongly  rendered  hell  in  the  Common 
version.  Hades  means  the  realm  of 
the  dead. 

19.  Write,  rather,  write  therefore. 
Because  Christ  is  such  a  person  as  here 
described,  so  exalted,  it  is  fitting  that 
all  should  thus  recognize  him.  Jesus 
desires  to  be  known  in  his  real  char- 
acter. He  becomes  a  permanent  reve- 
lation when  the  vision  is  written. 
Three  things  are  contained  in  the  di- 
rection to  write  what  he  had  seen. 
First,  the  vision  of  the  Son  of  man, 
revealing  a  knowledge  of  his  incarna- 
tion, his  resurrection,  his  consequent 
ascension  and  glorification.  Secondly, 
the  things  which  are,  perhaps  alluding 
to  the  message  to  the  churches  express- 
ing their  present  state.  Thirdly,  the 
things  which  shall  be,  the  vision  be- 
ginning Avith  chap.  4.  Not  all  the 
future  is  revealed,  but  only  a  part, 
which  concerns  the  progress  of  his 
kingdom ;  not  as  hi.story  in  all  its  de- 
tails, but  in  outlines,  and  expressed  in 
symbol. 

20.  Mystery  means  that  which  is 
in  itself  hidden  from  human  sight  and 
knowledge,  but  is  revealed  through 
God's' Spirit  to  God's  children,  (see 
Eph.  3  : 3-12.)  Jesus  liiniself  acts  as  in- 
terpreter here.  He  aims  not  to  be- 
wilder, but  to  make  clear.  The  stars 
are  the  angels  of  the  churches.  The 
lampstands  are  the  churches.      They 


Ch.  I.] 


REVELATION 


149 


are  golden,  signifying  their  exalted 
character.  They  exist  for  the  one  pur- 
pose of  helping  Christ  to  throw  light 
into  the  world.  When  on  earth  Jesus 
explained  his  first  paraljle  that  thus 
they  might  get  the  clue  for  understand- 
ing all  the  parables  (Matt,  n  ;  i8-2i).  He 
has  the  same  spirit  of  helpfulness  in 
his  life  on  high. 

Note  1.  Hades.  This  word  means 
that  which  is  unseen,  referring  to 
the  world  of  spirits.  It  occurs  ten 
times  in  the  New  Testament  (Matt,  u  : 

23  ;   16  :  18  ;   Luke  1  :  15  ;    16  :  23  ;   Acts  2  :  27,  31  ; 

Rev.  1:8;  6:8;  20  :  13,  u).  In  the  Re- 
ceived version  it  is  rendered,  hell, 
grave ;  in  the  Revised  version  it  is 
uniformly  rendered  hades.  It  is  the 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  term  sheol, 
used  in  the  Old  Testament  sixty-five 
times.  The  parable  in  Luke  16  :  19-31, 
taken  in  connection  with  Luke  23  :  43 
and  Acts  2  :  24-32,  shows  that  hades 
was  a  world  into  which  the  souls  of  all 
entered,  having  two  divisions.  One 
was  that  of  joy  and  comfort,  paradise  ; 
the  other  of  misery  and  penalty,  sep- 
arated by  an  impassable  gulf.  Hades 
nowhere  can  be  rendered  grave,  nor 
does  it  correspond  with  hell,  gehenna, 
regarded  as  the  place  of  final  punish- 
ment. Gehenna,  rightly  rendered  hell, 
occurs  in  the  New  Testament  twelve 

times  (Matt.  5  :  22,  29,  30  ;  10  :  28  ;  18  :  9  ;  23  : 
15,    23  ;    Mark    9  :  43,  45,  47  ;     Luke  12  :  5  ;    James 

3  :  6).  This  describes  the  place  where 
the  wicked,  with  body  and  soul  united, 
after  the  j  udgraent  will  suffer  everlast- 
ing punishment.  The  ungodly  at  pres- 
ent are  in  hades,  but  tJiey  are  not  yet 
in  hell,  the  place  of  final  punishment. 
The  New  Testament  teaches,  however, 
that  the  souls  of  believers  enter  at 
once  into  heaven  to  be  with  Christ. 

(See    John    17  :  24  ;     2  Cor.  5  :  6,  7  ;   Phil.  1  :  23.) 

That  the  souls  of  believers  enter  im- 
mediately into  God's  presence  is  im- 
plied in  Rev.  6  :  9-11 ;  7  :  9-17.  It 
may  be  conceded  that  even  believers 
do  not  receive  their  full  blessedness 
until  after  the  resurrection.  The  souls 
of  unbelievers  are  under  penalty  until 
the  day  of  judgment  (2  Peter  2:9);  while 
the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  with 
Christ.  Until  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
hades  appears  to  have  been  the  com- 
mon home  of  all  the  dead ;  since  that 
time  the  wicked  alone  are  in  hades, 


the  righteous  are  with  Christ.     Com- 
pare note  on  Luke  16 :  22  and  Practical 
Remark  25. 
Note  2.     The  meaning  of  the 

TERM  ANGEL  OF  THE  CHURCH.  The 
angel  of  each  church  is  addressed. 
Three  views  are  held  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  this  term.  Whoever  he  was  or 
whatever  it  means,  the  angel  represents 
the  church. 

1.  The  most  commonly  received  view 
is  that  it  refers  to  the  bishop  or  chief 
pastor  of  the  church.  In  Haggai  (» :  ") 
the  prophet,  and  in  Malachi  (2  7)  the 
priest  is  the  angel  of  Jehovah.  But 
against  this  view  are  two  objections. 
First,  it  assumes  that,  at  the  writing  of 
these  messages,  of  the  plurality  of 
elders  in  the  church,  one  had  gained 
such  a  leadership  that  he  was  recog- 
nized as  the  bishop.  Of  this  there  is  no 
proof.  Each  church  had  a  plurality 
of  elders,  called  bishops  from  the  Greek 
point  of  view  (piiH-  1  =  1),  known  as 
elders  from  the  Hebrew  point  of  view. 
Among  these  was  a  parity  of  authority. 
In  the  Epistles  of  Paul,  there  is  no 
trace  of  the  rise  of  the  bishop  or  chief 
pa.stor.  The  letter  to  the  Philippian 
church  puts  the  pastors  on  an  equality 
(Phil.  1:1).  In  the  pastoral  Epistles, 
written  several  years  later,  there  is  yet 
no  hint  of  the  precedence  of  one  elder 
over  the  others.  It  is  against  the  teach- 
ing and  facts  contained  in  the  Acts 
and  the  Pauline  Epistles  to  concede 
thus  early  the  rise  of  tlie  bishop  as  the 
governing  idea  in  the  church.  It  is 
an  undoubted  fact  that  in  the  second 
century  there  arose  the  beginning  of 
tliat  vast  fabric  of  church  government 
embracing  the  idea  of  the  local  bishop 
in  each  church,  then  the  bishop  of  a 
province,  the  system  culminating  at 
fast  in  the  papacy.  But  of  this  system 
we  find  no  trace  in  the  New  Testament. 
It  is  probable  that  there  was  in  the 
synagogue  service  an  inferior  officer 
known  as  the  angel  or  messenger.  But 
it  was  an  inferior  position,  having 
nothing  whatever  of  the  authority  here 
possessed.  Secondly,  the  angel  and 
the  church  are  .so  thoroughly  identified 
in  these  letters  tliat  it  is  impossible  to 
conceive  of  the  angel  being  a  human 
bishop  or  cliief  pastor.  In  the  con- 
demnatory messages  to  Sardis  and  Lao- 
dicea  is  it  possible  to  think  that  the 
pastor  and  the  church  had  precisely 


150 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  I. 


the  same  fault  and  in  the  same  degree, 
so  that  both  are  equally  blameworthy  ? 
In  the  declining  devotion  of  the  church 
at  Ephesus,  is  it  possible  that  the  de- 
votion in  the  pastor  and  people  declined 
equally  at  the  same  time  ?  The  com- 
mendations and  condemnations  of  Jesus 
pass  interchangeably  from  one  to  the 
other,  showing  that  botli  must  be  in 
some  sense  one.  In  the  message  to  the 
church  at  Ephesus,  the  augel  is  charged 
with  having  left  the  first  love.  Natu- 
rally the  penalty  would  be  a  removal 
from  his  position.  But  the  penalty 
comes  upon  the  church ;  the  church  it- 
self must  perish  unless  there  come  back 
a  quickened  spiritual  life.  This  is  a 
decisive  proof  that,  in  some  way,  the 
angel  and  the  church  are  inseparably 
wrought  into  each  other's  life,  so  that 
what  is  true  of  the  one  is  true  of  the 
other.  But  nowhere  is  it  true  that 
prophet  and  people,  or  pastor  and 
church,  are  so  identified,  and  so  reflect 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  other,  that  the 
word  of  praise  or  censure  may  be  be- 
stowed equally  upon  either. 

2.  Another  view  is  that  the  angel  is 
a  superhuman  being,  having  a  watch- 
care  over  the  church.  The  word  angel 
is  generally  used  of  a  superhuman  be- 
ing in  this  book  after  the  first  three 
chapters.  But  it  seems  unfitting  thus 
to  identify  a  perfect  angel  with  the  im- 
perfect church  life  here  described.  An 
angel  can  scarcely  be  called  upon  to 
repent  (2:5).  There  is  no  proof  what- 
ever that  the  early  Christians  regarded 
their  churches  as  under  angelic  con- 
trol. Jesus  speaks  of  angels  who  have 
an    especial    care    for   little    children 

(See  note  on  Matt.  18  :  10,  in  Clarke  "  Peoples  Com- 
mentary'). Daniel  speaks  (lo  :  is)  of  the 
prince  of  Persia,  where  the  reference 
IS,  perhaps,  to  a  higher  order  of  beings 
exercising  control  over  the  national 
life.  Undoubtedly  angels  may  have  a 
watchcare  over  Christ's  saints  on  the 
earth,  inasmuch  as  he  is  the  head  of  the 
church.  But  there  is  no  warrant  for  be- 
lieving that  the  angel  here  spoken  of 
is  a  superhuman  person. 

3.  The  angel  of  the  church  is  the 
spirit,  the  genius,  the  spiritual  char- 
acteristic of  the  church  personified. 
It  does  not  differ  from  the  church  itself. 
Every  church  has  its  own  peculiar, 
distinguishing  characteristic ;  this  con- 
stituted its  angel.     In  this  book,  all 


through,  each  object  described  has  its 
angel.  The  fire  has  its  augel,  its  own 
nature  representing  it,  showing  what 
it  is  (u  :  8) ;  the  abyss  has  its  angel 
(9  :  11) ;  the  wind  has  its  angel,  dift"er- 
ing  in  nothing  from  the  wind  itself 
(6:1).  In  like  manner  the  churches 
have  their  angels,  each  church  having 
its  own  angel.  And  this  explains  how 
the  messages,  the  words  of  censure,  of 
counsel,  of  praise,  can  be  addressed 
equally  to  the  angel  or  to  the  church. 
If  the  love  of  the  angel  declines  (2 :  *), 
it  is  the  love  of  the  church  that  is  de- 
clining. And,  therefore,  Jesus  declares 
that  if  the  angel  repent  not,  the  church 
itself  must  perish.  If  the  angel  is 
faithful  the  church  is  faithful ;  if  the 
augel  is  overcome  by  the  world,  the 
church  is,  at  the  same  time,  overcome 
by  the  world.  There  is  here  a  twofold 
description  of  the  church.  It  is  de- 
scribed under  the  figure  of  a  star  and 
a  lampstand.  Both  of  them  suggest 
the  light-giving  power  of  the  church. 
The  star  shines  in  the  firmament.  The 
lampstand,  in  the  tabernacle  and  in 
the  temple,  shone  in  a  more  hidden 
way.  The  double  figure  employed  em- 
phasizes the  truth  taught,  the  church 
must  be  pure  and  light  giving.  The 
angel  of  the  church  is  the  church  itself 
viewed  in  its  essence  and  spirit,  reveal- 
ing itself  to  the  gaze  of  the  ascended 
Christ,  and  to  the  gaze  of  the  onlooker 
upon  the  earth.  The  seven  churches 
represent  the  one,  universal  church  of 
Christ  upon  the  earth.  The  seven  an- 
gels represent,  in  a  symbolic  way,  the 
genius  and  distinguishing  spirit  of  this 
one  universal  church.  While  favoring 
the  preceding  view  Swete  adds:  "  But 
in  this  symbolical  book  the  angel  of  a 
church  may  be  simply  an  expression 
for  its  prevailing  spirit  and  thus  be 
identical  with  the  church  itself." 

Practical  Remarks. 
1.  The  Revelation  is  not  given  to  satisfy 
curiosity,  but  to  develop  and  encourage 
the  church.  It  was  designed  to  be  useful 
to  the  Christians  of  the  first  age,  when 
they  were,  of  necessity,  unlearned  and 
plain  people.  It  implies  an  unfolding  of 
God's  will  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  compre- 
hended by  them.  God  tenderly  accom- 
modates his  revelation  to  the  capacity  of 
his  people.    God  does  not  reveal  all  the 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


151 


future,  which  would  be  a  hindrance  to 
us.  He  makes  known  some  things  that 
they  may  be  a  lielp  to  us  (ver.  1). 

2.  Jesus  is  one  with  the  Father  (John 
10  :  30),  but  there  is  a  certain  subordina- 
tion in  position  whereby  the  Father  gives 
to  the  Son.  We  may  not  understand  com- 
pletely the  inner  relations  of  the  God- 
head, but  we  may  notice  certain  facts. 
Both  are  concerned  for  the  welfare  of 
the  churches  on  the  earth.  Througli 
Jesus  we  know  God,  his  nature  and  will 
(ver.  1). 

3.  The  highest  honor  is  to  be  a  servant 
of  Jesus.  Paul,  James,  and  Jude,  all  de- 
lighted to  call  themselves  the  bondmen 
of  Jesus.  It  is  the  highest  freedom  to 
enter  willingly  into  subjection  to  Christ 
(ver.  1). 

4.  John  wrote  the  word  of  God  and  the 
testimony  of  Jesus,  in  his  earthly  min- 
istry, in  the  Gospels.  He  writes  the  after 
ministry  of  Jesus  in  the  Revelation.  God 
and  Jesus  are  still  active  workers  in  and 
for  the  church.  The  unseen  Christ  is  an 
ever-active  Christ  (ver.  2). 

5.  In  former  centuries  the  Scriptures 
were  scarce  and  costly.  Now  every  one 
may  read  for  himself.  With  the  larger 
knowledge  comes  a  larger  responsibility. 
There  is  blessing  for  all  those,  in  all  ages, 
who  search  the  Scriptures,  know  God's 
will  that  it  may  be  done.  A  teachable 
mind  and  a  teaching  Spirit  can  make  the 
word  plain  (ver.  3). 

6.  With  God  a  thousand  years  are  but 
as  one  day.  Having  eternity  for  his  work- 
ing time  God  need  not  hasten.  What  is 
long  to  us,  is  but  a  moment  to  God.  We 
should  not  be  impatient  when  God  seem- 
ingly delays  (ver.  3). 

7.  God  the  Father  can  be  seen  only 
through  Jesus  the  revealer.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  being  pure  spirit,  can  be  seen  only 
in  a  symbolic  way.  The  ever-living  God 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  perfect  in  his  nature 
and  operations,  alone  can  best  give  grace 
and  peace  (ver.  4). 

8.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  center  of  Chris- 
tianity. He  witnesses  for  God ;  he  has 
power  over  death  ;  he  is  a  ruler  with  com- 
plete power.  A  ruling  Christ  could  over- 
come his  enemies  ;  an  interceding  Christ 
is  a  helper  for  his  friends  (ver.  13). 

9.  Christ  is  spotless  in  nature  and  ma- 


jestic in  his  person.  His  majesty  of  per^ 
son  is  the  outward  representation  of  the 
moral  grandeur  of  his  character.  The 
chief  beauty  in  Christ  is  his  moral  love- 
liness (ver.  14,  15). 

10.  Jesus  is  the  creator  of  peace  in  the 
soul  and  in  the  world.  But  he  lias  a 
sword.  His  words  reveal  the  heart— con- 
vict, reprove,  condemn.  He  is  patient, 
but  he  can  and  will  destroy  the  obdurate 
in  heart.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  of  Jesus 
as  only  the  tender-hearted.  He  is  judge, 
ruler,  conqueror  (ver.  Ifi). 

11.  The  splendor  of  Christ  makes  him 
an  overpowering  Christ.  The  weakness 
and  sinfulness  of  human  nature  combine 
to  prostrate  man  in  his  presence.  The 
tenderness  of  Christ  is  united  to  his 
grandeur.  On  earth  and  in  heaven  he 
cares  for  his  weak  but  true  disciples 
(ver.  17). 

12.  Death  seemed  to  overcome  Jesus. 
It  held  him  in  its  prison  for  a  time.  Com- 
ing out  of  it,  he  destroyed  it.  He  now  has 
complete  power  over  death  and  all  the 
regions  of  the  unseen  beyond.  No  Chris- 
tian need  be  afraid  to  die.  Persecution, 
killing  the  Christian,  cannot  drive  a  man 
away  from  the  personal  presence  and 
watchcare  of  Jesus  (ver.  18). 

13.  Tlie  past,  the  present,  the  future- 
all  equally  lie  open  before  tlie  mind  of 
Jesus.  A  God  who  can  reveal  the  future 
must  be  a  God  indeed.  God  reveals  the 
future  only  so  far  as  it  concerns  his  king- 
dom—more in  principles  than  in  detail. 
Prophecy  is  not  the  writing  of  history 
beforehand  (ver.  19). 

14.  Jesus  holds  the  stars,  the  represen- 
tations of  the  churches,  in  his  right  hand 
for  protection.  Christ  shines  through  the 
churches;  they  should  shine  for  him. 
They  are  of  use  only  wlien  they  are  of 
gold,  and  when  they  are  of  service  to 
Christ  (ver.  20). 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  two  following  chapters  give  the 
messages  to  the  seven  churches.  Jesus 
stands  among  them,  not  with  a  critical 
eye,  but  with  the  eye  of  a  holy  and 
watchful  Saviour  and  guardian.  The 
message  is  adapted  to  eadi  one,  to  its 
peculiar  conditions  and  .surroundings. 
This  chapter  contains  the  letters  to  tlie 


152 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


Epistles  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia. 

3  UNTO  the  angel  of  the  church  of 
Ephesus  write  ;  These  things  saith  Phe 
that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his 
right  hand,  i  who  walketh  in  the  midst 
of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 

2  '1  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour, 
and  thy  patience,  »and  how  thou  canst 
not  bear  them  which  are  evil :  and 
*thou  hast  tried  them  "  which  say  they 
are  apostles,  and   are  not,  and   hast 


p  1  :  16,  20. 


9  1: 

I  Ver.  6. 


13; 


Matt.  28  :  20. 
t  1  John  4  :  1. 


2  TO  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Ephe- 
sus write:  These  things  says  he  who 
holds  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand, 
he  who  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 

2  golden  lamp-stands.  I  know  thy 
works,  and  thy  labor  and  thy  patience, 
and  that  thou  canst  not  bear  evil  men ; 
and  didst  try  those  who  call  them- 
selves apostles,  and  they  are  not,  and 


r  Ver.  13  ;  Ps.  1  :  6 ;  139  :  1-4 ;  2  Tim.  2  :  19. 
«  2  Cor.  11  :  13 ;  2  Peter  2  :  1. 


churches  at  Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Perga- 
mum,  and  Thyatira. 

1-7.  Letter  to  the  chuech  at 
Ephesus.  These  letters,  as  noticed 
above,  are  constructed  in  a  symmetrical 
way.  Tlie  letters  and  the  book  itself 
reveal  much  of  care  in  the  formation. 

1.  On  the  term,  augel,  see  note  at 
the  end  of  chap.  I.  On  the  theory  that 
the  angel  was  the  chief  pastor  some 
find  an  allusion  to  Timothy  who  labored 
here,  or  to  some  one  appointed  by 
Timothy  or  John. 

Ephesus  was  the  most  important  city 
in  the  province.  Swete,  in  his  critical 
commentary,  says:  "Ephesus  stands 
first  among  the  cities  to  which  ad- 
dresses are  sent.  Thither  the  messenger 
from  Patmos  would  sail  by  an  easy 
course  of  sixty  miles.  Moreover,  on 
many  grounds,  this  city  took  first 
rank.  .  .  Its  commercial  prosperity 
kept  pace  with  its  political  impor- 
tance. The  great  road  which  brought 
the  trade  of  the  East  from  the  Eu- 
phrates to  the  .iEgean  reached  the  sea 
at  Ephesus.  .  .  The  city  was  a  hotbed 
of  cults  and  superstitions,  a  meeting- 
place  of  East  and  West,  where  Greeks, 
Romans,  Asiatics,  jostled  one  another 
in  the  streets."  See  Clark's  "  Peoples 
Commentary"  on  Acts  19  :  1,  19,  27, 
35,  38.  The  name  of  John  is  insepa- 
rably associated,  in  all  tradition,  with 
the  pastorate  of  this  church  in  his 
later  years.  It  was  the  scene  of  Paul's 
labors  for  three  years  (Acts  20  :  si).  We 
have  also  the  letter  written  to  this 
church,  the  most  lofty  and  spiritual  of 
all  Paul's  writings.  It  was  a  wealthy 
and  prosperous  city,  the  seat  of  the 
worship  of  Diana,  whose  temple  was 
one  of  the  world's  seven  wonders.  It 
had  been  a  center  of  large  religious 
activity.    Here  had  labored  Timothy, 


Priscilla,  Aquila,  Apollos,  and  Tychi- 
cus.  Jesus,  the  sender  of  the  message, 
is  described  in  words  taken  from  1  :  13, 
16.  He  holds,  stronger  than  the  word 
had  in  1  :  16,  the  stars.  He  guides, 
protects,  and  punishes  with  his  strong 
right  hand.  It  is  a  word  of  comfort 
for  tempted  people,  the  assertion  of  his 
sovereignty.  Jesus  watches  over,  not 
simply  Ephesus,  but  over  all  the 
churches.  He  holds  its  star  and  all 
the  stars  in  his  hand.  (Comp.  isa.  49  :  le ; 
John  10  :  28.)  He  is  not  only  in  the  midst 
of  the  churches  (i  =  i3),  he  walks  in  the 
midst  of  them.  He  is  an  active  Christ, 
superintending,  counseling,  reproving, 
warning.  In  the  message  to  the  first 
church  is  the  expression  of  the  Lord's 
relation  to  all  the  churches  as  that  of 
guardianship  and  watchcare. 

2.  Jesus  here  declares  his  penetra- 
ting and  comprehensive  knowledge.  I 
know  thy  Avorks.  This  is  a  general 
characteristic  of  all  the  letters,  his 
thorough  knowledge.  This  is  the 
foundation  for  his  condemnation,  re- 
proof, affording  a  means  of  counsel 
and  help.  Works  refers  not  simply  to 
the  outward  movements  of  the  church, 
but  to  the  entire  life — inner  and  outer. 
Labour,  rather,  toil,  a  stronger  word. 
There  had  been  not  only  activity,  but 
an  intensive  and  thorough  service. 
Patience  denotes  endurance  under 
the  opposing  ills  and  hindrances  that 
beset  them.  Jesus  commends  them  for 
two  reasons.  First,  he  approves  their 
separateness  from  moral  evil.  Thou 
canst  not  .  .  .  evil,  rather,  evil  men. 
There  was  a  persistent  love  for  holi- 
ness, good  things,  and  good  men.  The 
church  did  not  hate  bad  men,  but  it 
could  not  tolerate  them  in  membership, 
nor  condone  their  evil  deeds.  Second- 
ly, he  approves  their  love  for  right 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


153 


3  found  them  liars :  » and  hast  borne, 
and  hast  patience,  and  for  ray  name's 
sake  hast  laboured,  and  hast  t  not 
fainted. 

4  Nevertheless  I  have  soinewhat  against 
thee,  'because  thou  hast  left  thy  first 

5  love.  Remember  therefore  from 
whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  "repent, 
and  do  the  first  works:  ti  or  else  I  will 
come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  re- 
move thy  candlestick  out  of  liis  place, 

6  except   "thou   repent.     But  this  thou 


3  didst  find  them  liars;  and  thou  hast 
patience,  and  didst  bear  for  my  name's 

4  sake,  and  hast  not  grown  weary.  But 
I  have  this  against   thee,   tliat   thou 

5  didst  leave  thy  first  love.  Remember 
therefore  wlieiice  thou  hast  fallen,  and 
repent,  and  do  the  first  works  ;  or  else, 
I  am  coming  to  thee,  and  will  remove 
thy  lamp-stand  out  of  its  place,  if  thou 

6  repent  not.    But  this  thou  hast,  that 


Matt.  10  :  22  i  Phil.  1  :  29.  y  Gal.  6:9;  Heb.  12  :  3.  z  Jer.  2:2;  Matt.  24  :  12. 

a  Ezek.  18  :  30-32.  b  Matt.  21  :  41,  43. 


thinking  and  teaching,  orthodoxy  in 
doctrine.  Paul  declared  tliat  false 
teachers  would  rise  up  among  them 
(Acta  20 :  29).  Thcse  false  teachers  claim- 
ing, perhaps,  to  have  seen  Jesus  (Acta 
1  :  21, 22),  or  preaching  other  doctrines 
than  those  recognized  (Gai.  i  :  a),  were 
tried  by  .standards  given  in  the  words 
of  Christ  and  the  apo.stles.  Jesus 
taught  that  bad  fruits  indicate  a  bad 
heart  (Ma"-  f  :  le).  John  declared  that 
a  denial  of  Christ  coming  in  the  flesh 
was  a  mark  of  the  antichrist  (i  John  4 : 
1, 2).  Trying  their  claims  they  found 
them  false  teachers.  Their  orthodoxy 
met  the  approval  of  Jesus.  All  un- 
tnithfulness  in  teaching  will,  in  time, 
produce  incorrectness  in  life. 

3.  The  commendation  is  continued. 
And  hast  borne  . . .  fainted,  rather, 
And  thou  hast  patience,  and  didst  bear 
for  my  name's  sake,  and  hast  not  grown 
weary.  Four  qualities  are  here  men- 
tioned with  approval.  There  is  a  stead- 
fastness in  working  and  suffering  that 
has  grown  into  a  settled  principle, 
shown  by  the  present  tense ;  there  was 
a  bearing,  as  of  a  load,  all  duties ;  this 
was  done  from  a  personal  love  for  the 
Lord  Jesus,  my  name's  sake ;  it 
was  a  trial  that  did  not  beget  weari- 
ness, there  was  a  persistent  freshness 
in  service.  The  yoke  of  Jesus  made 
an  easy  service. 

4, 5.  A  rebuke  follows.  It  is  a 
mark  of  the  divine  tenderness  that  the 
prai-se  is  first  given,  then  the  reproof 
The  general  charge  is,  I  have  some- 
what against  thee,  rather,  /  have 
against  thee,  or,  I  have  this  against 
thee.  The  Authorized  version  creates 
the  impression  that  there  was  only  a 
slight  deviation  from  the  church's  right 
attitude.  It  was  rather  a  grievous  fault. 
Thy  first  love  indicates  a  brightness 


at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  life 
that  was  now  dimme.d.  Zeal  had  taken 
the  place  of  love.  Jesus  takes  cog- 
nizance, not  of  tlie  quantity  but  of 
the  quality  of  tlie  work  done,  depend- 
ing on  the  motive.  The  exhortation 
embraces  three  tilings :  a  remembrance 
of  the  former  love  and  life,  a  repent- 
ance, a  recovery  of  the  lost  life.  It 
was  not  an  apostasy  like  tliat  described 
in  Heb.  6  :  6,  but  a  grievous  back- 
sliding (Jer.  2  :  13).  There  must  be,  as 
in  Peter's  case,  a  conversion  (i.uke  22  : 
32).  The  first  love,  if  watched  over, 
will  preserve  the  renewed  life,  and  tlie 
old  life  taken  up  again  will  keep  the 
love  fresh.  The  life  and  the  love  will 
mutually  afiect  each  other.  A  threat 
follows,  I  will  come  .  .  .  quickly, 
rather,  /  am  coming.  If  there  is  no 
repentance  the  church  itself  will  be 
destroyed.  It  would  naturally  be  de- 
stroyed by  the  slow  death  that  would 
follow  the  decay  of  the  spiritual  life. 
Some  judgments,  such  as  pestilence  or 
persecution,  might  hasten  the  death  of 
the  church,  the  removal  of  the  lamp- 
stand.  In  this  pas.sage  is  a  proof  that 
the  angel  of  the  church  is  not  different 
from  the  church  itself,  but  is  the  church 
itself  under  another  aspect.  If  the 
angel  does  not  repent,  the  result  will 
be,  not  that  the  angel  will  be  removed, 
Ijut  that  the  lampstand  will  be  re- 
moved. The  church  for  a  long  time 
retained  its  vitality.  It  finally  fell, 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  under  the 
power  of  the  Turks.  A  traveler  visit- 
ing the  place  in  1860  found  only  three 
nominal  Christians.  The  threat  of 
Christ  may  have  helped  to  restore  the 
former  spiritual  condition,  and  keep 
its  light  shining,  to  some  extent,  for 
centuries. 
6.  A  return  is  again  made  to  con- 


154 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  <=  the 
Nicolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate. 

7  a  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 
«To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give 
'to  eat  of  8  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God. 

8  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Smyrna  write ;  These  things  saith  ^  the 


thou   hatest  the  works  of   the  Nico- 

7  laitans,  which  I  also  hate.  He  that 
has  au  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  says  to  the  churches.  To  him 
that  overcomes,  to  him  I  will  give  to 
eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the 
paradise  of  God. 

8  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Smyrna  write:  These  things  says  the 


c  Ver.  15.  d  Ver.  11 ;  3  :  6,  13 ;  Matt.  11  :  15 ;  Luke  8  :  8. 

e  1  Kings  20  :  11 ;  Rom.  8  :  35-39 ;  Eph.  6  :  10-12 ;  James  1  :  12  ;  1  John  5  :  i,  5. 

/  22  :  2,  U.  g  Gen.  2:9.  ft  1  :  8,  17,  18. 


demnation.    The  Ni  co  1  ait  an  e  s, 

rather,  Nicolaitans,  are  spoken  of  as  a 
sect  or  party  hated  by  the  Ephesian 
Christians  as  well  as  by  Christ  himself. 
The  errorists  may  have  been  loved  and 
sought  after  for  right  ends,  but  their 
evil  teachings  and  deeds  were  hated. 
There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  character 
of  this  sect,  spoken  of  in  ver.  16  also. 
It  was  an  organized  licentiousness, 
holding  that  the  moral  law  did  not 
apply  to  Christians,  or  that  the  flesh, 
being  evil  in  itself,  the  Christian  need 
not  try  to  subdue  it.  Men  with  such 
corrupt  beliefs  appear  in  many  places 
in  the  New  Testament  (Rom.  2  : 8;  s  Peter 
2  :  u;  Jude  i),  John  frequently  alludes 
to  schisms  and  factions  (i  John  2 :  is-^* ;  * : 
1-6) .  Two  theories  exist  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  name.  One  is  that  it  arose  from 
Nicolas,  one  of  the  seven  chosen  in 
Acts  6.  Another  theory  is  that  no  sect 
of  this  name  really  existed,  at  this 
time,  but  that  Nicolas,  a  Greek  word, 
and  Balaam,  a  Hebrew  word,  having 
the  same  meaning,  "destroyer  of  the 
people,"  it  came  to  pass  that  the  entire 
organized  licentious  influence  was 
called  by  this  name,  Nicolaitanism. 
According  to  this  theory  there  was  an 
actually  existing  sensual  party,  cor- 
rupt and  corrupting,  and  figuratively 
it  is  calle<l  the  party  of  Nicolas,  or 
Balaam.  This  last  theory  is  more  in 
accord  with  the  general  symbolic  char- 
acter of  the  entire  book.  In  the  church 
at  Pergamos  or  Pergamum  there  were 
followers  of  Balaam  (2  :  u).  In  the 
church  of  Thyatira  Jezebel  teaches 
(2  :  20). 

7.  Now  follows  a  call  to  hear  and  a 
promise.  We  have  a  reminiscence  of 
the  Saviour's  earthly  ministry  in  the 
words.  He  that .  .  .  hear  (Matt.  11 ;  15). 
The  Saviour's  teachings  are  worthy  of 
the  utmost  attention.  Spirit  refers  to 
the  Holy  Spirit.    Jesus  spoke  to  John 


when  in  the  Spirit  (1  :  10).  The  Lord 
Jesus  speaks,  but  he  speaks  through 
the  Spirit  (John  lo  :  7).  The  entire  Trin- 
ity is  concerned  in  the  spiritual  welfare 
and  upbuilding  of  the  church.  The 
overcometh  shows  that  the  Christian 
life  and  the  church  life  is  a  struggle. 
There  are  foes,  a  conflict,  a  helper,  a 
splendid  issue  through  Christ's  help. 
There  was  a  fall  in  the  first  Eden  ( Gen. 
2  :  9).  There  is  here  a  promise  of  res- 
toration in  a  new  Eden  (22  : 2, 14, 19). 
The  promised  life  is  life  in  all  its  ful- 
ness. The  first  Adam  fell,  the  last 
Adam  gives  life  (1  cor.  le  :  45).  To  eat 
of  the  tree  of  life  is  to  share  in  the 
blessedness  of  Christ,  his  salvation  and 
glory.  In  the  midst  of  the  para- 
dise of  God,  rather,  in  the  paradise 
of  God.  Paradise  is  a  Persian  word, 
meaning  a  park.  It  is  used  in  Luke 
23  :  43  of  the  place  of  the  blessed  dead. 
(See  Clark's  "  Peoples  Commentary," 
2  Cor.  12  :  4.)  The  reward  promised,  the 
eating  of  the  fruit  of  blessedness,  stands 
in  contrast  with  the  peril  of  being  over- 
come, that  of  eating  things  ofi'ered  to 
idols  (ver.  14) J  au  exprcssiou  indicating 
licentious  living.  True  living  in 
Ephesus  involves,  at  the  end,  a  blessed 
living  with  God  in  his  abode.  A  keep- 
ing of  the  first  love,  living  an  over- 
coming life,  will  make  Ephesus  ripen 
into  paradise. 

8-11.  Letter  TO  the  church  at 
Smyrna. 

8.  For  definition  of  angel,  see  note 
above.  On  the  theory  that  the  term 
angel  refers  to  the  chief  pastor,  the 
early  writers  thought  that  the  allusion 
might  be  to  Polycarp.  Ignatius,  visit- 
ing Smyrna  A.  V>.  108,  states  that  he 
was  then  pastor.  TertuUian,  about 
A.  D.  200,  states  that  John  placed  Poly- 
carp in  charge  of  the  church  at  Smyrna, 
On  this  theory,  however,  the  allusion 
could  not  be  to  Polycarp  if  the  letter 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


155 


first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead,  and 
is  alive. 
9  'I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation, 
and  jwverty,  (but  thou  art  "rich,)  and 
I  know  the  blasphemy  of  'them  which 
say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  ™  but 
10  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan.  » Fear 
none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt 


first  and  the  last,  who  became  dead, 
9  and  lived  again.  I  know  thy  afflic- 
tion, and  thy  poverty,  (but  thou  art 
rich,)  and  I  know  the  blasphemy  of 
those  wtio  say  they  are  Jews,  and  they 
are  not,  but  are  a  synagogue  of  Satan. 
10  Fear  not  the  things  which  thou  art 
about  to  suSer.    Behold,  the  Devil  is 


I  Ezod.  S  :  T ;  Heb.  i  :  15.  k  2  Cor.  6  : 

m  3  :  9 ;  John  S  :  U. 


10 ;  James  2:5.  (  laa.  4S  :  I,  2 ;  Rom.  2  :  17,  28,  29  ;  9  : 

n  Matt.  10  :  22,  26,  28 ;  Luke  12  : 1-7. 


was  written  before  A.  D.  70.  Smyrna 
is  now  a  large  city,  with  two  hundred 
thousand  inhabitants,  largely  nominal 
Christians.  The  description  of  the 
Saviour  is  taken  from  the  vision  in  1  : 
18.  There  is  always  a  congruity  be- 
tween the  aspect  of  the  Saviour  pre- 
sented and  the  condition  of  the  church 
to  which  it  is  sent.  The  Smyrna  cliurch 
was  passing  through  a  period  of  dis- 
aster and  persecution,  and  yet  deeper 
distress  was  about  to  come.  Reviling 
would  give  way  to  the  prison  and  pos- 
sible death.  For  such  a  time  as  this 
Jesus  reveals  himself  as  one  Avho  him- 
self had  suffered  and  died,  and  had 
overcome  death.  Jesus  has  in  himself 
endless  life  ;  therefore  since  he  and  his 
people  are  one,  they  cannot  be  de- 
stroyed, but  will  live  on.  The  Smyr- 
nean  Christians  may  perhaps  be  killed, 
but  Jesus  is  that  one  who  was  dead 
and  is  alive,  rather,  lived  again. 
They,  in  like  manner,  will  live  again. 
9.  Here  are  the  words  of  commen- 
dation. Omit  I  know  thy  works, 
found  in  all  the  letters  except  in  this 
and  the  following  message.  Tribu- 
lation embraces  the  persecutions  of 
all  kinds  that  came  upon  them — the 
loss  of  property,  the  loss  of  social  po- 
sition, the  danger  to  personal  safety. 
Poverty,  doubtless  to  be  taken  in  a 
literal  sense,  would  naturally  follow 
persecution.  The  Christians  sometimes 
suflfered  the  loss  of  property  (Heb.  lo :  34). 
Then  too,  as  a  rule,  the  Christians  were 
usually  of  the  poorer  classes  (i  cor-  1  : 
26).  Rich  expresses  their  spiritual 
condition.  Outwardly  poor,  inwardly 
they  were  rich.  They  were  rich  in 
character,  rich  in  hope,  in  the  unseen 
reward,  in  treasure  laid  up  in  heaven 

(M»U.  6:30;  James  2:5).  The  blas- 
phemy may  refer  to  the  calumny 
heaped  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  which  was  in  effect,  though,  a 
calumny  heaped  upon  God.    It  may 


be  restricted  to  a  reviling  of  the  Chris- 
tians, charging  them  with  criuies  of 
which  they  were  not  guilty,  charging 
tlieni  also  with  being  traitors  to  the 
Jewish  faith,  or  with  following  a  man 
who  had  suffered  an  ignominiousdeath. 
The  opposers  here  were  not  heathen, 
but  Jews,  as  in  1  Thess.  2  :  14.  In  the 
persecution  in  A.  D.  115,  when  Poly- 
carp  was  destroyed,  the  Jews  were 
especially  bitter,  demanding  his  death. 
Tliey  were  real  Jews  by  birth  and  be- 
lief, but  in  persecuting  the  followers  of 
the  Messiah  they  were,  in  effect,  deny- 
ing their  right  to  be  called  Jews.  Paul 
distinguishes  l)etween  Jews  according 
to  the  flesh  and  Jews  according  to  the 
spirit  (Kom.  2  :  29).  To  bc  a  Jew  was  to 
have  an  honoralile  name.  Abraham 
and  Jesus  were  Jews.  To  persecute  a 
follower  of  Jesus  who  is  him.self  the 
revelation  of  God,  the  fulfilment  of  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures,  was  to  bring 
dishonor  upon  the  worthy  name  of 
Jew.  And  are  not  shows  that  they 
have  forfeited  their  right  to  wear  this 
name.  These  Jews  met  in  their  ap- 
pointed worship  in  the  synagogue, 
forming,  as  they  thought,  a  congrega- 
tion of  Jehovah  (Num  27 :  n).  But  in 
God's  sight  it  was  a  synagogue  of 
Satan,  in  that  Satan  controlled  their 
thoughts  in  reference  to  Jesus.  Kot 
all  seeming  worship  and  prayer  are 
real  worship  and  prayer  acceptable  to 
God.  Jesus  had  uttered  similar  words 
in  his  earthly  ministry  (John  8 :  u). 
Synagogue  is  used  once  of  the  Chris- 
tian place  of  worship  (James  2 :  2).  .lesus 
promised  to  meet  with  his  people,  a.s- 
sembled  in  his  name  (««"•  >8 :  20).  Satan 
also  meets  with  his  people. 

10.  Words  of  help  are  found  in  this 
passage.  F'ear  .  .  .  suffer,  rather, 
Fear  not  the  things  ichich  thou  art  about 
to  suffer.  Jesus  announces  sufferings 
yet  to  come.  He  does  not  promi.se  ex- 
emption from  persecution,  but  he  prom- 


156 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


suffer.  Behold,  the  devil  shall  cast 
some  of  you  into  prison,  "  that  ye  may 
be  tried  :  aud  ye  shall  have  tribulation 
ten  days.  pBb  thou  faithful  unto 
death,  and  I  will  give  thee  i  a  crown 
of  life. 

11  ■■  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 
He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be  hurt 
of  »the  second  death. 

12  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Pergamos  write ;  These  things  saith 
« he  which  hath  the  sharp  sword  with 
two  edges. 


about  to  cast  some  of  you  into  prison, 
that  ye  may  be  tried,  and  ye  will  have 
affliction  ten  days.  Be  thou  faithful 
unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  the 

11  crown  of  life.  He  that  has  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  says  to  the 
churches.  He  that  overcomes  shall 
not  be  hurt  by  the  second  death. 

12  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Pergamus  write  :  These  things  says  he 
•who  has  the  sharp  two-edged  sword. 


0  1  Peter  1  :  6,  7. 
r  Ver.  7, 17  ;  13  :  9. 


pU-.ll;  Matt.  24  :  13  ;  Acts  20  ;  24. 
s  20  :  6,  14 ;  21  :  8  ;  Matt.  10  :  38. 


q  James  1:12;  1  Peter  5  : 
t  1  :  16 ;  19  :  15,  21 ;  Heb.  4  : 


ises  his  help  to  bear  them  in  a  victo- 
rious way.  The  reference  is  apparently 
to  a  trial  just  about  to  come  upon  them, 
in  what  year  it  is  not  known.  The 
devil  worked  through  men.  False 
charges  would  beget  the  prison.  The 
tried  refers  not  so  much  to  God's  pur- 
pose in  testing  them  to  show  the  reality 
of  their  faith,  as  to  the  devil's  purpose 
in  tempting  them  that  they  might 
abandon  their  faith.  Through  God's 
upholding  care  the  persecution  might 
result  in  a  blessing  to  the  church. 
Satan,  all  through  the  New  Testament, 
is  a  very  real  person,  active,  powerful, 
malicious,  but  to  be  resisted  by  the  be- 
liever (1  Peter  5 :  9)^  and  to  be  overcome 
finally  (20 : 3).  Having  great  influence, 
so  that  he  is  called  the  god  of  this 
world  (2  Cor.  *■■*),  he  is  not  omnipotent. 
The  time  of  the  persecution  is  ten 
days,  wliich  is  not  to  be  interpreted 
as  ten  literal  days  or  ten  years  (as 
though  a  day  stands  for  a  year)  or  ten 
persecutions  about  to  come  upon  them. 
It  stands  here  for  a  short  and  definite 
period  of  time.  That  it  is  a  short  time 
is  in  harmony  with  the  generally  con- 
solatory spirit  of  the  passage.  (Comp.  1 
Peter  1:6.)  There  is  a  limit  seen  by  the 
Saviour's  mind,  and  fixed  by  the  di- 
vine purpose.  The  one  spirit  needed 
by  them  is  faithfulness,  not  implying 
that  they  had  been  unfaithful.  The 
limit  is  unto  death,  the  spirit  that 
will  not  turn  aside  even  if  death  should 
be  the  result  of  their  steadfastness. 
Jesus  endured  unto  death  in  his  faith- 
ful witnessing.  The  Christ  who  suf- 
fered, met  reviling,  died  and  lived 
again,  is  fitted  to  grant  large  encour- 
agement to  the  saints  at  Smyrna.  He 
knows  the  meaning  of  reproach,  dan- 


ger, abandonment  by  friends,  death, 
resurrection,  the  life  in  glory,  A 
crown  of  life,  rather,  the  croivn,  will 
be  given  to  the  faithful,  enduring  wit- 
ness for  Clirist.  The  crown  will  be 
eternal  life  itself  in  all  its  fulness,  a 
life  that  is  life  indeed  (i  Tim.  e :  19,  r.  v.). 
It  is  elsewhere  called  a  crown  of  glory 
(1  Peter  5:4);  a  crown  of  riglitcousness 
(2  Tim.  4  :  8).  As  Johu's  Writings  are 
full  of  allu.sions  to  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures,  it  is  probable  that  he  refers, 
not  to  the  civic  crown,  but  to  the  kingly 
crown.    The  redeemed  will  be  kings 

(5:12). 

11.  The  call  to  hear,  as  in  ver.  7,  is 
the  appeal  to  listen  to  the  ascended 
Christ.  The  promise  accords  with  the 
special  dangers  confronting  them.  They 
might  be  hurt  by  the  power  of  perse- 
cution and  death,  but  the  second 
death,  described  in  20  :  14,  would  not 
hurt  them.  They  would  share  in 
eternal  life,  not  in  eternal  death.  The 
second  death  is  not  annihilation  (Matt. 
25  :  46),  but  a  permanent  and  conscious 
separation  from  the  joys  of  God's  pres- 
ence (Rom.  6  :  23).  Tlic  .sccoud  death 
will  hurt  the  soul ;  the  first  death  is  but 
momentary,  and  usually  not  involving 
much  suffering.  He  that  is  born  twice 
will  die  but  once  ;  he  that  is  bom  only 
once  will  die  twice.  The  sufferings  of 
the  present  may  be  the  better  endured 
aud  the  sooner  forgotten  if  the  joys  of 
the  future  be  kept  well  in  mind.  Jesus, 
in  this  way,   sustained    his  own    life 

(Heb.  12  :  2). 

12-17.  The  letter  to  the 
CHURCH  AT  Pergamos. 

13.  Pergamos,  rather,  Perqamum, 
is  to-daj;  a  city  of  twenty  thousand 
people,  situated  on  the  .^geau  Sea.    It 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


157 


13  "I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou 
dwellest,  eveii  »  where  Sutau's  seat  is  : 
and  thou  hoklest  fast  my  name,  aid 
hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those 
days  wherein  Antipas  xvas  my  faitliful 
martyr,  who  was  slaiu  among  you, 
wliere  Satan  dwelletii. 

14  But  I  have  a  few  tilings  against  thee, 
because  tliou  hast  tiiere  tliem  that  hold 
the  doctrine  of  J  Balaam,  who  taught 
Balac  to  cast  a  stumblingblock  before 
the  children  of  Israel,  '  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  unto  idols,  >  and  to  commit 


13  I  know  where  thou  dwellest,  where 
the  throne  of  Satan  is ;  and  thou  hold- 
est  fast  my  name,  and  didst  not  deny 
my  faith,  oven  in  the  days  of  Antipas, 
my  faithful  witness,  who  was  killed 

1-1  among  you,  where  Satan  dwells.  But 
I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  be- 
cause thou  hast  there  men  holding  the 
teaching  of  Balaam,  wlio  taught  Balak 
to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  tlie 
sons  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  offered  to 


u  Ver.  2,  9,  19,  23  ;  3:1,  8,  15.  x  Ver.  9.  ]/  Num.  24  :  14  ;  25  ;  1-3  ;  31  :  16  ;   2  Peter  2  :  15  ;  Jude  11. 

z  Ver.  20  ;  Acts  15  :  29 ;  1  Cor.  8  :  4-13 ;  10  :  19,  20.  a  1  Cor.  6  :  13,  etc. 


■was  famed  for  its  large  and  valuable 
library,  for  its  worship  of  vEsculapius, 
the  god  of  medicine,  the  remains  of 
whose  temple  are  still  found  near  the 
city.  Here  also  were  other  noted  tem- 
ples. It  was  noted  for  its  manufacture 
of  parchment,  which  obtained  its  name 
from  this  city.  Several  thousand  of 
the  present  population  are  nominal 
Christians.  Jesus  is  described  a.s  a 
warrior  Christ,  the  description  being 
taken  from  1  :  16.  He  is  fittingly  so 
described  because  be  plans  to  make 
war  upon  a  church  indifferent  to  the 
maintenance  of  right  teaching.  His 
sword  is  for  use,  not  for  ornament. 
Jesus  is  tender  in  heart  to  the  penitent 
(Matt.  12  ;  20).  He  can  be  severe  in  all 
holy  severity  to  the  ungodly  and  in- 
different. 

13.  Here  are  words  of  praise.  Omit 
I  knoAV  thy  works.  Satan's  seat, 
rather.  Safari's  throne.  As  God  has  his 
throne  (^  :  i),  so  Satan,  as  if  in  mock- 
ery, also  has  his  throne,  his  place  of 
authority.  For  some  reason  that  is 
not  stated  Pergamos  is  designated  as 
the  center  of  Satan's  influence  and 
power.  Satan  worked  in  Smyrna  (2  : 
10),  but  here  he  has  his  throne.  It  was 
a  head  center  of  the  influences  and  the 
men  opposing  Christianity.  Its  wealth, 
its  culture,  its  social  life,  its  attractive 
worship,  may  have  contributed  to  the 
dangers  to  the  Christian  life.  The 
church,  as  a  whole,  was  faithful,  de- 
voted, holy,  as  is  shown  in  the  two 
tilings  praised — holding  my  name,  in 
the  present ;  not  denying  my  faith,  in 
the  past.  Jesus,  in  glory,  had  noted 
the  (leath  of  a  faithful  martyr,  rather, 
wifiifsft,  Antipas.  Of  him  we  know 
nothing  but  tliis.  His  biography  is 
summed  up  in  one  sentence.    He  was 


a  witness  for  Christ,  he  was  faithful, 
he  was  used  by  Christ.  A  tradition 
declaring  him  to  be  the  chief  pastor  at 
Pergamos  can  be  traced  back  to  the 
fifth  or  sixth  century,  but  it  is  not 
capable  of  proof.  Fanciful  attempts 
have  been  made  to  identify  him  with 
dift'erent  names,  as  Timothy.  By  some 
the  name  is  taken,  not  as  that  of  a  real 
person,  but  as  indicating  his  character. 
It  is  safest  to  regard  the  name  as  that 
of  a  real  man  who,  at  a  definite  time, 
lived  and  died  with  his  face  toward 
Christ.  In  such  a  place,  and  at  such  a 
time,  many  would  naturally,  like  Peter, 
turn  their  backs  upon  the  faith.  The 
Pergamos  Christians  were  faithful  even 
in  a  place  where  Satan  dwelt.  Christ 
also  came  to  dwell  there,  enabling  his 
people  even  then  to  live  faithful  lives. 
A  martyr  is  a  witness  sealing  his  tes- 
timony with  his  blood.  In  the  Greek, 
martyr  means  witness. 

14.  Jesus  now  passes  to  reproof.  A 
few  things  against  thee  indicates 
that  the  main  life  of  the  church  was 
right,  meeting  the  approval  of  Jesus. 
The  blameworthy  feature  of  the  church 
life  was  the  tolerance  of  evil  persons  in 
the  membership.  The  church  must 
stand  as  a  defense  of  orthodoxy  in 
teaching  and  holiness  in  living.  The 
church  at  Corinth  was  blamed  by  Paul 
for  keeping  an  unclean  man  in  the 
membership  (1  Cor.  5  : 5).  The  church 
must  be  considerate  toward  the  teacli- 
ahle,  even  if  they  are  in  error  (Jude  22). 
Corrupt  men,  in  teaching  or  in  life, 
must  be  on  the  outside  of  the  church. 
The  historic  allusion  is  found  in  Num. 
2.5  and  31 :  16.  In  the  first  passage  is 
noted  the  lewdness  between  Israel  and 
Moab.  In  the  second  the  uncleanne.ss 
is  ascribed  to  the  counsel    given    by 


158 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


15  fornication.  So  hast  thou  also  them 
that  hold  the  doctrine  ''of  the  Nico- 

16  laitanes;  which  thing  I  hate.  Re- 
pent ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly,  and  "  will  light  against  them 
with  the  sword  of  my  mouth. 

17  "1  lie  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 
To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give 
•to  eat  of  the  hidden  'manna;  and 
will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in 


15  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication.  Thus 
thou  also  hast  men  holding  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Nicolaitans.  in  like  manner. 

16  Repent  therefore;  orel.se,  I  am  coming 
to  thee  quickly,  and  will  make  war 
with   them    with    the    sword   of    my 

17  mouth.  He  that  has  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  says  to  the 
churches.  To  him  that  overcomes,  to 
him  I  will  give  of  the  hidden  manna; 
and  I  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and 


4  Ver.  6. 


c  Ver.  12  ;  Isa.  11:4;  2  Thess.  2:8.  d  Ver.  7, 11,  29. 

/  Exod.  16  :  33,  34 ;  John  6  :  31-35,  49-51. 


Balaam  to  Balak,  king  of  Moab.  Two 
charges  are  brought  against  Balaam, 
the  incitement  to  engage  in  idolatrous 
worship,  and  the  consequent  participa- 
tion iu  uncleanuess.  The  same  Balaam- 
like spirit  prevailed  in  Pergamos.  The 
mingling  in  social  life  and  idolatrous 
worship  would  lead  to  a  relapse  into 
idolatry  on  the  part  of  those  rescued 
from  heathenism,  and  would  insensibly 
lead  to  fornication  usually  connected 
with  idolatrous  worship.  In  India,  to- 
day, licentiousness  is  an  organized  part 
of  the  worsliip  in  some  temples.  A 
little  leaven  like  this  might  soon  cor- 
rupt an  entire  church. 

15.  This  verse  is  naturally  joined, 
iu  thought,  to  the  preceding.  So 
hast  ...  hate,  rather,  So  hast  thou 
aho  some  that  hold  the  teaching  of  the 
Nicolaitans  in  like  manner.  We  are 
not  to  infer  that  two  distinct  evil  sects 
are  here  tolerated ;  two  descriptions  are 
given  of  one  sect.  The  sense  is,  as 
Balaam,  in  the  olden  times,  taught  the 
people  to  engage  in  idolatry  and  to 
commit  uncleanness,  so  also  do  the 
Nicolaitans.  The  old  error  is  repro- 
duced in  a  new  form,  under  a  new 
name.  That  the  church,  in  its  cor- 
porate capacity,  had  not  been  won  over 
to  uncleanness  is  evident  from  the 
words  used.  Jesus  does  not  charge 
this  upon  the  church,  as  such,  l)ut 
upon  some  iu  the  church.  There  was 
a  church  within  the  church;  this  inner 
body  was  faithful. 

16.  A  call  to  repent  is  made.  A 
holy  Christ  demands  a  holy  church. 
The  angel,  that  is  the  entire  church, 
must  repent.  The  evil-doers  in  the 
church  must  repent  of  their  wicked- 
ness. The  clean  part  of  the  church 
must  repent  for  tolerating  the  grievous 
error.  He  praLsed  Ephesus  for  sound- 
ness of  teaching;   he  condemns  Per- 


gamos for  lacking  in  the  steadfast  de- 
fense of  the  truth.  Looseness  in  the 
maintenance  of  the  truth  comes  from  a 
lack  of  conviction  and  from  a  lack  of 
Scripture  knowledge.  A  distinction  is 
drawn  between  the  faithful  and  the 
unfaithful  part  of  the  church.  This 
is  shown  by  the  expressions,  come 
unto  thee  and  fight  against  them. 
The  true  words  of  Christ's  mouth  are 
against  the  words  of  the  false  teachers' 
mouths. 

17.  The  overcoming  man,  the  one 
not  eating  at  the  idolatrous  worship 
(1  Cor.  10  :  21)^  -will  liavc  givcu  him  to 
eat  the  hidden  manna,  the  bread  of 
God  (John  6 :  32) .  The exprcssiou  carries 
the  miud  back  to  the  wonderful  supply 
in  the  desert,  to  the  pot  of  manna  in 

the   holy   of    holies    (Exod.    16  :  34;    Heb.  9  : 

*).  The  faithful  man  will  be  a  real 
high  priest,  having  access  even  to  the 
holiest  place,  and  partaking  of  the 
manna  stored  there.  These  men  in 
Pergamos,  tried  and  conquering,  would 
share  in  God's  hidden  treasures,  enter- 
ing where  God  dwells,  having  fellow- 
ship with  him.  The  overcoming  may 
be  mainly  the  entering  into  heaven's 
final  blessedness,  but  there  must  be  a 
constant,  daily  overcoming  life.  The 
partaking  of  the  manna  will  give 
strength  in  the  daily  struggles  of  life. 
God  never  places  a  duty  without  giving 
the  manna,  the  strength.  The  Avhite 
stone  must  refer  to  some  Old  Testa- 
ment event,  for  the  entire  book  is  cast 
in  a  Hebrew  mold.  White,  in  general, 
is  the  symbol  of  purity,  joy,  blessed- 
ness.      (See    S:5;    7:9;    14:14;    19:11,14; 

20  :  11.)  The  mention  of  the  manna, 
with  the  entrance  into  the  holiest  place, 
suggests  another  allusion  to  the  high 
priest,  the  sacred  stone  worn  by  him 
in  the  breastplate,  on  which  was  en- 
graved the  sacred  name  of  Jehovah. 


Ch.  II.] 


KEVELATION 


159 


the  stone  e  a  new  name  written,  i"  which 
no  man  knoweth  saving  he  that  re- 
ceiveth  it. 

18  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Thyatira  write  ;  These  things  saith 
'the  Son  of  God,  ''who  hatli  his  eyes 
like  unto  a  flame  of  tire,  and  his  feet 
are  like  fine  brass. 

19  '  I  know  thy  works,  and  clmrity,  and 
service,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience, 
and  thy  works ;  ™  and  the  last  to  be 
more  than  the  first. 


on  the  stone  a  new  name  written, 
which  no  one  knows  but  he  that  re- 
ceives it. 

18  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Thyatira  write :  These  things  says  the 
Son  of  God,  who  has  his  eyes  as  a  flame 
of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  burnished 

19  brass.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy 
love,  and  faith,  and  ministry,  and 
patience ;   and  thy  last   works  more 


ff  3  :  12 ;  Isa.  62  :  2  ;  Rom.  8  :  14-17.  ft  10  ; 

i  Ps.  2  :  7;  Rom.  1:4.  *  1  :  14,  15. 


.2  ;  Ps.  25  : 
I  Vet.  2. 


Matt.  11  :  25-27  ;  1  Cor.  2  : 
m  Job  17  :  9  I  Prov.  4  :  18. 


This  stone  and  this  sacred  name  could 
be  seen  by  no  human  eye  except  that 
of  the  one  receiving  it — the  high  priest. 
Every  believer  as  a  priest  stands  in  a 
personal  relation  to  God,  has  entrance 
into  the  holiest  of  all,  the  immediate 
presence  of  God,  has  fellowship  with 
him  in  thought  and  life,  shares  in 
God's  character.  God  was  manifested 
in  the  olden  time  by  the  name  Jeho- 
vah. He  is  revealed  now  in  the  person 
of  Jesus.  This  name  Je.sus  becomes 
the  badge  and  the  glory  of  all  his  ac- 
cepted people.  His  name  is  called 
upon  them  (James  2:7).  Written  on 
the  stone  is,  not  the  name  of  the  be- 
liever, but  the  new  name  of  Christ 
(3  :  12)^  by  which  is  meant  that  some 
new  and  more  glorious  manifestation 
of  Christ  is  given.  The  name  stands 
for  the  person,  reveals  the  person.  A 
new  name  means  a  new  revelation  of 
a  person.  For  the  significance  of  new 
see3:12;  5:9;  21  :1,5.  The  promise 
is  a  very  gracious  one:  "I  will  make 
him  a  priest,  he  shall  have  access  into 
God's  immediate  presence,  he  shall  be 
clothed  with  a  priest's  dress.  I  will 
make  communications  of  myself  to 
him." 

18-29.  Letter  to  the  church 
AT  Thyatira.  The  three  churches, 
whose  letters  have  been  examined,  have 
about  them  a  spiritual  life  and  char- 
acter that  is  not  found  in  the  four 
whose  letters  are  yet  to  be  studied. 
The  spirit  of  worldliness  has  already 
gotten  a  large  hold  upon  these 
churches. 

18.  Thyatira  is  a  city  of  Asia  Minor 
on  the  northern  border  of  Lydia,  near 
the  road  from  Pergamos  to  Sardis.  The 
river — Lycus — flows  near  it.  The 
modern  city,  Al  Hissar,  has  about 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants,    Jesus, 


the  .sender  of  the  message,  is  described 
as  the  Son  of  God,  having  previously 
been  revealed  as  the  Son  of  man  (i :  is). 
As  he  reveals  himself  in  this  message 
he  is  the  ruling  and  conquering  Christ 
(ver.  27).  The  title  is  drawn  from  Ps.  2, 
to  which  several  allusions  are  made  iu 
this  letter.  Jesus  is  not  man  alone, 
nor  God  alone,  but  the  God-man  in 
the  one  person.  He  is  further  described 
in  terms  taken  from  1  :  14,  1.5.  Who 
.  .  .  brass,  rather,  burniis/ied  brass. 
There  is  a  fitness  between  tlie  descrip- 
tion here  given  and  the  character  of 
his  work,  searching  out  and  punishing 
evil.  The  flaming  eyes  pierce  through 
the  heart  and  consume  the  evil,  while 
the  feet  of  brass  crush  down  all  oppo- 
sition. He  rules  as  one  clothed  with 
almightiness.  At  the  close  of  the 
letter  the  enemies  are  broken  in 
pieces, 

19.  The  Saviour  finds  many  things 
to  commend.  The  eyes  stand  for  his 
omniscience.  I  know  thy  works. 
The  knowledge  is  thorough,  personal, 
all-comprehensive,  intuitive.  He  com- 
mends five  things :  thy  charity, 
rather,  love;  faith;  service,  rather, 
ministry;  patience,  rather,  eitdiir- 
ance;  last  Avorks  more  than  the 
first,  which  declares  a  growing  Chris- 
tian life.  Ephesus  had  a  waning  love 
(2  : 4).  He  notices  first  the  inner  life, 
love  and  faith;  then  the  outward  life, 
to  which  they  give  birth,  the  ministry 
and  endurance.  The  real  inner  Hie 
must  always  create  an  outward  spiritual 
life.  High  praise  is  given  for  a  faith- 
ful service.  There  was  no  stagnation 
in  the  life  as  in  Heb.  5  :  12,  nor  a 
shrinkage  as  in  2  Peter  2  :  20,  but 
growth. 

20,  Alongside  of  the  praise  is  the 
blame.    The  eyes  of  fire  recognize  a 


160 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


20  Notwithstanding  I  have  a  few  things 
against  thee,  because  thou  sulferest  that 
woman  "Jezebel,  which  calleth  lierself 
a  prophetess,  to  teach  aud  to  seduce  my 
servants  "to  commit  fornication,  and 
to    eat   things   sacriflced    unto    idols. 

21  And  I  gave  her  space  Pto  repent  of  her 
fornication ;    and    she    repented    not. 

22  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and 
them  that  commit  adultery  with  her 
into  great  tribulation,  except  they  re- 


20  than  the  first.  But  I  have  against 
thee,  that  thou  sufferest  the  woman 
Jezebel,  who  calls  herself  a  proph- 
etess; and  she  teaches  and  seduces 
my  servants  to  commit  fornication, 
and    to   eat   things   offered    to  idols. 

21  And  I  gave  her  time  to  repent ;  and 
she  is  not    willing   to  repent  of    her 

22  fornication.  Behold,  I  cast  her  into  a 
bed,  and  those  who  commit  adultery 
with  her,  into  great  affliction,  if  they 


n  1  Kiugs  16  :  31 ;  21  :  25 ;  2  King.?  9:7.  o  Ver.  14 ;  E.xod.  34  :  15 ;  Acts  15  :  20,  29 ;  1  Cor.  10  :  19,  20. 

p  9  ■.20;  Kom.  2  :  4,  5 ;  9  :  22 ;  2  Peter  3  :  9. 


large  element  of  guilt.  NotAvith- 
standing,  rather,  But  I  have  this 
against  thee.  A  definite  charge  i.s 
brought;  when  Jesus  rebukes  he  re- 
bukes openly.  Here  also,  as  in  the 
church  at  Pergamos  (2  :  14,  15),  was  a 
tolerance  of  false  teaching  and  false 
living.  Sufferest  shows  that  the 
church  permitted,  endured  false  teach- 
ing. In  this  respect  it  was  in  contrast 
with  the  Ephesian  church  which  would 
not  tolerate  impure  teaching  (2  :  2). 
The  church,  like  Christ,  must  carry  a 
sword,  not  for  persecution,  but  for  ex- 
pulsion from  membership  (1  Cor.  5:5). 
At  Ephesus  was  a  declining  love  but  an 
earnest  orthodoxy ;  here  is  a  growing 
love  but  a  weak  maintenance  of  the 
truth.  The  historical  reference  to  Jeze- 
bel is  found  in  1  Kings  16  : 1.3.  She  was 
tlie  wife  of  Ahab,  a  daughter  of  the  king 
of  Sidon ;  a  heathen  woman,  bitterly 
hostile  to  tlie  worship  of  Jehovah ;  a 
persecutor  of  Elijah.  Through  her  in- 
fluence upon  Ahab  the  true  worship  of 
Jehovah  was  almost  obliterated.  It  is 
taught  in  2  Kings  9  :  22  that  she  was 
guilty  of  inciting  to  adulteries,  which 
may  be  taken  in  a  figurative  sense  as 
meaning  inciting  to  idolatries,  and  also 
in  its  literal  .sense,  as  urging  to  uu- 
cleanness.  She  was  also,  perhaps,  a 
priestess  of  this  impure  worship.  It 
is  not  to  be  inferred  that  there  was  a 
person  named  Jezebel  in  Thyatira,  at 
this  time,  but  that  some  person  in  the 
spirit  of  this  bad  woman  was  here  ex- 
erting her  influence,  laying  claims  to 
prophecy,  an  inspiration  from  on  liigh. 
Some  ancient  MSS,  as  also  the  R.  V. 
in  the  Margin  read,  thy  wife,  instead  of 
that  woman.  It  cannot  be  known 
wlio  she  was,  but  an  actual  person 
must  be  understood,  representing  also  a 
party  under  her  influence.  The  first 
convert  in   Europe  was  Lydia,  from 


Thyatira  (Acts  16  :  u,  15).  It  cannot  be 
known  whether  she  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  formation  of  this  church, 
or  had  any  influence  in  it,  or  contrib- 
uted to  any  predominant  influence  of 
woman  in  it.  The  terms  Balaam,  Nico- 
laitans,  and  Jezebel,  all  refer  substan- 
tially to  one  sect,  licentious  in  its  na- 
ture, throwing  aside  the  restraints  of 
the  moral  law,  regarding  it  as  not  ap- 
plicable to  Christians.  They  repre- 
sented some  form  of  gnosticism,  deny- 
ing that  Jesus  had  a  real  manhood  (i 
John  4  : 8)j  and  therefore  denying  that 
man,  in  his  fleshly  nature,  is  called 
upon  to  be  holy. 

21.  Jesus  refers  to  the  personal  ef- 
forts, made  by  him,  to  vnn  the  false 
teacher  to  the  ways  of  truth.  I  gave 
.  .  .  not,  rather,  I  gave  her  time  that 
she  should  repent,  and  she  ivilleth  not 
to  repent  of  her  fornication.  The  pa- 
tience of  Jesus  in  not  punishing,  and 
in  bringing  moral  influences  to  bear 
upon  her  through  his  Spirit  and  through 
the  teachings  of  the  true  teachers  in 
Thyatira,  was  for  her  repentance  (Rom. 
2:4;  2  Peter  3:  9).  She  misinterpreted 
his  patience,  so  that  she  became  fixed 
in  her  fornications  (ecoi.  8:i).  A  sin- 
ful human  will  may  convert  God's 
offered  blessings  into  curses. 

23.  Behold  calls  attention  to  his 
holiness  and  power  that  will  bring 
fitting  penalty.  I  will  cast,  rather, 
/  do,  or,  /  am  about  to  cast,  implies  a 
speedy  punishment.  Je.sus  threatens 
to  bring  upon  her  and  her  followers  a 
great  punishment  under  the  figure  of  a 
bed,  not  of  pleasure,  but  of  .sickness 
and  torture.  The  commit  adultery 
with  her  refers  to  the  spiritual  adul- 
tery into  which  they  had  been  led  by 
her  (Ezek.  23  :  37),  implying  also  the  un- 
cleanne.ss  connected  with  impure  wor- 
ship.  Spiritual  and  sensual  defilement 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


161 


23  pent  of  their  deeds :  and  I  will  kill  her 
children  with  death.  lAnd  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  'I  am  he 
which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts. 
And  '  I  will  give  unto  every  one  of  you 
according  to  your  works. 

24  But  unto  you  I  .say,  and  unto  the  rest 
in  Thyatira,  as  many  as  have  not  this 
doctrine,  and  which  have  not  known 
'  the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak ; 


23  repent  not  of  her  works.  And  her 
children  I  will  kill  with  death  ;  and 
all  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am 
he  who  searches  reins  and  hearts  :  and 
I  will  give  to  you  every  one  according 

24  to  your  works.  But  to  you  I  say,  the 
rest  who  are  in  Thyatira,  as  many  as 
have  not  this  teaching,  who  knew  not 
the  deep  things  of  Satan,  as  they  say. 


q   Deut.  13  :  U. 


r  Jer.  11  :  20 ;  17  :  10  ;  John  2  :  24,  25.     «  Job  34  :  11 ;  Isa.  3  :  10,  11. 
t  2  Cor.  2  :  11 J  Eph.  6  :  11,  12 ;  2  Thess.  2  :  9-12. 


■went  hand  iu  hand.     Their  deeds, 

rather,  her  works.  They  must  repent 
of  their  own  lives  that  had  been  cor- 
rupted by  association  with  her.  The 
bed  of  adultery  gives  way  to  the  bed 
of  penalty  and  retribution.  The  first 
bed  Jezebel  made  ;  the  latter,  tlie  holy 
and  ruling  Clirist  makes.  It  is  also 
true  that  Jezeljel  made  her  own  bed  of 
punishment,  for  God  never  punishes  in 
an  accidental  or  fortuitous  way.  Pun- 
ishment follows  impenitent  wicked- 
ness. 

33.  The  threatening  here  continues, 
is  closely  connected  with  the  preceding 
verse.  The  kill  .  .  .  Avith  death, 
rather,  pestilence,  as  in  the  Margin, 
implies  a  judgment  coming  upon  them. 
Her  children  does  not  differ  in  mean- 
ing from  the  followers  and  assistants 
spoken  of  in  the  preceding  verse.  They 
were  her  followers  in  the  false  teach- 
ing ;  they  were  also  looked  upon  as  her 
children  because  begotten  by  her,  as 
Paul  speaks  of  Timothy  as  begotten  by 
him,  because  by  him  led  into  the  Chris- 
tian life  (1  Tim.  1:2).  God  has  all  things 
under  his  control,  so  that  he  can  make 
pestilence  follow  false  teaching  and 
unholy  living.  For  an  Old  Testament 
instance  see  1  Cor.  10  :  9 ;  for  a  New 
Testament  instance  of  this  see  1  Cor. 
11  :  30.  The  punishment  here  has  a 
twofold  meaning  ;  upon  them  it  would 
be  a  just  penalty  for  wrong  living;  it 
would  also  have  a  constraining  and 
disciplinaryeffectupon  all  tlie  churches. 
They  would  see,  in  the  light  of  the 
penalty,  that  God  makes  a  distinction 
between  truth  and  unrighteousness ; 
the  wavering  iu  mind  would  be  aided 
in  resisting  temptation ;  tlie  bad  would 
be  restrained ;  the  good  would  be  en- 
couraged. Reins  and  hearts  em- 
brace the  whole  of  the  man's  inner 
life,  open  to  the  gaze  of  the  eyes  of 
fire.     All  the   churches    refers  as- 


suredly to  the  seven  churches,  to  all 
churches  everywhere  and  always,  in 
all  likelihood,  in  so  far  as  these  general 
principles  are  concerned — that  Jesus 
looks  for  holiness  iu  his  churches,  that 
truth  and  righteousness  must  be  main- 
tained, that  penalty  must  come,  in 
time,  to  all  violations  of  Christ's  plans 
for  the  Christian  and  the  church  life. 
Churches  must  hold  allegiance,  not  to 
Confessions  of  Faith,  or  the  decrees  of 
councils,  but  to  the  revealed  will  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  It  is  noticeable  that  Jesus 
passes  from  the  address  to  tlie  angel  to 
the  appeal  to  the  individual  members 
of  the  church.  This  is  an  indication 
that  the  angel  of  the  church  does  not 
differ  from  the  church  itself.  The 
angel  of  the  church  is  the  personified 
spirit  of  the  church. 

24,  25.  Here  are  words  of  counsel 
in  view  of  the  perils  and  penalties 
spoken  of.  Jesus  speaks  to  the  faith- 
ful part  of  the  church ;  for  worldliness 
had  come  into  the  church,  dividing  it 
into  two  parts,  tlie  Christly  part  and 
the  worldly  part.  But  .  .  .  Thya- 
tira, rather.  But  to  you,  I  say,  to  the 
rest  that  are  in  Thyatira.  The  faithful 
members  are  spoken  of  as  the  7-est,  im- 
plying that  the  worldly  spirit  had 
gotten  hold  of  the  larger  part  of  the 
membership.  Their  faithfulness  is 
shown  in  this,  they  had  not  received 
this  teaching.  Jezebel  and  her  follow- 
ers boasted  of  their  knowledge  of  the 
deep  things  of  revelation,  knowing  all 
the  mysteries  of  the  faith  (comp.  i  Cor. 
2  :  10)  in  contrast  with  the  simplicity  of 
the  faith  and  the  teaching  of  the  Chris- 
tian teachers.  The  expression,  as  they 
speak,  refers  to  their  boastings  as  to 
their  deep  knowledge  of  God  and  his 
teachings,  but  in  reality  they  were 
depths  of  Satan,  masterpieces  of 
Satan's  art  in  seducing  men.  It  must 
be  understood  that  Jezebel  was  a  mem- 


162 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


"I  will  put  upou  you  none  other  bur- 

25  den.  But  ^  that  which  ye  have  already 
hold  fast  till  I  come. 

26  And  he  that  overcometh,  and  keep- 
eth  y  my  works  unto  the  end,  ^  to  him 
will  I  "give  power  over  the  nations:  " 

27  ""and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod 
of  iron  ;  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall 
they  be  broken  to  shivers"  [Ps.  2  :  8, 
9] :  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father. 

28  And  I  will  give  him  •>  the  morning  star. 


25  I  cast  on  you  no  other  burden  ;  but 
that  which"  ye  have,  hold  fast  until  I 

26  come.  And  he  that  overcomes,  and 
he  that  keeps  my  works  until  the  end, 
to  him  I  will  give  authority  over  the 

27  nations;  and  he  shall  shepherd  them 
with  a  rod  of  iron,  as  the  vessels  of  a 
potter  are  dashed  in  pieces,  as  I  also 

28  have  received  from  my  Father ;  and  I 


u  Acts  15  :  28.  x  1  :  7  ;  3  :  11.  y  Matt.  24  :  13 ;  John  6  :  29 ;  Heb.  10  :  38,  39. 

z  Dan.  7  :  18 ;  Matt.  19  :  28.  o  Ps.  2  :  8,  9 ;  49  :  14 ;  Dan.  7  :  22.  6  22  :  16 ;  2  Peter  1  : 


ber  of  the  church,  having  made  con- 
fession of  Christ.  In  reality  her  life, 
influence,  and  teachings  were  of  the 
Satanic  kind.  This  licentiousness  in 
practice  was  founded  upon  a  doctrine 
that  seemingly  explained  and  justified 
it.  Satan  never  lacks  the  ingenuity  to 
find  a  justification  for  the  greatest  ex- 
cesses in  doctrine  and  conduct.  Jesus, 
who  is  the  truth  itself,  must  be  loved 
both  as  to  his  person,  his  conduct,  and 
his  teachings.  Burden  here  means 
injunction  or  command.  (Comp.  the 
same  word  in  the  Greek,  Acts  15  :  28, 
29. )  Jesus  gives  the  counsel  that  they 
abide  where  they  are,  in  faithful  Chris- 
tian teaching  and  living.  They  must 
hold  fast  to  their  present  sound  beliefs 
and  holy  living,  not  allowing  them- 
selves to  be  seduced  by  false  teach- 
ings (Phil.  3 :  16).  The  struggle  would 
end  in  time;  till  I  come,  meaning 
the  second  and  final  coming,  or  such  a 
coming  in  judgment  upon  Jezebel  as 
will,  through  her  removal,  make  life 
easier  for  them  by  removing  their 
temptations.  To  hold  fast  is  as  essen- 
tial as  to  begin  the  life  in  a  right  way. 
No  beliefs  or  manner  of  life  should  be 
discarded  until  something  better  has 
been  secured.  No  person  or  church 
should  ever  turn  the  back  upon  Christ, 
truth,  or  continuance  in  well-doing. 

26,  27.  There  were  great  struggles, 
there  is  now  a  great  promise.  The  one 
who  overcometh  is  defined  in  a  twofold 
way.  He  is  one  who  does  Christ's 
works — works  like  Christ's,  works  done 
through  his  help  (John  u  :  12).  He  is 
also  one  who  keeps  on  unto  the  end, 
not  led  astray  bj^  falsity  in  teaching  or 
life.  Jezebel,  while  nominally  a  Chris- 
tian, was  in  reality  introducing  heathen 
teacliings  and  practices  into  the  church. 
This  suggests  the  reference  to  the  Mes- 
siah's dealings  with  all  heathenish  op- 


position. The  quotation  is  taken,  not 
from  this  book,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
but  from  Ps.  2  :  9.  The  faithful  man 
shall  be  joined  with  Christ  in  his 
triumph  over  all  opposition.  The 
power  over  the  nations,  rather, 
authority,  which  the  Son  received  from 
the  Father,  that  same  authority  the 
Son  confers  upon  all  believers  by  join- 
ing them  with  himself  in  the  acknowl- 
edged final  victory  over  opposition  of 
all  kinds.  All  things  will  in  the  end 
be  under  his  feet  (i  Cor.  is  :  25).  Jesus, 
with  his  might,  will  crush  Jezebel.  In 
like  manner,  with  a  rod  of  iron,  he 
will  subdue  all  enemies.  Shall  ...  be 
broken,  rather,  are  broken.  For  the 
present,  Jezebel  may  seemingly  tri- 
umph over  Christ  and  his  cause,  but 
at  the  last,  all  opposition  will  be  like 
the  shivers  of  the  broken  pottery. 
Jesus  will  not  be  a  defeated  Christ. 
Even  as  I,  rather,  as  I  also.  Re- 
ceived of  my  Father  introduces  us 
into  the  interior  relations  of  the  God- 
head. In  something  the  same  manner 
Jesus  joins  his  people  with  himself, 
and  confers  upon  them  kingly  privi- 
leges. What  was  originally  given  to 
him  alone  (p»-  2  :  9)  is  given  by  him  to 
his  own.  The  destruction  of  Jezebel 
is  a  prophecy  and  assurance  that  all 
enemies  will  be  destroyed  (Luke  22  .■  29). 
The  scepter  of  Jesus  is  now  one  of 
mercy  to  the  penitent  (Heb.  4 :  15,  le).  It 
will,  in  time,  be  a  rod  of  iron  for 
crushing  his  enemies.  Whether  the 
shepherd's  crook  shall  help  us,  or  the 
rod  of  iron  shall  crush  us,  depends  on 
the  choice  of  the  heart.  In  so  far  as 
the  Lord  breaks  down  the  error  of 
false  teachers,  this  is  done  through  the 
wisdom  of  his  true  teachers.  But 
judgments  from  God  are  symbolized  by 
the  feet  of  brass  and  the  rod  of  iron. 
28.  In  22  :  16  Jesus  says :    *'  I  am 


Ch.  II.] 


REVELATION 


163 


29  °He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  I  29  will  give  him  the  morning  star.    He 
what  the  Spirit  saithuuto  the  churches.         that  has  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 

I       Spirit  says  to  tiie  churches. 


the  bright  and  morning  star."  In 
1  Peter  2  :  19  the  apostle  speaks  of  tlie 
day  star,  the  harbinger  of  the  bright- 
ness of  day.  In  Dan.  12  :  3  the  faith- 
ful man  shines  out  as  the  star.  Jesus 
compares  himself  to  the  brightness  of 
the  morning  star,  ushering  in  the  full 
light.  He  here  identifies  himself,  the 
morning  star,  with  his  people.  He 
will  share  with  them  his  own  glory  by 
conferring  upon  them  authority,  the 
blessedness  of  reigning  with  him.  In 
a  highly  poetical  way  he  teaches  again 
the  thoughts  of  ver.  27.  The  star,  in 
the  Old  Testament,  is  the  symbol  of 
royalty  (sum.  24  :  n).  The  faithful 
Christian  will  shine  out  with  the  bril- 
liancy of  the  glorified  Lord. 

29.  In  the  first  group  of  three 
churches  the  call  stands  before  the 
promise.  In  the  last  four  letters,  con- 
stituting a  second  group,  the  call  to 
the  churches  stands  last.  In  this  is  an 
indication  that,  in  some  respect,  there 
is  a  difference  between  the  two  groups. 
The  spiritual  standing  of  the  second 
group  is  far  lower  than  that  in  the  first 
group. 

Note  upon  the  lettebs  to  the 
CHURCHES.  1.  The  letters  are  all  con- 
structed in  the  same  general  way,  con- 
sisting of  seven  parts :  ( 1 )  The  name 
of  the  church  addressed;  (2)  Some 
special  aspect  of  the  Saviour  who  sends 
the  letter;  (3)  An  account  of  the  spir- 
itual condition  of  the  church;  (4) 
AVords  of  commendation  or  reproof; 
(5)  Exhortation  to  the  church  accord- 
ing to  its  condition  ;  (6)  Promise  to 
him  that  overcometh ;  (7)  A  call  to 
every  one  to  hear.  In  the  first  three 
letters  the  parts  6  and  7  change 
places. 

2.  The  aspect  of  the  Saviour  in  each 
of  the  letters  is  taken  from  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  Son  of  man  in  the  vision  in 
chap.  1.  The  delineation  of  the  Saviour 
in  the  vision  is  repeated,  in  a  fuller 
manner,  in  the  letters.  Thus  in  the 
letter  to  the  church  at  Ephesus  the  por- 
trait of  the  Saviour  is  taken  from  1  : 
12,  13,  16 :  "  He  that  holdeth  the  seven 
stars  in  his  right  hand,  who  walketh  in 


the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  lamp- 
stands." 

0.  Some  allusions  in  the  letter  can 
be  explained  only  by  a  reference  to 
tlie  afterparts  of  the  book.  Thus  the 
tree  of  life  (2:i);  the  second  death 
(2  :  11)  can  be  understood  only  by  ta- 
king the  book  as  a  whole. 

4.  There  is  a  universal  character  at- 
tributed to  the  seven  churches.  This 
is  evident  from  tlie  number  itself, 
seven,  which  always  stands  for  com- 
pleteness. At  this  time  there  were 
other  churches  in  the  province  of  Asia, 
not  included  in  the  messages.  It  is 
evident  also  from  the  oft-recurring 
phrase,  the  call  to  listen  to  the  voice 
of  the  Spirit  speaking  to  the  churches 
(2  ;  7).  The  design  of  these  letters  ex- 
tends beyond  these  specific  churches. 
AVhile  each  church  letter  contains  a  true 
portrayal  of  each  one  of  the  churches, 
it  has  also  a  wider  meaning,  whereby 
the  seven  churches  represent  the  uni- 
versal church.  The  seven  stands  for 
all. 

5.  There  is  also  within  the  seven 
churches  a  distinction  whereby  the 
first  three  form  one  group,  the  second 
four  another  group.  In  the  first  group 
there  is  a  finer  spiritual  life  than  in  the 
second  group.  There  are  imperfections 
manifest  in  the  church  life,  but  there 
has  been  no  surrender  to  the  world. 
The  churches  are  not  perfect,  but  they 
are  not  faithless.  There  is  a  trueness 
to  tlie  divine  conception  of  the  church 
life  in  the  first  group  that  is  wanting 
in  the  second.  In  the  last  four  the 
world  begins  to  gain  power  over  the 
churches.  It  is  only  a  remnant,  a 
small  part  of  the  church,  that  is  true 
to  Christ.  It  cannot  be  decided  whether 
it  is  the  divine  intention  thus  to  show 
that  in  this  manner  the  churches  will 
gradually  lose  their  Christly  character. 
There  is  a  wonderful  and  sad  descent 
from  Ephesus  to  Laodicea. 

Pkactical  Remarks. 

1.  Jesus,  unseen  by  us,  is  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  having  all  authority  (1 
Peter  3  :  22),  for  the  sake  of  his  cause  on 
earth  (ver.  1). 


164 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  II. 


2.  The  Christian  and  the  church  are  to 
test  the  claims  of  all  teachers  and  all 
teachings.  Nothing  can  be  true  that  un- 
dermines the  authority  of  Christ,  or  denies 
the  reality  of  salvation  through  him,  or 
does  not  imitate  the  example  set  by  him 
(ver.  2). 

3.  The  entire  Christian  life  is  love  for  a 
person,  doing  things  for  his  sake,  repeat- 
ing his  life  in  ours,  and  striving  to  please 
him  (ver.  3,  4). 

4.  To  decline  in  love  is  to  decline  in  the 
entire  life.  To  please  Christ  there  must 
not  be  the  outward  life  only,  but  the  right 
spirit.  The  question  of  Jesus  to  Peter 
was :  "  Do  you  love  me?  "  (ver.  4) 

5.  A  dying  church  is  a  sad  sight.  A 
church  must  die  that  loses  its  love  and 
will  not  do  Christ's  work.  Jesus  has 
great  use  for  a  shining  and  holy  church, 
but  an  unholy  and  useless  church  is  a 
great  hindrance  (ver.  5). 

6.  God  loves  all  men,  but  he  hates 
wickedness  and  all  teachings  that  destroy 
men.  It  is  an  utter  falsity  that  it  makes 
no  difference  what  a  man  believes.  Be- 
liefs save  or  destroy.  A  man  is  what  he 
really  believes  (ver.  6). 

7.  Jesus  makes  a  new  Eden  for  his 
people,  and  gives  not  only  an  endless 
existence,  but  an  ever-blessed  life.  Life 
means  far  more  than  a  mere  existence 
(ver.  7). 

8.  Because  Jesus  died  and  lives  again 
he  is  able  to  sympathize  with  the  suffer- 
ing and  dying.  His  resurrection  gives 
him  the  consciousness  of  power.  He  is, 
therefore,  able  to  rescue  his  own  people 
from  the  power  of  the  grave  (ver.  8). 

9.  Poverty,  shame,  reviling  are  often 
the  heritage  of  Christ's  people ;  but  pov- 
erty may  be  a  school  for  the  development 
of  a  rich  character.  No  one  may  covet 
persecutions  and  martyrdoms,  but  when 
they  come  they  must  be  patiently  borne 
and  blessings  will  come  out  of  them  (ver. 
9;  Matt.  5:  11). 

10.  An  elegant  place  of  worship,  with  a 
fine  ritual,  may  be  a  synagogue  of  Satan. 
The  right  relation  of  the  heart  to  Christ 
is  essential  to  right  worship.  The  Christly 
heart  will  make  an  acceptable  worship 
(ver.  9). 

11.  There  is  an  unseen  evil  power  war- 
ring against  us  (Eph.  6  :  12).    But  there  is 


also  an  unseen  but  real  Christ  working 
for  us  (Rom.  8  :  34 ;  Acts  16  :  25,  26).  Jesus 
rewards  his  servants,  not  for  success,  but 
for  fidelity  (ver.  10;  Matt.  24:45;  Acts 
16 :  25). 

12.  The  ear  must  be  kept  open  to  listen 
to  Jesus.  What  rests  upon  the  church 
must  rest  on  each  member.  The  church 
is  nothing  apart  from  the  members  (ver. 
11). 

13.  Jesus  can  use  his  sword  for  the  de- 
struction of  his  enemies  as  well  as  for  the 
defense  of  his  friends.  If  he  condemn, 
no  one  may  approve.  If  he  approve,  no 
one  may  condemn.  Jesus  is  not  all  ten- 
derness, he  is  justice  and  holiness  also 
(ver.  12). 

14.  It  was  more  difficult  to  live  in  Per- 
gamos,  where  Satan's  seat  was,  than  in 
other  places.  The  weakest  believer,  with 
God's  help,  can  live  an  overcoming  life 
even  in  the  worst  surroundings.  The 
finest  Christians  will  grow  where  there 
are  most  dangers.  But  no  one  may  seek 
perils  in  order  that  strength  of  character 
may  come  thereby  (ver.  13). 

15.  Jesus  remembers  any  faithful  man 
like  Antipas.  One  human  life  stands  out 
in  great  splendor  when  its  memory  is 
treasured  up  by  Jesus.  A  faithful  life  is 
made  np  of  little  things  done  in  a  spirit 
of  faithfulness  (ver.  13). 

16.  Jesus  dislikes  impurity  in  the  church, 
which  is  his  body.  All  errors  are  hurtful. 
A  bad  man  will  live  long  after  he  is  dead. 
Balaam  had  a  disastrous  influence  cen- 
turies after  his  death  (ver.  11). 

17.  God  shares  his  glory  with  his  people 
so  that  the  believer  has  access  even  into 
the  innermost  holy  place.  The  believer 
needs  no  one  to  stand  between  himself 
and  the  Saviour.  For  the  daily  dithcul- 
ties  there  will  be  the  daily  supply  of 
manna.  In  fellowship  with  Christ  is  all 
needful  strength  (ver.  15-17). 

18.  Jesus  appears  as  a  mauy-sided  Christ. 
To  the  penitent  he  is  a  tender  Saviour. 
To  the  impenitent  wrong-doer  he  appears 
as  a  kingly  Christ  prepared  to  crush  out 
all  opposition.  Christ  will  be  to  us  a 
Christ  according  to  our  character  (ver. 
18). 

19.  It  is  more  in  accord  with  the  nature 
of  Jesus  to  see  the  good  traits  of  his  peo- 
ple tbau  the  bad  traits.    He  praises  before 


Ch.  III.] 


REVELATION 


165 


3  AND  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  iu 
Sardis  write ;  These  things  saith  he 
d  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God, 
and  the  seven  stars. 

e  1  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a 
name  that  thou  livest,  'aud  art  dead. 


3  AND  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Sardis  write :  These  things  says  he 
who  has  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and 
the  seven  stars.  I  know  thy  works, 
that  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest, 


d  1  :  4.  «  2  :  2.  /  Eph.  2  :  1 ;  1  Tim.  5  :  6. 


he  blames.  There  are  many  sides  to  the 
Christian  character.  Jesus  notes  them 
all  (ver.  19). 

20.  All  Christians  and  churches  are  im- 
7)erfect  in  the  eyes  of  Christ.  It  is  wicked 
to  teach  error,  to  lead  men  away  from 
Christ.  It  is  weakness  to  permit  others  to 
teach  or  do  wrong  without  remonstrance. 
Weak  good  men  and  weak  churches  hurt 
Christ's  cause  (ver.  20). 

21.  Jesus  is  patient  that  men  may  re- 
pent. He  came  not  to  destroy,  but  to 
save.  Jerusalem  and  Jezebel  may  resist 
his  appeals  and  his  tears.  We  should  use 
God's  delay,  not  for  abusing  his  patience, 
but  for  salvation  and  service  (ver.  21). 

22.  God's  judgments  indicate  God's 
righteousness.  The  time  will  come  when 
all  will  know  that  God  is  just  and  right- 
eous. His  seeming  delays  sometimes  ob- 
scure right  views  of  God.  His  penalties 
are  never  the  result  of  caprice  (ver.  22,  23). 

23.  There  are  gradations  in  badness  so 
that,  at  times,  Satan  makes  fuller  revela- 
tions of  himself.  The  bad  man  may  grow 
worse.  This  will  be  true  when  all  good 
influences  of  restraint  are  taken  away. 
No  one  ever  will  reach  the  limit  of  the 
badness  that  may  be  evolved  from  a  bad 
heart  (ver.  24). 

24.  Jesus  is  a  reigning  king  to-day.  The 
humble  Christian,  walking  in  faithful- 
ness, will  also  be  a  king.  He  may  be 
trampled  upon  to-day,  but  authority  will 
be  conferred  upon  him  by  Christ.  The 
future  belongs  to  Christ  and  the  Chris- 
tian (ver.  26). 

25.  If  men  fall  in  with  Christ,  he  will 
be  to  them  a  protecting  Shepherd.  If  men 
resist  Christ,  he  will  be  to  them  a  crush- 
ing Lord.  Jesus  speaks  of  a  rod  of  iron. 
The  tender  Christ  can  be  severe  (ver.  27). 

CHAPTER  III. 

This  chapter  contains  the  letters  to 
the  churches  in  Sardis  (ver.  i-6),  Phila- 
delphia   (^er.   7-13),    and    Laodicca    (ver. 


14-22).  It  is  unfortunate  that  these 
letters  are  broken  into  two  sections  by 
the  chapter  division.  They  form  one 
connected  group. 

1-6.  Letter  to  the  church  in 
Sardis.  Jesus  is  described  as  having 
the  Holy  Spirit  iu  his  control  (ver.  i); 
the  church  is  almost  dead  (ver.  i,  2,  *)• 
it  i.s  counseled  to  be  watchful  (ver.  2, 3); 
a  threat  of  judgment  is  made  (ver.  3); 
the  overcoming  men  will  be  greatly 
rewarded  (ver.  *,  5). 

1.  In  this  verse  is  the  name  of  the 
church  addre.ssed,  and  also  its  spiritual 
condition.  Sardis,  now  Sart,  was  situ- 
ated on  the  river  Pactolus,  the  former 
splendid  capital  of  the  kingdom  of 
Lydia,  the  home  of  Croesus,  fabled  for 
his  wealth.  It  was  a  famous  city  long 
before  the  days  of  Christ,  retaining  its 
strength  into  the  first  century  of  the 
Christian  era.  It  was  largely  destroyed 
by  an  earthquake  in  the  first  century. 
It  is  now  a  heap  of  ruins.  It  was  a 
commercial  center,  noted  for  its  splen- 
dor and  power.  Jesus  is  described  in 
words  taken  from  1  :  4  and  1  :  16. 
There  is,  as  in  all  the  letters,  a  har- 
mony between  the  parts  of  the  descrip- 
tion made  use  of  and  the  spiritual  con- 
dition of  the  church.  The  seven 
Spirits  are  the  one  Holy  Spirit.  In 
1  :  4  they  are  said  to  belong  to  God. 
Here,  they  are  said  to  belong  to  Christ. 
Everywhere,  in  this  book,  the  deitj'  of 
Jesus  is  emphasized.  Hath  shows 
that  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  one  of  possession ;  the  Spirit 
works  in  his  interest.  Inasmuch  as 
the  church  is  almost  dead,  it  is  fitting 
tliat  the  one  having  the  control  of  the 
Spirit,  the  source  of  life  and  holiness, 
should  appeal  to  them.  He  alone  can 
revive  them.  Jesus  taught,  iu  his 
earthly  ministry,  that  he  would  send 
the  Spirit  to  do  his  work  (John  le  :  6-14). 
A  second  title  is  here  given,  and  the 
seven  stars.  The  stars  are  the  angels 
(1  :  20)  which  under  another  form,  rep- 
resent the  spirit  of  the  churches.  Christ, 
who  has  the  Spirit  under  his  control. 


166 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


2  8  Be  watchful,  i>and  strengthen  the 
things  which  remain,  that  are  ready 
to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found  ■  thy  wurlis 

3  perfect  before  God.  "  Remember  there- 
fore how  thou  liast  received  and  lieard, 
and  hold  fast,  and  repent.  •  If  there- 
fore thou  Shalt  uot  watch,  I  will  come 
on  thee  "  as  a  thief,  and  tliou  .shall  not 
know  what  hour  I  will    come    upon 


2  and  thou  art  dead.  Become  watchful, 
and  strengthen  the  remaining  things 
that  were  about  to  die  ;  for  I  have 
found  uo  works  of  thine  complete  be- 

3  fore  my  God.  Remember  therefore 
how  thou  hast  received,  and  heard, 
and  keep,  and  repent.  If  therefore 
thou  Shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  as  a 
thief,  and  thou  shalt  uot  know  what 


g  1  Peter  4  :  7  ;  5  :  8.  h  Col.  3  :  16 ;  Heb.  3  :  13 ;  12  :  1-3.  j  Dan.  5  :  27. 

k  Ver.  11 ;  2  Thess.  2  :  15 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  20 ;  2  Tim.  1  ;  13.  I  Matt.  21 :  42,  43.  ml  Thess.  5  :  2-4. 


also  has  the  church  for  his  possession. 
The  churches  need  not  fear  that  they 
will  lack  the  ministry,  the  power,  and 
the  blessedness  of  the  Spirit,  for  both 
are  his.  He  holds  them  in  his  hand 
(2 :  1);  here  a  further  thought  is  given, 
he  hath  them,  owns  them.  Sardis  had 
a  name  ;  was  well  thought  of ;  was  per- 
haps rich  and  prosperous,  .sharing  in 
the  wealth  of  the  city.  Name  here  is 
equivalent  to  reputation.  There  was 
no  tribulation  as  in  Smyrna  (2 :  10);  no 
fierce  opposition,  no  false  teaching,  no 
heresy,  as  in  Ephesus  (2:2);  no  licen- 
tious living,  as  in  Thyatira  (2  =  'O);  all 
was  quiet  about  them,  it  had  a  name 
for  orthodoxy,  right  thinking,  but  it 
was  in  reality  destitute  of  spiritual 
life.  There  were  ordinances,  organiza- 
tion, orthodoxy;  but  love,  and  the  life 
which  comes  from  full  fellowship  with 
Christ,  were  wanting.  ( comp.  1  Tim.  5:6.) 
In  its  own  judgment,  and  in  the  judg- 
ment of  others,  the  church  at  Sardis 
was  a  veritable  church  of  Christ.  But, 
taken  as  a  whole,  the  church  was  not 
alive  in  Christ.  Jesus  does  uot  regard 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  and 
church-membership  as  saving,  other- 
wise these  all  would  have  been  spoken 
of  as  Christians. 

2.  Here  is  Christ's  counsel.  Be 
watchful,  rather,  become.  There 
must  be  an  awakening  from  spiritual 
lethargy.  It  is  a  frequent  New  Testa- 
ment injunction  (Matt.  21  :  42  ;   Rom.  13  ;  U). 

The  things  which  remain  refers, 
in  reality,  to  the  persons  in  whom  the 
spiritual  life  was  not  extinct,  equivalent 
to  the  rest  of  2  :  24 ;  those  yet  some- 
what in  love  with  Christ.  The  remain- 
ing .spiritual  life  must  be  cultivated. 
In  trying  to  rescue  others  their  own 
life  would  be  quickened.  Are  ready 
to  die,  rather,  were  ready.  Looked 
at  from  an  afterpoint  of  view,  they 
were  regarded  us  dying,  were  almost 


dead.  It  cannot  be  known  what  effect 
this  injunction  had  upon  them.  For 
confirms  the  justice  of  the  judgment 
passed  upon  them.    I  have  .  •  .  God, 

rather,  /  Iiave  found  no  u'orks  of  thine 
fulfilled  before  my  God.  An  examina- 
tion of  the  life  of  the  church  shows 
that  it  had  fallen  far  short  of  its  ap- 
pointed work;  none  of  its  work  satisfied 
Jesus.  The  expression  does  not  mean 
that  it  was  found  not  perfect,  in  an  ab- 
solute sense,  for  nothing  human  is,  but 
that  everything  was  defective — less  than 
ought  to  be  expected  from  it.  It  ap- 
proved itself,  others  approved  it;  but 
the  real  test  of  its  standing  and  worth 
is  God's  judgment,  before  my  God.  My 
God  shows  that  Jesus,  in  passing  judg- 
ment, is  a  representative  of  God  the 
Father;  it  is,  hence,  a  just  judgment. 
The  work  of  each  man  and  each  church, 
in  its  collective  capacity,  is  constantly 
tested  by  Christ.  If  a  church,  to-day, 
lives  a  Sardis  kind  of  life,  this  same 
judgment  is  rendered.  Every  church 
needs  to  have  a  constant  vision  of  the 
glorified  Lord  Jesus. 

3.  Counsel  and  threatening  are  here 
united.  Three  things  are  enjoined,  a 
remembrance  of  the  former  church  life, 
a  holding  fast  that  there  be  no  further 
backsliding,  a  godly  sorrow,  and  hence 
a  new  mind  toward  God.  They  must 
remember  how  they  received  their 
first  spiritual  blessings  through  repent- 
ance, belief,  and  faithful  obedience. 
They  received  the  word  in  joy  and 
gladness.  In  the  same  way  they  must 
again  receive  God's  blessings.  The 
joy  and  earnestness  of  their  first  life 
should  be  an  incentive  to  them  now. 
It  must  hold  fast  (present  tense)  the 
little  life  and  love  left.  A  little  love 
is  vastly  better  than  no  love.  It  must 
repent  (aorist  tense,  signifying  tliat  it 
must  be  done  at  once)  instantly  of  its 
guilt,  and  seek  spiritual  blessings.    If 


Ch.  III.] 


REVELATION 


167 


4  thee.  Thou  hast  "  a  few  names  even 
in  Sardis  which  have  not  "defiled  their 
garments;  and  they  shall  walk  with 
me  Pin  white  :  for  they  are  worthy. 

5  He  that  overcometh,  i  the  same  shall 
be  clothed  in  white  raiment;  and  I 
will  not  ■•  blot  out  liis  name  out  of  tlie 
•  book  of  life,  but  'I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father,   and    before 

6  his  angels.  "He  that  hath  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto 
the  churches. 


4  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee.  But  thou 
hast  a  few  names  in  Sardis,  which  did 
not  defile  their  garments;  and  they 
shall  walk  with  me  in  white,  because 

5  they  are  worthy.  He  that  overcomes 
shall  thus  be  clothed  in  white  gar- 
ments ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his 
name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  I 
will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father, 

6  and  before  his  angels.  He  that  has  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  says 
to  the  cliurches. 


n  1  Kings  19  :  18.    o   Jude  23.    p  4  ;  4 ;  6  :  11 ;  1  John  3  :  2,  3.    j  19  :  8 ;  Isa.  61  :  10 ;  Zech.  3  :  4,  5. 

r  Exod.  32  :  32,  33.     «  20  :  12 ;  Isa.  4:3;  Dan.  12  :  1 ;  Luke  10  :  20. 

t  Mai.  3  :  17  ;  Luke  12  ;  8.     u  Ver.  13 ;  2  :  7. 


the  warnings  are  not  heeded  Jesus  will 
come; in  judgment  speedily  and  un- 
looked  for.  (Comp.  the  figure  of  the 
thief  in  Matt.  24  :  43 ;  Luke  12  :  39 ;  1 
Thess.  5  :  2,  4.)  The  coming  referred  to 
is  not  the  second  and  final  coming,  but 
an  intermediate,  yet  real,  coming  in 
judgment  through  pestilence  (2  :  22)  or 
otlier  visitation.  Jesus  can  send  judg- 
ments in  the  life  that  now  is ;  he  assur- 
edly will  in  the  existence  beyond.  We 
may  not  infer  that  all  physical  ills  are 
judgments  sent  from  God  (John  9  : 3).  It 
is  equally  unwise  to  infer  that  God  can 
send  no  judgments  now,  expressive  of 
his  will. 

4.  Here  the  words  of  praise  come 
after  the  censure.  In  Sardis  the  pre- 
dominant element  in  the  church  was 
displeasing  to  Christ.  Thou  .  .  . 
Sardis,  rather,  But  thou  hast  a  few 
names  in  Sardis.  But  shows  the  con- 
trast between  the  many  who  were  dead 
and  the  few  who  were  living.  Sodom 
had  a  few  good  men  ;  Sardis  had  a  few 
who  were  uncontaminated  by  their  sur- 
roundings. The  expression  in  Sardis, 
implies  that  the  city  was  extremely 
wicked  and  unfavorable  to  the  Chris- 
tian life.  Jesus  knowing  all  men, 
knew  who  those  were  that  lived  a  true 
life.  On  the  church  register  were 
many  names;  on  the  heavenly  register 
were  not  so  many  (Luke  10  ;  20).  Not 
defiled  their  garments  expresses 
the  moral  cleanness  of  these  men.  The 
white  garments  mean  the  pure,  devoted 
life  (1  John  1:6).  Jesus  has  a  gracious 
promise  for  these  men  whose  lives  were 
wliite  in  the  midst  of  a  city  of  moral 
defilement.  Tiny  lived  for  him,  lived 
largely  like  him";  they  shall  walk 
with  me.  The  white  in  heaven  is 
perfect.    Worthy  does  not  mean  that 


they  are  saved  apart  from  Christ.  They 
are  .saved  through  him,  walk  after  him, 
live  fitting  lives,  and  shall  receive 
what  is  becoming  and  right  (Matt.  20 :  23), 
Jesus  alone  saves,  but  he  rewards  ac- 
cording to  character. 

5.  A  threefold  promi.se  is  given  to 
the  overcoming  man.  He  shall  have 
white  raiment  (7  :  la,  u);  they  shall 
be  clothed,  rather,  they  shall  be  ar- 
rayed, in  a  garment  like  the  one  just 
described  ;  his  name  shall  not  be  erased 
from  the  heavenly  register,  not  blot 
out,  rather,  in  no  wise;  the  man  will 
be  confessed  before  the  Father  and  his 
angels.  (Comp.  the  words  of  Jesus  in 
Matt.  10  :  32. )  The  faithful  Sardis 
Christians  walked  in  white,  and  had 
tiieir  names  on  the  church  register. 
Heaven  will  be  the  Sardis  life  enlarged. 
The  white  will  be  whiter,  and  the  names 
will  be  on  the  heavenly  roll,  held  in 
everlasting  remembrance.  (For  the 
book  of  life  comp.  Exod.  32  ;  32 ;  Dan. 
12  ;  1 ;  Luke  10  :  20  ;  Phil  4  ;  3  ;  Heb. 
12  :  23 ;  Rev.  13  ;  8  ;  20  :  1.5 ;  21  :  27.) 
The  words  of  Jesus  spoken  from  heaven 
have  many  reminiscences  of  the  words 
spoken  on  the  earth.  He  is  the  same 
Jesus.  He  would  speak,  to-day,  no 
words  not  in  harmony  with  his  re- 
corded teachings. 

6.  This  verse  repeats  the  solemn  em- 
phasis upon  the  duty  of  hearing  what 
Jesus  says.  Compare  the  same  duty 
enjoined  in  his  earthly  ministry  (Matt. 

11  :  15  ;     13  :  9,    45  ;     Mark    4:9,    23  ;     T  :  16,    33  ; 

Luke  8:8;  19  :  35).  The  Christian  life  is 
made  up  of  two  parts — the  command 
of  Jesus,  the  doing  by  the  Christian. 

7-13.  Letter  to  the  church  in 
PriiLAnELPHiA.  Jesus  is  described 
as  the  holy  and  true  one  (™f-  ')  ;  the 
church  is  commended  for  faithfulness 


168 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


7  Aud  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Philadelphia  write  ;  Tliese  things  saith 
^he  that  is  holy,  yhe  that  is  true,  he 
that  hath  '  the  key  of  David,  » he  that 
openeth,  and  no  man  shutteth ;  aud 
•>  shutteth,  and  no  man  opeueth. 

8  I  know  thy  works.  Behold,  I  have 
set  before  thee  "  an  opeu  door,  and  no 
man  can  shut  it :  for  thou  hast  a  little 
strength,  *  and  hast  kept  my  word,  aud 

9  hast  not  denied  my  name.    Behold,  I 


7  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Philadelphia  write  :  These  things  says 
the  Holy,  the  True,  he  who  has  the 
key  of  David,  he  who  opens,  and  no 
one  shall  shut,  aud  shuts,  and  no  one 

8  opens.  I  know  thy  works.  Behold,  I 
have  set  before  thee  a  door  opened, 
which  no  one  can  shut ;  because  thou 
hast  a  little  power  and  didst  keep  my 
word,  and  didst  not  deny  my  name. 


z  4  :  8 ;  Isa.  49  :  7 ;  Luke  1  :  35 ;  Acts  3  :  14.  y  1  :  5 ;  19  :  11 ;  John  14  :  6 ;  1  John  5  : 

z  Isa.  22  :  22  ;  Luke  1  :  32.  a  Matt.  16  :  19 ;  28  :  18.  h  Job  11  :  10 ;  12  :  14. 

c  1  Cor.  16  ;  9  ;  2  Cor.  2:12;  Col.  4:3.  6,  John  14  :  21-24 ;  17  :  6. 


(ver.  8);  a  promise  of  support  is  given 
(ver.  9, 10);  through  faithfuhiess  a  crown 
may  be  won  (ver.  ii);  the  overcoming 
man  shall  be  a  pillar  in  God's  house 

(ver.  12). 

7.  Philadelphia  was  of  old  the  sec- 
ond city  of  Lydia,  twenty-five  miles 
southeast  from  Sardis,  built  138  B.  c, 
often  injured  by  earthquakes,  captured 
by  the  Turks,  now  having  a  population 
of  ten  thousand — mostly  Turks ;  known 
now  as  Allali  Shehr,  the  city  of  God. 
The  tone  of  the  Saviour's  words  is  very 
different  from  that  in  the  preceding 
letter  to  Sardis,  and  in  the  following 
letter  to  Laodicea.  It  was  situated 
near  these  cliurches  in  territory,  but 
was  at  a  vast  remove  from  them  mor- 
ally. Here  the  letter  is,  as  a  whole, 
commendatory.  The  description  of 
Jesus  is  found  in  no  definite  statement 
in  the  vision  in  chap.  I,  but  is  given 
as  the  impress  of  the  entire  revelation. 
He  is  defined,  as  to  character,  in  a 
twofold  way  —  the  holy,  the  true. 
Men  are  holy  in  part.  Jesus  is,  by 
preeminence,  the  Holy  One,  apart  from 
all  evil,  having  a  positive  and  perfect 
moral  character.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment God  assumes  to  himself  the  title 
of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  (isa.  40  :  25). 
In  making  this  claim  here  Jesus  asserts 
his  right  to  be  regarded  as  divine.  He 
is  true,  not  as  opposed  to  false,  but  is  op- 
posed to  imperfection.  ( Comp.  the  same 
word  in  John  6  :  32.)  As  to  authority 
he  is  described  as  having  the  key 
of  David.  For  tlie  historical  allusion, 
see  Isa.  22  :  12.  _  Ellakim,  in  that  place, 
is  made  the  chief  minister  of  the  king- 
dom ;  his  rule  is  supreme.  Figuratively, 
Jesus  is  an  Ellakim  ;  having  complete 
control  in  the  Father's  kingdom,  his 
will  is  supreme.  What  he  wills,  no 
one  may  oppose.    He  is  not  an  autocrat 


with  power  used  simply  for  the  sake 
of  display,  but  he  is  a  wise  and  reason- 
able Christ.  As  head  of  the  church  he 
entrusted  his  work  among  men  to 
apostles  and  others  (Matt,  le  :  19 ;  is  :  is). 
But  no  one  has  any  power,  apart  from 
Christ's  revealed  will,  to  open  or  shut 
the  door.  The  ministry,  the  church, 
the  ordinances  are  servants  of  Christ, 
not  his  masters.  In  his  ministry  on 
earth    Jesus    was   called   the   Son  of 

David  (Matt.  20  :  31). 

8.  Here  are  words  of  commenda- 
tion. The  expression,  Behold  .  .  . 
shut  it,  is  parenthetical.  The  state- 
ment in  the  preceding  verse  that  Jesus 
has  control  of  the  door,  lays  the  founda- 
tion for  this  statement  that  an  open 
door  is  made  for  them.  This  may  re- 
fer to  an  open  door  of  opportunity  and 
effectiveness  in  service  here  in  this 
life  (comp.  1  Cor.  16 :  9),  or  it  may  refer  to 
the  open  door  into  glory  in  the  next, 
inasmuch  as  the  Jews  spoken  of  after- 
ward in  ver.  9  may  have  declared  that 
there  could  be  no  salvation  for  them. 
The  following  verse  indicates  that  the 
reference  is  mainly  to  the  open  door  of 
opportunity  for  labor.  Jesus  recog- 
nizes their  humble  position  ;  I  know 
thy  works  .  .  .  for  thou  hast, 
rather,  that  thou  hast.  A  little 
strength,  rather,  little  strength,  shows 
smallness  in  numbers — their  few  ad- 
vantages, the  little  that  could  naturally 
be  expected  of  them.  But  their  little- 
ness Avas  combined  with  faithfulness. 
Their  life  is  defined  on  the  positive 
side — kept ;  on  the  negative  side — not 
denied.  They  loved  the  words  of 
.Jesus,  therefore  they  kept  them ;  they 
loved  the  person  of  Jesus — my  name. 
At  critical  times  in  the  past  they  iiad 
stood  fast  by  Christ  and  his  truth. 
Jesus  could  depend  on  them.    In  his 


Ch.  III.] 


EEVELATION 


169 


will  make 'them  of  the  synagogue  of 
Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and 
are  not,  but  do  lie;  behold,  'I  will 
make  thera  to  come  and  worship  before 
thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved 

10  thee.  Because  thou  hast  kept  ?the 
word  of  my  patience, ''  I  also  will  keep 
thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation, 
which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world, 
1  to  try  them  tliat  dwell  upon  the  earth. 

11  Behold, ''  I  come  quickly.    '  Hold  that 


9  Behold,  I  give  those  of  the  synagogue 
of  Satan,  who  say  they  are  Jews,  and 
they  are  not,  but  do  lie,— behold,  I  will 
make  them  to  come  and  worship  before 
thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  loved  thee. 

10  Because  thou  didst  keep  the  word  of 
my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee  from 
the  hour  of  trial,  which  is  about  to 
come  on  the  whole  habitable  earth,  to 

11  try  those  who  dwell  on  the  earth.  I 
come  quickly ;   hold  fast  that  which 


2:9.        /  Isa.  49  :  2.1 ;  60  :  14  ;  Acts  16  :  37-39.         g  U  :  12.         ft  Dan.  12  :  1 ;  1  Cor.  10  :  13  ;  2  Peter  2  : 
t  Dan.  12  ;  10 ;  Zcch.  13  :  9 ;  1  Peter  *  ;  12.  fc  22  :  7,  12,  20 ;  Phil.  4:5.  J  2  :  25 ;  Jamei  1  :  12. 


earthly  ministry  Jesus  spoke  comfort- 
ing  words    to    his    little    flock   (Luke 

12  :  32). 

9.  Here  is  the  Saviour's  promise. 
The  passage  is  irregular  in  its  gram- 
matical construction.  As  in  Smyrna, 
the  church  met  with  much  opposition 
from  unbelieving  Jews.  They  were 
often  more  violent  in  disposition  than 
the  heathen  (i  THess.  2 :  u-ie).  The  letters 
of  Paul  to  the  Galatians  and  to  the 
Romaus,  the  Council  at  Jerusalem  (Acts 
15)  show  how  strong  was  the  conflict 
between  Judaism  and  Christianity. 
Having  a  form  of  godliness  and  the 
holy  Scriptures  they  were,  in  reality, 
the  allies  of  Satan.  Satan  has  a  throne 
(2:13);  a  syuagoguc  (2:9);  doctrines 
(2 :  24).  I  will  make,  rather,  /  give, 
a  common  Hebrew  expression  (isa-  eo : 
14).  Through  their  faithfulness  in  liv- 
ing and  explaining  the  Scriptures  Jesus 
will  cause  it  to  come  to  pass  that,  not 
all,  but  some  of  their  avowed  oppo- 
nents, will  have  a  changed  mind,  will 
recognize  God  in  Christ,  and  will  wor- 
ship ;  that  is,  pay  them  honor  and  re- 
spect, as  representatives  of  God's  cause. 
It  is  a  greater  triumph  to  see  the  op- 
ponents of  Christ  converted  than  to  see 
them  punished  for  their  disobedience 
and  obduracy.  lu  time  the  veil  will 
be  taken  from  tlie  mind  of  the  Jewish 
people  as  a  whole,  and  they  will  recog- 
nize Christ  (Rom,  9  :  27).  "To  kuow 
that  I  have  loved  thee.  The  world 
usually  sees  Christ  through  Christ's 
churcli  and  Christ's  people.  They  are 
his  best  interpreters. 

10.  The  Saviour's  promise  is  con- 
tinued. A  faithful  people  will  always 
fiml  a  covenant-keeping  Christ.  The 
word  of  my  patience  means  tiie 
command  of  Christ  to  endure  .sufler- 
ings  patiently,  to  bear  up  without 
wavering.     Sufierings   belong  to  the 


Christian    life    (John   is  :  2  ;   2  Tim.  3  :  12)  ; 

patient  endurance  is  frequently  urged 

(Lake   8  :  15  ;     Matt.    10  :  22  ;     24  :  13).        They 

would  receive  from  Christ,  I  will 
keep,  what  they  give  to  Christ,  thou 
hast  kept.  The  hour  of  tempta- 
tion reveals  a  storm  of  persecution 
that  will  speedily  come  upon  them  ;  a 
storm  not  centuries  hence,  but  some- 
thing impending  in  actual  sufierings, 
in  losses  of  property,  who.se  tendency 
would  be  to  beget  a  loss  of  faith.  Jesus 
does  not  promise  to  keep  them  from 
persecution,  but  to  preserve  them  in  it 
so  that  they  would  be  aided  and  kept 
from  falling.  (Comp.  2  cor.  12 :  9.)  The 
trials  would  become  temptations,  but 
the  temptations  would  not  be  seduc- 
tions leading  them  astray.  Jesus  prayed 
not  for  exemption  from  suff^erings  for  his 
followers,  but  for  freedom  from  evil  (John 
17  :  15).  Those  who  dwell  upon  the 
earth  are  here  the  ungodly  as  distinct 
from  the  saved.  (Comp.  the  same  ex- 
pressions in  6  :  10 ;  11 :  10. )  Tlie  saved, 
while  on  the  earth,  have  their  home  in 
heaven  ;  they  are  in  the  world,  but  not 
of  it  (John  17 :  14).  The  tlmcs  of  trial  for 
the  ungodly  decide  whether  they  will 
turn  to  the  Lord  in  repentance,  or  will 
continue  in  ungodliness. 

11.  Here  are  words  of  counsel. 
Omit  Behold.  The  coming  referred 
to  is  not  the  second,  final  coming,  but 
some  intermediate  coming  in  judgment 
upon  his  enemies  (ver.  10);  in  supporting 
his  people  in  persecutions ;  in  bringing 
converts  from  the  Jews  by  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Jesus,  in  his  earthly 
ministry,  spoke  of  comings  other  than 
his  final  coming  (Matt,  le :  28).  The 
quickly  must  refer'to  .something  hap- 
pening in  the  near  future.  Tliose  who 
place  the  composition  of  the  book  be- 
fore A.  D.  70,  refer  this  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem.    Those  holding  to  a 


170 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take 
thy  crowu. 

12  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  "  a 
pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God  ;  and 
he  shall  go  no  more  out :  and  "  1  will 
write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God, 
and  tie  name  of  the  city  of  my  God, 
w/iicA  is »  New  Jerusalem,  which  cometh 
down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God 
pand  1  will  write  upon  him    my  new 

13  name.  He  that  hatli  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
chnrcliGS. 

14  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of 
the  Laodiceana  write;   <i These  things 


thou  hast,  that  uo  one  may  take  thy 

12  crown.  He  that  overcomes,  I  will 
make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my 
God,  and  he  shall  go  out  no  more ;  and 
I  will  write  on  him  the  name  of  my 
God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my 
God,  the  new  Jerusalem,  which  comes 
dowi  out  of  heaven  from  my  God,  and 

13  my  new  name.  He  that  has  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  says  to 
the  churches. 

14  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Laodicea  write :  These  things  says  the 


TO  1  Kings  7  :  21 ;  Gal.  2  :  9    Eph.  J  :  19-22  ;  1  Peter  2  ;  4-6.  n  2  :  17  ;  14  :  1. 

0  21  ;  2,  10 ;  Gal.  4  :  26 .  Heb.  12  :  22.  p  22  :  4 ;  Isa.  62  ;  2.  j  2  Cor.  1  ;  20. 


later  date  refer  to  his  interpcsition  in 
providence,  in  punishment,  without 
particularly  defining  any  event.  Re- 
garding all  the  ages  and  all  the  world 
as  under  the  providential  control  of 
Christ,  for  the  sake  of  his  church, 
many  turning-points  in  history  may 
be  regarded  as  comings  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Hold  that  fast.  (comp.  2  :  6, 
2.5.)  No  man  take  thy  crown.  The 
crown  refers  to  tliat  which  will  come 
as  the  reward  of  faithfulness,  not  a 
present  possession.  No  one  could  take 
it  away  for  himself;  but  a  person  might 
beguile  him  (Coi.  2  :  is),  might  seduce 
him  from  tlie  way,  and  thus  his  crown 
would  be  taken  away.  No  man  can 
really  be  injured  save  by  himself.  If  a 
crown  is  given  it  is  Christ  who  gives 
it.  If  a  crown  is  lost  it  is  the  man 
who  causes  its  loss.  Jesus  appeals  to 
faithfulness. 

12.  Here  is  the  closing  promise. 
The  conquering  man  will  be  a  pillar 
in  God's  temple,  in  the  upper  and  after 
life.  Two  ideas  are  suggested — that  of 
permanence  as  a  reward  of  faithful- 
ness here,  and  that  of  l)eauty.  There 
will  be  no  possilnlity  of  falling  through 
temptation.  Every  overcoming  one  is 
a  pillar.  Upon  him,  or  upon  the  pillar 
representing  him,  will  be  written  three 
names.  My  God.  For  instances  of 
writing  God's  name  upon  the  forehead 
see  7  :  3;  14  :  1 ;  22  :  4.  This  signifies 
that  he  belongs  to  God  in  an  openly 

recognized  way.       (Comp.  11  :  5;   Jer.  23  :  6; 

33:16.)  The  New  Jerusalem,  hea- 
venly, divine  in  its  origin,  signifies  the 
completion  of  the  Christian  life,  tlie 
time  when  the  earthly  becomes  the 
heavenly,    (see  chap,  xxi.)    He  is  u  mem- 


ber of  the  heavenly  city,  a  partaker  of 
the  heavenly  life.  The  neAV  name  of 
.Jesus  is  that  of  redeemer,  conqueror. 
The  name  stands  for  the  real  man  him- 
self. A  new  name  signifies  some  new 
disclosure  of  the  per.son.  Here  Jesus 
is  revealed  in  a  new  and  larger  way. 
The  work  of  Jesus  was  not  completed 
on  the  earth ;  there  were  required  the 
entrance  into  the  holiest  of  all  above, 
and  the  acquirement  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
for  his  people. 

13.  The  Spirit  speaks  of  very  large 
and  precious  promises.  The  ear  should 
be  attentive  to  these  large  promises. 
Christians  need  to  listen  to  the  promises 
so  that  fill  til  may  be  encouraged,  and 
the  steps  strengthened.  Even  Jesus  was 
helped  by  the  consideration  of  the  prom- 
ises made  to  struggling  men  (Heb.  12 : 2). 

14-22.  Letter  to  the  church 
AT  Laodicea.  Jesus  is  described  as 
the  faithful  witness  (^er.  u);  the  church 
is  in  a  neutral  spiritual  condition  ("r. 
15,  17);    a  threat  of  rejection  is  made 

(ver.  16);    gracioUS    COUnSCl    is  given  (ver. 

18-20);  the  overcoming  man  will  reign 
with  Christ  (ver.  21). 

14.  The  church  of  the  Laodi- 
ceans,  rather,  in  Laodicea.  This 
town,  Laodicea,  was  on  the  Lycus,  the 
capital  of  Phrygia,  a  commercial  cen- 
ter, subject  to  earthquakes,  finally  de- 
stroyed by  the  Turks,  and  now  in  ruins. 
Paul  alludes  to  the  church  here  in  Col. 
4  :  1.5.  An  important  church  council 
was  held  here  in  the  fourth  century. 
In  this  letter  Jesus  is  described  as  the 
Amen.  Some  think  that  in  this  is  a 
reference  to  the  fact  that  this  is  the 
last  message  of  Jesus,  in  some  sense 
confirmatory  of  them  all.    It  is  better 


Ch.  III.] 


REVELATION 


171 


saith  the  Amen,  '  the  faithful  and  true 
witness,  'the  begiuuiog  of  the  creation 
of  God. 

15  I  know  thy  works,  'that  thou  ait 
neither  cold  nor  hot.    "  1  would  thou 

16  wert  cold  or  hot.  So  then  because 
thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold 
nor  hot,  » 1  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 


Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness, 
the  begiuuiug  of  the  creation  of  God. 

15  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither 
cold  nor  hot.   1  would  thou  wert  cold  or 

16  hot.    So,  because  thou  art  lukewarm, 
and  neither  hot  nor  cold,  I  am  about 


r  Ver.  7.  »  JoIiq  1:3;  Col.  1  :  15.  «  2  :  4 ;  Hosea  10  ;  2. 

«  Josh.  24  :  15-24 ;  1  Kings  18  :  21 ;  Matt.  12  :  30.  x  2  :  5. 


to  take  it  as  the  assertion  of  liis  truth- 
fulness. In  Isa.  65  :  16  Jehovah  is 
called  the  God  of  truth,  literally  the 
God  of  amen.  Jesus  assumes  to  him- 
self this  attribute  of  deity,  claiming 
for  himself  a  nature  of  absolute  truth- 
fulness. This  is  explained  by  the 
further  claim  to  be  the  faithful  and 
true  witness.  He  witnesses  for  God 
to  men,  revealing  in  utmost  truthful- 
ness the  nature,  the  will,  the  desires  of 
God.  He  reveals  him  fully  and  faith- 
fully. This  should  lead  them  to  be 
faithful  witnesses  in  the  presence  of 
errors  and  dangers.  A  witnessing 
Christ  should  beget  witnessing  Chris- 
tians. Beginning  means,_  not  the 
first  one  of  created  things,  which  would 
rank  Christ  among  created  beings,  but 
source,  origin.  Compare  Col.  1  :  18, 
where  the  same  word  is  used  as  here. 
Jesus  is  not  a  part  of  creation,  but  the 
head  of  creation.  It  is  by  way  of  con- 
trast with  the  unfaithful  witnessing  of 
the  Laodicean  church  that  Jesus  is 
called  the  faithful,  true  one.  They 
needed  to  get  a  right  view  of  Christ  as 
the  true  and  mighty  one. 

15.  Jesus  describes  their  spiritual 
condition.  He  begins  in  the  severest 
tones.  Cold  describes  the  condition 
of  those  untouched  by  regenerating 
grace,  tho.se  in  heathenism,  the  unbe- 
lieving Jews.  Hot  expresses  the  con- 
dition of  the  highest  kind  of  the  Chris- 
tian life,  the  fervent  spiritual  tempera- 
ture of  a  Paul,  consumed  with  a  holy 
zeal  (Rom,  12 :  u).  This  ought  to  be  the 
normal  condition  of  the  Christian  life. 
Cold  is  used  by  Jesus  in  Matt.  24  :  12 
in  a  modified  sense  as  indicating  a 
lower  stage  in  the  Christian  life.  The 
Laodicean  church  was  in  a  neutral 
spiritual  condition,  it  had  neither  life 
in  its  fulness  of  joy  and  peace,  nor 
death  with  its  entire  absence  of  love. 
Jesus  says,  I  would  .  .  .  cold.  In 
tills  is  apparent  the  danger  of  an  in- 


different spiritual  condition.  It  is  not 
heresy  that  is  condemned,  nor  licen- 
tiousness, but  a  religious  torpor,  slug- 
gishness, an  utter  indifference  to  the 
claims  of  duty,  the  love  of  Jesus,  the 
opportunities  for  service,  the  influences 
of  the  unseen  life.  Does  Jesus  intend 
to  declare  that  it  is  better  to  be  in  an 
unsaved  condition,  unregeuerate,  than 
in  a  Christian  life  characterized  by 
great  moderation  ?  This  ought  not  to 
Ije  a  deduction  from  his  words.  If  a 
person  is  lukewarm  in  love  there  is 
room  for  enlargement  in  love.  It  is 
better  to  be  a  Christian,  even  in  the 
lower  stages,  than  in  a  uon-christian 
state.  What  he  means  is  to  express  in 
a  very  strong  way  the  feeling:  "I 
could  wish  that  you  were  in  any  state 
but  this."  A  person  unsaved  may 
freely  admit  his  own  peril  of  soul, 
while  the  man  with  the  name  of  Christ 
upon  him  may  make  this  an  excuse  for 
a  careless  life.  It  is  often  more  difficult 
to  awaken  a  backsliding  Christian  than 
to  reach  a  man  who  never  has  known 
Christ.  Peter  declares  that  a  man 
apostatizing  from  Christ  has  a  worse 
fate  than  if  he  had  never  known  the 

Saviour  (2  Peter  2  :  20). 

16.  A  threat  is  here  made  by  Jesus. 
It  is  a  physical  efl'ect  of  warm  water 
to  produce  a  tendency  to  vomiting. 
Jesus  wishes  to  show  his  utter  dislike 
of  their  spiritual  condition.  I  Avill 
spew,  rather,  I  am  about  to  spiic. 
It  is  not  a  final  decision  to  throw 
them  away,  but  there  is  revealed 
the  imminent  danger.  We  must  not 
infer  that  Jesus  places  his  highest  re- 
gard upon  the  fervent  heart,  and  his 
next  highest  regard  upon  the  man 
utterly  insensible  in  mind.  This  is 
not  in  accord  with  what  we  know  of 
God,  and  it  is  to  press  a  figure  too  far 
to  make  it  teach  this.  What  is  here 
condemned  is  the  proud  self-conceit  of 
the  Laodiceans  imagining   themselves 


172 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


17  mouth.  Because  thou  sayest,  J  I  am 
rich,  and  increased  with  goods,  »aud 
have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest 
not  that  thou  art  wretched,  and  miser- 
able, and  poor,  ''and  blind,  and  naked  ; 

18  I  counsel  thee  "'to  buy  of  me  gold  tried 
in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich ; 
and  ■=  white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest 
be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy 
nakedness  do  not  appear ;  <iand  anoint 
thine  eyes  with   eyesalve,  that  thou 

19  mayest  see.     «As  many  as  I  love,  I 


17  to  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth.  Be- 
cause thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  have 
gotten  riches,  and  have  need  of  noth- 
ing, and  knowest  not  that  thou  art  the 
wretched  one,  and  pitiable,  and  poor, 

18  and  blind,  and  naked ;  I  counsel  thee 
to  buy  of  me  gold  refined  by  fire,  that 
thou  mayest  be  rich,  and  white  gar- 
ments, that  thou  mayest  clothe  thyself 
and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness 
may  not  be  made  manifest,  and  eye- 
salve  to  anoint  thine  eyes  that  thou 

19  mayest  see.    As  many  as  I  love,  I  re- 


y  Prov.  13  :  7  ;  Hosca  12  :  8 ;  Luke  18  :  11,  12  ;  1  Cor.  4:8.  z  Deut.  8  :  11-14. 

a  John  9  :  <0,  41 ;  2  Peter  1  :  8,  9.  5  Isa.  55  :  1 ;  Matt.  13  :  44. 

4,  5 ;  7  :  13  ;  Isa.  61  :  10 ;  Phil.  3:9.  d  John  8:12;  1  John  2  :  20,  27.  e  Job  5  :  17. 


to  be  ricli  in  heart  when  they  were 
utterly  poor.  This  state  of  soul  Jesus 
declares  is  nauseating  to  him. 

17.  This  verse  reveals  their  mistaken 
estimate  of  themselves.  The  higher 
the  spiritual  condition,  the  more  con- 
scious is  the  soul  of  its  deficiencies.  It 
is  the  mark  of  a  growing  life  to  have  a 
completer  knowledge  of  the  meaning 
of  the  Christian  life,  and  to  be  aware  of 
shortcomings.  As  Paul  grew  in  holi- 
ness he  grew  in  sensitiveness  as  to  the 
remaining  sin  in  his  heart.  The  Lao- 
diceans  said  of  themselves,  they  were 
rich,  increased  in  goods,  have 
need  of  nothing.  These  refer,  not 
to  material  things,  but  to  their  assumed 
spiritual  riches,  though  it  may  be  that 
a  growing  wealth  in  material  things 
contributed  to  their  spiritual  pride, 
thinking  that  this  was  a  testimony  to 
them  of  God's  approval.  The  estimate 
of  their  condition  is  given  by  Jesus  in 
five  descriptive  phrases,  Avretched, 
rather,  the  icretched  one;  miserable, 
not  a  state  of  conscious  misery,  but  a 
state  deserving  of  pity ;  poor,  in  a 
real  sense  before  God;  blind  as  to 
their  own  condition  and  God's  require- 
ments ;  naiied,  exposed  to  God's 
anger,  living  in  a  shameful  condition. 
We  can  never  know  what  a  man  really 
is  until  we  get  to  know  what  God 
thinks  of  him. 

18.  Here  is  the  counsel  of  the  rich 
and  enriching  Christ.  He  counsels 
three  things:  getting  the  true  riches, 
covering  the  soul  with  the  white  robe 
of  forgiveness,  obtaining  the  spiritual 
eyesight.  Then,  of  necessity,  the 
misery  and  wretchedness  would  pass 
away.  To  buy  of  Christ  is  to  receive 
from  Christ  for  the  asking.    There  is 


need  of  repentance,  the  throwing  aside 
of  human  merit  as  the  ground  of  sal- 
vation, the  right  estimate  of  ourselves, 
the  earnest  petition  (Matt,  is  :  44, 46;  isa. 
55 : 1).  A  man  buys  of  Christ  with 
poverty  of  soul.  Emptiness  of  self 
means  fulness  of  Christ.  The  gold 
tried  in  the  fire,  rather,  refined  by 
the  fire,  is  the  true  spiritual  wealth, 
freed  from  imperfections.  The  white 
raiment  is  the  forgiveness  granted  by 
Christ,  the  holiness  inwrought  by  the 
Spirit  (^er.  4,  5).  An  unforgiven  soul 
is  unlovely  to  holy  beings.  Moral  evil 
is  the  only  thing  that  the  holy  God 
hates.  Physical  deformities  may  be 
pitied ;  moral  deformities  must  be  con- 
demned (i6:  is).  And  anoint . . .  eye- 
salve,  rather,  and  eyesalve  to  anoint 
their  eyes.  The  Holy  Spirit  convicts  the 
soul,  opening  the  inner  eyes,  showing 
a  man  to  himself  (Luke  i6  :  n),  that  he 
may  be  led  to  see  Jesus  (John  12:  21). 
Their  case  was  not  hopeless  if  they 
would  but  dismiss  their  mistaken  , 
thoughts  of  them.selves  and  begin  the 
life  of  right  thinking  in  God's  sight. 
Open  eyes  are  essential  to  safe  walking. 
Satan,  as  a  blind  teacher,  blinds  the 
eyes  of  men  (2  Cor.  4:4).  Jesus  en- 
riches, covers  with  a  garment  of  beauty, 
restores  sight. 

19.  In  the  first  four  letters  Jesus 
praises  before  he  blames.  In  the  letter 
to  Sardis  he  blames  before  he  praises. 
Here  he  blames  and  gives  not  a  word 
of  praise.  He  found  the  entire  church 
apparently  sunk  in  spiritual  lethargy. 
In  this  verse  is  shown  the  tender  side 
of  the  Saviour.  He  shows  them  that 
it  is  his  love  for  them  that  leads  him  to 
expose  their  real  condition.  The  word, 
I,  is  emphatic  iu  the  Greek.    He  ia- 


Ch.  III.] 


REVELATION 


173 


rebuke    and    chasten.      'Be    zealous 
therefore,    and    repent.     Beliold,    s  I 

20  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock  :  >>  if  any 
man  hearmy  voice,  and  open  the  door, 
'I  will  come  in  to  him,  j  and  will  sup 
with  him,  and  he  with  me. 

21  To  him  that  overcometh  ^  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  'even  as 
I  also  overcame,  "  and  am  set  down 

22  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.  "  He 
that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 


prove  and  chasten.    Be  zealous  there- 

20  fore,  and  repent.  Behold,  I  stand  at 
the  door,  and  knock  ;  if  any  one  hear 
my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  I  will  sup  with 

21  him,  and  he  with  me.  He  that  over- 
comes, I  will  give  to  him  to  sit  down 
with  me  in  my  throne,  as  I  also  over- 
came, and  sat  down  with  my  Father  in 

22  his  throne.  He  that  has  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  says  to  the 
churches. 


/  i  Cor.  7  :  11.  g  Song  of  Sol.  5  ;  2-4 ;  Matt.  H  :  28 ;  2  Cor.  5  :  20.  h  Luke  12  :  37  ;  John  6  :  37. 

i  John  14  :  21-23.  j  19  :  9.  As  1  :  6 ;  Matt.  19  :  28.  I  John  16  :  33 ;  Heb.  12  :  i. 

m  Ps.  110  :  1 ;  Dan.  7  :  13,  14 ;  Matt.  28  :  18.  »  2  :  7 


form.s  them  that  he  loves  them,  and 
therefore  rebukes,  rather,  reproves, 
and  chastens.  He  censures  severely 
that  he  may  save  completely.  Two 
duties  are  enjoined ;  their  lukewarm- 
ness  must  give  way  to  a  zealous  spirit, 
and  repentance  must  arise  for  their 
grievous  falling  away.  Then  the  right- 
eous and  holy  life  will  dwell  in  them 
richly,  Jesus  can  counsel,  but  they 
alone  can  con.sent  and  repent.  It 
requires  the  union  of  Christ  and  the 
Laodiceans  to  make  a  good  church  in 
Laodicea. 

20.  This  verse  is  an  expansion  and 
enforcement  of  the  preceding.^  It  is 
one  of  the  tenderest  passages  in  the 
entire  revelation  of  Christ.  To  the 
Laodiceans,  or  any  member  of  the 
church,  sunk  in  conceit,  ignorant  of 
God,  with  mistaken  conceptions,  Jesus 
comes  with  blessing.  He  is  the  crea- 
ting Christ,  the  visiting  Christ,  the 
waiting  Christ,  the  knocking  Christ, 
the  beseeching  Christ.  It  is  implied 
that  eveiy  one  Avill  hear  his  voice. 
Not  every  one  will  inquire.  Who  is 
there?  not  everyone  hearing  will  bid 
him  enter.  The  divine  and  the  human 
are  united  in  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 
No  one  but  the  one  on  the  inside  can 
say,  Come  in.  No  heart  is  too  small 
to  be  large  enough  for  the  Saviour. 
Jesus  will  change  a  humble  heart  into 
a  palace. 

21.  Herefollowsthepromi.se.  These 
statements  Jesus  makes  concerning  his 
own  life  ;  he  entered  into  a  thoroughly 
human  life;  he  met  with  difficulties  of 
all  kinds;  he  overcame  them  with  the 
help  of  the  Father,  who  is  also  their 
Father;  he  is  with  the  Father  on  his 
throne.  Jesus  lived  a  life  that  can  be 
imitated.    He  had  struggles,  met  with 


temptations,  overcame  them  (John  le  : 
33).  As  a  reward  he  is  now  on  an  ex- 
alted throne  (Phii.  2 :  9-u).  He  urges 
on  them  the  duty  of  overcoming,  in 
this  case  overcoming  sluggishness  and 
indifference.  There  will  be  for  them 
the  reward  of  reigning  with  Christ,  a 
joint  heirship  with  Christ  (Rom.  5  :  17). 
The  same  relation  that  Jesus  bears  to 
the  Father,  the  believer  bears  to  Christ 
(1  Cor.  2  :  23).  Jesus  could  not  give  a 
larger  promise  than  that  here  given, 
that  of  heirship  with  God  through  him- 
self. The  promise  is  a  wonderful  in- 
spiration to  repentance,  zeal,  faithful- 
ness. 

22.  God  made  the  ear  that  it  might 
listen  to  him.  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  etc.  This  exhortation  follows 
each  epistle.  Wider  than  the  churches 
—  all  who  have  ears  to  hear  are  ad- 
dressed—  not  only  the  letters,  but  the 
revelation  that  follows. 

Note.  A  general  view  of  the 
CHURCHES.  1.  As  to  church  gov- 
ernment. While  nothing  is  said  di- 
rectly on  the  form  of  church  govern- 
ment, yet  incidental  hints  are  given, 
throwing  light  on  that  of  the  first  cen- 
tury. Each  church  is  seen  to  be  inde- 
pendent of  all  others.  There  is  no 
common  church  occupying  an  entire 
district,  no  individual  church  losing 
its  identity  in  that  of  others.  Each 
church  is  addressed  as  a  church  dis- 
tinct from  others.  Each  church  is  also 
held  responsible  for  permitting  errors 
to  be  taught  within  tlie  limits  of  the 
membership  (2  :  20).  The  church,  as 
a  church,  is  charged  with  the  main- 
tenance of  sound  doctrine.  This,  of 
course,  carries  with  it  the  right  of  ex- 
clusion  from   the   church  for  wrong 


174 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


teaching  and  wrong  living.  There  is 
no  shadow  of  the  papacy  or  any  gov- 
erning power  outside  of  or  above  tlie 
individual  church.  There  is  no  bishop, 
in  any  modern  use  of  that  terra.  So 
far  as  we  see  the  church  life  of  tliis 
early  century  it  is  tliat  of  au  inde- 
pendent, self-governing  body. 

2.  As  to  heresies  in  the  church.  In 
the  letter  to  the  Ephesians,  allusion  is 
made  to  some  who  claimed  to  be  apos- 
tles (2:2).  No  indication  is  given  as 
to  the  character  of  their  teachings. 
These  teachers  may  have  been  Judaizers 
affirming  that  to  be  a  Christian  one 
must  first  be  a  Jew,  or  Antinomians, 
declaring  that  the  moral  law  has  no 
claims  upon  Christians,  leading  di- 
rectly, on  the  part  of  most,  to  licen- 
tiousness. At  Smyrna  (2:9)  and  at 
Philadelphia  (3 :  »)  are  those  claiming 
to  be  Jews,  but  are  not  in  reality.  The 
Jews  here  spoken  of  may  have  been  in 
the  church,  destroying  its  peace  by 
unduly  exalting  Moses;  or  Jews  on 
the  outside  disturbing  it  by  opposition. 
The  existence  of  false  teachers  in  Ephe- 
sus  was  foretold  by  Paul  (Acts  20  ;  29). 
Their  existence  there  is  asserted  in  2 
Tim.  1  :  15.  We  find  evidence  also  of 
Gnostic  elements  in  the  churches. 
These  declared  that  matter  was  not  the 
creation  of  God,  that  matter  is  sinful, 
that  Jesus  had  no  real  fleshly  body, 
associated  almost  always  with  licen- 
tiousness in  life.  Teaching  that  matter 
is  of  necessity  sinful,  it  declared  that 
it  was  useless  to  try  to  keep  it  under 
control  or  subdue  it.  In  two  churches 
licentiousness  is  found  in  connection 
with  idolatrous  worship  (2  :  ",  20). 
Such  uncleanness  came  in  all  prob- 
ability from  Gnosticism.  As  to  the 
method  of  testing  false  teachei's  (2 :  2), 
the  churches  had  tlie  presence  of  men 
who  had  known  the  apostles,  the  apos- 
tolic traditions,  a  part  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament writings,  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

3.  As  to  persecution.  Persecutions 
had  taken  place,  to  which  allusion  is 
made  in  2  :  13.  Persecution  was  every- 
where associated  with  the  early  New 
Testament  church  life.  Sometimes  it 
was  widespread,  sometimes  merely 
local.  It  arose  sometimes  from  Jew- 
ish, sometimes  from  heathen,  sources. 
In  many  places  allusion  is  made  to 
the  endurance  needed.      Every  letter 


bears  witness  to  the  life  of  constant 
struggle.  Each  letter  closes  with  the 
promise  to  the  overcoming  man.  Tlie 
poverty  of  the  Smyrna  church  (2  :  ») 
may  have  been  due  to  social  and  busi- 
ness ostracism  or  to  persecution.  The 
letters  breathe  the  spirit  of  a  time  of 
tribulation  and  martyrdom. 

4.  The  ideal  of  the  church.  Christ's 
conception  of  the  church  is  every- 
where apparent — a  body  of  holy  peo- 
ple, overcoming  in  life,  patient,  en- 
during, full  of  love  and  helpfulness. 
He  desires  a  church  growing  in  all 
forms  of  church  life,  maintaining 
soundness  of  teaching,  apart  from  all 
moral  evil.  Jesus  rejoices  with  the 
churches  in  their  holy  life,  counsels 
them  in  their  infirmity,  upbraids  them 
in  their  weak  conformity  with  the 
world.  Nothing  will  satisfy  Jesus  but 
such  a  church  life  as  will  manifest  him 
to  the  world  in  the  fulness  of  his 
purity,  power,  life,  and  teaching.  A 
regenerate  membership  is  assumed. 
These  letters  know  nothing  of  any 
sacramental  power  in  the  church  itself 
or  in  the  ordinances.  Christ  alone  can 
save. 

5.  Individual  characteristics.  Each 
church  has  a  life  of  its  own.  Ephesus 
was  sound  in  faith,  active  in  service, 
but  lacking  in  love.  Smyrna  was  full 
of  service,  suifering,  persecution.  No 
censure  is  passed  on  this  church.  Per- 
gamos  is,  in  part,  faithful ;  in  part  lax 
in  discipline,  having  licentiousness  in 
the  church.  Thyatira  is  active  with  a 
growing  love,  but  lax  in  discipline  in 
permitting  a  false  teacher  to  remain  in 
the  church.  Worldliuess  has  largely 
come  into  the  church.  Sardis  was 
living  on  its  past.  It  has  a  dead  pres- 
ent. It  is  deficient  in  all  respects,  only 
a  few  holding  the  faith.  Philadelphia 
is  faithful,  limited  in  resources,  meet- 
ing with  opposition.  Laodicea  is  luke- 
warm in  affection  and  service,  mistaken 
as  to  its  own  condition.  Its  condition 
is  the  worst  of  the  seven. 

These  cuurches  are  looked  upon  as 
real  churches,  in  each  of  which  Christ 
has  a  real  interest.  Very  defective  some 
are,  yet  regarded  as  churches.  They 
fall  very  far  short,  taken  as  a  whole, 
from  the  ideal  of  the  church  as  pre- 
sented in  the  vision  (1  :  12).  In  some 
one  or  more  of  these  churches  every 
church  will  find  its  own  counterpart. 


Ch.  III. 


REVELATION 


175 


For  a  helpful  work  on  the  letters  to 
the  churches  read  Trench's  "  Letters 
to  the  Seven  Churches."  Also  Ram- 
say's. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  essential  to  the 
eflBciency  of  Christ's  work.  Without  his 
work,  no  one  would  feel  his  sin,  be  led  to 
Christ,  be  renewed  in  heart,  be  built  up 
in  holiness.  Jesus  has  the  Spirit,  and 
sends  the  Spirit  to  carry  on  his  work  in 
the  heart.  Jesus  is  the  intercessor  on 
high  with  God  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  in- 
tercessor in  the  heart  with  man  (ver.  1). 

2.  What  a  thing  really  is  depends  on 
wliat  God  thinks  of  it.  Jesus  compares 
man's  works  with  God's  requirements. 
Weighed  and  found  wanting  will  be 
written  on  every  man's  life,  apart  from 
the  forgiveness  of  Jesus  and  the  help  of 
God  (ver.  2). 

3.  Backsliding  will  be  remedied  by  a 
remembrance  of  the  first  love,  by  an 
earnest  repentance,  by  a  closer  walk  with 
God.  No  one  who  wishes  to  get  back  to 
God  is  too  far  away.  The  cure  for  back- 
sliding is  not  remorse,  but  repentance 
(ver.  3). 

4.  Truth  does  not  always  lie  with  major- 
ities. Few,  comparatively,  were  in  the 
church ;  lew  in  the  church,  compara- 
tively, were  real  Christians.  We  must 
not  walk  with  the  multitude,  but  with 
truth  (ver.  4). 

5.  Association  with  wealth,  fashion, 
worldliness  takes  away  the  spirituality  of 
the  life.  Only  in  a  separation  is  safety. 
It  is  possible  to  be  in  the  world,  but  not 
of  it.  In  the  worst  places  the  best  Chris- 
tian lives  may  be  formed.  Association 
with  Christ  here  involves  walking  with 
Christ  hereafter  (ver.  4,  5). 

6.  Even  the  whitest  garments  here  are 
defiled.  The  best  man  has  flaws  in  char- 
acter. Jesus  will  give  a  growing  white- 
ness here,  and  a  complete  whiteness  here- 
after (ver.  5.  6). 

7.  It  is  well  that  no  man  or  church  has 
power  to  shut  out  of  heaven  or  to  ad- 
mit. Stephen  was  stoned  as  unworthy  to 
live,  but  Jesus  opened  the  door  for  him 
(ver.  7). 

8.  When  Jesus  makes  an  open  door  for 
service,  it  should  be  entered.    Paul  had 


the  open  door,  and  entered  it  (ver.  8 ;  1 
Cor.  16  :  9). 

9.  Jesus  notices, and  rewards  faithful- 
ness on  the  part  of  his  servants.  Carey 
worked  seven  years  before  one  convert 
came.  God  gave  him  this  reward  that 
even  his  enemies  were  led  to  honor  him 
and  cherish  his  memory  (ver.  9). 

10.  Jesus  has  a  wonderful  keeping 
power.  Man  needs  a  keeping  Saviour,  for 
he  cannot  keep  himself  (ver.  10). 

11.  If  a  man  is  faithful,  Christ  will 
crown  him ;  if  he  is  faithless,  he  throws 
his  crown  away.  If  a  man  crowns  Christ 
as  his  king,  Jesus  will  crown  him  as 
friend  and  victor  (ver.  11). 

12.  To  belong  to  God  is  a  high  honor,  a 
pledge  of  safety,  and  an  incentive  to 
holiness  and  devotion.  Every  believer 
ought  to  write  Christ's  name  on  his 
business  and  life  (ver.  12). 

13.  Jesus  is  the  head  of  creation,  and 
bears  it  up.  He  is  faithful  in  maintaining 
the  laws  of  nature  ;  in  keeping  his  prom- 
ises. More  fixed  than  nature's  laws  are 
his  words  to  his  people  (ver.  11). 

14.  The  tendency  of  days  of  prosperity, 
when  Christianity  is  accepted  in  a  general 
way  by  all,  is  to  a  state  of  indifference. 
The  heart  begins  with  earnestness,  then 
loses  its  warmth  and  settles  down  into 
inactivity.  It  sometimes  is  easier  to  bring 
a  soul  to  Christ  than  to  arouse  and  revive 
a  dwindling  life  (ver.  15). 

15.  Jesus  can  do  nothing  with  luke- 
warm people  while  lukewarm.  He  loves 
outspokenness,  decision,  whole-hearted- 
ness.  An  outspoken  life,  like  Saul's,  be- 
comes the  whole-hearted  Paul  when 
Christ  comes  in.  It  is  better  for  a  life  to 
burn  out  tnnn  to  freeze  out  (ver.  16). 

16.  To  deceive  one's  self  is  easy.  A 
wrong  standard  of  judging,  the  overlook- 
ing of  our  faults,  with  Satan's  blinding, 
will  lead  astray.  It  is  a  wise  prayer: 
"  Show  me  myself."  Ps.  139  :  23,  24  is  a 
good  prayer  for  all  (ver.  17). 

17.  Jesus  has  all  things  needful  for  ma- 
king a  rich  and  beautiful  life.  Spiritual 
blessings,  golden  hopes,  the  blessedness 
of  forgiveness,  the  right  view  of  things, 
all  come  from  Christ  to  enrich  each  man 
who  is  willing  to  receive  them.  The 
poor  in  spirit  alone  can  buy  from  Jesus 
(ver.  18). 


176 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  III. 


18.  Jesus  sees  the  heart  that  he  may 
make  it  right.  His  love  is  an  incentive 
to  repentance  (ver.  11)). 

19.  Jesus  should  be  treated  as  well  as 
an  earthly  friend.  Many  are  good  Sa- 
maritans to  their  neighbors  who  vriU 
not  permit  Jesus  a  place  in  their  hearts 
(ver.  20) . 

20.  It  will  help  the  struggling  Christian 
to  remember  that  Jesus  passed  over  the 
same  road  He  knows  the  meaning  of 
life  in  all  its  fulness ;  its  temptations  and 
perils.  He,  having  overcome  them,  knows 
how  to  help  his  followers  to  overcome 
(ver.  21). 

21.  The  same  perils  confront  the 
churches  to-day  that  met  them  in  the 
first  century.  If  Je.sus  were  here  to-day 
in  person  he  would  speak  to  his  churches 
vrords  of  approval,  of  counsel,  of  censure, 
of  threatening.  He  has  the  same  mind 
to-day  that  is  revealed  in  these  letters. 
If  the  churches  belong  to  Christ  they 
must  listen  to  Christ  (ver.  22). 

Section  III.  Chapters  IV,  V. 
The  vision  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb.  The.se  chapters,  which  form 
part  of  one  whole,  are  introductory  to 
the  main  contents  of  the  book.  With- 
out them  the  remaining  parts  would 
be  unintelligible.  We  have  had  a 
vision  of  the  Lord  .Tesus  as  a  present, 
ever-living,  conquering  Chri.st,  having 
in  mind  his  churches  for  their  upbuild- 
ing in  faith  and  the  subjection  of  their 
foes.  We  have  seen  the  churches  in 
their  actual  life,  their  corruptions  in 
doctrine,  the  opposition  of  Satan,  the  se- 
ductions of  worldliness.  The  churches 
are  partly  conquering,  partly  con- 
quered. Before  the  future  is  revealed, 
the  struggles  yet  to  come,  the  new 
forms  of  evil  that  should  arise  with 
the  growing  corruption  in  the  church, 
there  is  first  l)rought  to  view  a  sight  of 
the  glorious  Father  in  whom  all  power 
resides.  Back  of  and  above  all  nature, 
history,  all  the  forces  about  us,  is  the 
great  God.  We  see  in  this  vision  how 
God's  thoughts  and  plans  concern  the 
churches  on  the  earth.  We  see  the 
churches,  not  exi.sting  apart  from  his 
control,  but  under  his  control.  The 
churches  engaged  in  struggles  on  the 
earth  may  well  feel  encouraged  when 
they  know  that  this  great  God  is  in- 


terested in  them.  The  same  one  who 
is  worshiped  by  the  angels,  and  by  the 
saved  of  all  ages,  is  their  friend.  There 
is  also  a  vision  of  Jesus,  the  conquer- 
ing Christ,  conquering  because  a  cru- 
cified Saviour.  The  church  is  his, 
bought  with  his  blood  ;  it  is  his  to-day. 
No  one  apart  from  revelation  may  even 
guess  what  its  future  shall  be.  Its  his- 
tory is  a  sealed  book.  But  Jesus  fore- 
tells it  in  a  highly  figurative  way, 
unfolds  it  not  for  the  gratification  of 
curiosity,  not  as  mere  history  with  its 
definite  dates,  but  in  a  large  and  gen- 
eral way  gives  its  outlines.  It  is  not  a 
history  written  beforehand.  But  the 
future  is  revealed,  as  it  were,  in  the 
form  of  parables.  Jesus  is  the  founder 
of  the  church,  he  is  also  its  prophet, 
making  known  the  general  course  of 
its  struggles  and  its  triumphs.  He  is 
also  that  mighty  one  who  brings  the 
things  thus  foretold  to  pass.  The  history 
of  the  church  is  not  an  accident.  Jesus 
is  .seen  as  the  center  of  an  admiring 
worship  on  the  part  of  the  redeemed, 
of  all  the  creation,  because  it  is  seen 
that  the  unfolding  of  the  church's  his- 
tory is  under  his  control.  Before  John 
and  the  struggling  churches  of  that 
day,  before  us  in  this  day,  is  the  sight 
of  the  Almighty  God  caring  for  the 
churches ;  the  sight  of  Jesus,  the  Lamb 
of  God,  having  their  safety,  their  prog- 
ress and  development,  their  outcome  in 
glory  under  his  own  personal  control. 
We  have  in  chapter  V  a  sealed  book, 
the  history  of  God's  cause  on  the  earth. 
We  then  have  an  unsealing  Saviour. 
The  remaining  chapters  of  this  book 
give  the  contents  of  that  unsealed 
book. 

The  Lord  Jesus  stands  forth  as  God's 
great  agent,  not  simply  as  unfolding 
what  is  to  be,  but  as  the  one  bringing 
it  to  pass.  Nothing  less  than  this  could 
have  presented  so  great  a  difficulty — a 
difficulty  too  great  to  be  removed  by 
the  assembled  holy  intelligences.  It 
was  a  work  of  opposition,  of  war,  of 
conquest,  as  is  evident  from  the  term 
applied  to  Jesus,  "  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah."  The  work  before  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  universal  po.s.session  and 
sovereignty  of  the  earth,  (see  Matt.  28  .- 
is)  The  book  is  therefore  the  book  of 
the  inheritance,  laying  open  the  way 
in  which  the  earth  is  to  be  placed  under 
subjection  to  Christ,    It  is  sealed  com- 


Ch.  IV.] 


REVELATION 


177 


Vision  of  God  and  his  throne;  the  worship 
in  heaven. 

4  AFTER  this  I  looked,  and,  behold, 
oa  door  ivas  opened  in  heaven:  and 
Pthe  first  voice  which  I  heard  wot  as  it 
were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me ; 
which  said,  iCouie  up  hither,  'and  I 


4  AFTER  these  things  I  saw,  and, 
behold,  a  door  set  open  in  heaven, 
and  that  first  voice  wnich  I  beard  at 
of  a  trumpet  speaking  with  me,  say- 
ing, Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show 


o  Ezek.  1:1.  p  1  :  10.  j  11  :  IS  ;  comp.  Kiek.  3  :  12  ;  8  :  S ;  2  Cor.  12  :  1, 


r  1  :  19 ;  M  :  «. 


pletely,  a  complicated  mystery.  It  is 
as  redeemer  that  Jesus  is  seen  ap- 
proaching the  book,  to  disclose  and 
fulfil  its  burden.  The  method  by 
which  Jesus  is  to  enter  upon  his  right- 
ful possession  is  through  his  media- 
torial work,  through  his  cross,  and 
all  the  spiritual  agencies  that  spring 
from  the  cross.  (se«  Joho  h  :sj.)  There 
must  first  be  the  gathering  of  a  people 
to  be  the  agent  and  helper  of  Christ, 
and  then  the  putting  down  of  all  oppo- 
sition. From  the  nature  of  the  case 
this  work  will  embrace  a  wide  terri- 
tory, many  centuries,  many  agencies, 
but  of  the  issue  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
We  have  here  the  marshaling  of  the 
moral  and  spiritual  forces — the  Al- 
mighty God,  the  Redeemer,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  good  angels,  the  powers  and 
activities  of  nature  under  the  control 
of  God.  Again  and  again  in  this  book, 
at  the  end  of  each  section,  there  is  the 
assurance  or  statement  of  the  final 
triumph.  This  section  is  therefore  a 
general  one,  preparatory  to  the  details 
of  the  varying  forms  of  the  opposition, 
the  conflict,  and  the  victory.  Having 
seen  the  church  as  it  actually  is  in  the 
world  in  chapters  II,  III,  the  seer  now 
gives  us  a  representation  of  the  vic- 
torious progress  that  awaits  her  in  her 
future  and  impending  conflicts.  If  the 
book  of  Revelation  were  to  close  at  the 
end  of  this  section,  we  would  be  aware 
of  an  intense  opposition  to  the  Christly 
reign,  of  a  long  series  of  events  before 
the  final  consummation,  of  mighty 
forces  to  be  engaged  on  both  sides,  and 
of  a  great  and  abiding  victory  for  the 
Redeemer  at  the  close.  Heaven  is  jubi- 
lant as  it  beholds  the  issue  of  the  strug- 
gle. Compare  Porter,  "The  Messages 
of  the  Apocalyptical  Writers,"  on  these 
chapters. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Here  is  a  vision  of  the  Almighty 
Father  upon  the  throne.  A  view  is 
given  of  the  very  center  and  source  of 

M 


all  power.  God  is  the  holy  and 
almightj^  God — a  ruler.  Unseen  by 
men  his  plans  and  power  extend 
through  the  universe.  Fittingly  in 
this  chapter  we  get,  first,  a  sight  of 
God.  In  the  next  chapter  is  a  sight  of 
Jesus,  through  whom  God  works.  The 
book  unfolds,  in  an  orderly  way,  the 
development  of  Christ's  cause  upon 
the  earth.  Back  of  the  church  and  its 
progress  on  the  earth  is  Christ,  its  head 
and  ruler.  Back  of  Christ  is  God  the 
Father.    John  shows  to  us  God. 

1.  An  open  door.  We  have  a  door 
opened  into  heaven,  through  which 
John  gets  a  view  of  God  and  his  wor- 
ship. It  is  a  heavenly  portraiture  of 
what  will  soon  take  place  upon  the 
earth.  He  is  called  hither  by  the 
voice  heard  in  1  :  10. 

After  this  means  soon  after,  in 
close  connection  with  the  vision  which 
precedes  in  1  :  19.  Looked,  rather, 
saw.  Door  Avas  opened,  rather,  a 
door  opened.  He  saw  the  door  stand- 
ing open,  he  did  not  see  it  when  opened. 
Through  this  opened  door  he  looked 
into  heaven.  The  scene  is  placed  in 
the  upper  sanctuary,  not  upon  the 
earth.  It  is  in  wisdom  and  mercy  that 
a  door  is  opened  so  that  men  may  know 
what  God  is  and  does  and  plans  to  do. 
Apart  from  revelation  we  may  only 
guess  what  shall  be  in  after  ages,  and 
what  the  upper  life  is.  The  first 
voice  alludes  to  the  voice  heard  in 
1  :  19.  He  does  not  mean  the  first 
voice  as  distinguished  from  the  many 
voices  afterward  heard  in  this  book, 
but  the  first  voice  heard.  Omit  was. 
Which  said,  rather,  one  saying.  In 
the  opened  heaven  he  saw  the  vision 
of  things  to  occur  on  the  earth.  He 
saw  history  in  the  making.  The  vision 
is  also  for  us  that  we  may  look  through 
the  opened  door  with  John. 

2,  3.  A  SIGHT  OF  God.  We  have 
a  statement  of  what  John  saw.  Natu- 
rally he  would  see  first  that  great  Being 
without  whom  creation  and  redemption 


178 


EEVELATIO^ 


[Ch.  IV. 


will  show  thee  things  which  must  be 
hereafter. 

2  And  immediately  » I  was  in  the  spirit. 
And,  behold,  'a  tlirone  was  set  in 
heaven,   and  one  sat  on  the  throne : 

3  and  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like 
a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone.  "And 
there  tvas  a  riiinbow  round  about  the 
throne,  in  siglit  like  unto  au  emerald. 


thee  the  things  which  must  take  place 
after  these. 

2  Straightway  I  was  in  the  Spirit ;  and, 
behold,  there  was  a  throne  set  iu 
heaven,  and  one  sitting  on  the  throne  ; 

3  and  he  who  sat  was  in  appearance  like 
a  jasper  stone  and  a  sardius  ;  and  there 
was  a  rainbow  round  the  throne,  in 


»  1  :  10 ;  17  :  3 ;  21  :  10. 


t  Isa.  6:1;  Jer.  17  :  12  ;  Ezek.  1  :  26-28  ;  10  :  1 ;  Dan.  7  :  9. 


Ezek.  1  :  28. 


and  providence  could  not  be.  John  I 
first  sees  God.  No  description  of  him 
is  here  given  in  a  di.stinct  way.  He 
is  revealed,  in  a  general  way,  as  a 
being  of  holiness  and  majesty  com- 
bined with  grace.  The  jasper  reveals 
his  holiness ;  the  sardius  his  righteous- 
ness ;  the  rainbow  his  gracious  dis- 
position. 

2.  It  is  better  to  join  hereafter, 
which  is,  literally,  after  these  things, 
with  this  verse,  reading  as  in  the 
Margin  of  the  Revised  version,  After 
these  things  immediately  I  Avas 
in  the  spirit.  As  in  1  :  10  he  sees 
this  heavenly  vision  as  with  outward 
eyes,  but  really  in  an  uplifted  spiritual 
state.  Paul  speaks  of  his  heavenly 
vision  in  the  same  way  (2  cor.  12  : 2). 
The  expression,  in  the  spirit,  is  always 
used  without  the  article,  literally,  in 
spirit.  This  does  not  mean  in  the  dis- 
embodied state,  nor  under  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  nor  in  a  state  of  holiness, 
but  in  a  state  of  spiritual  ecstasy,  in  a 
special  relation  to  him  who  is  Spirit. 
A  throne  was  set  in  heaven, 
rather,  there  was  a  throne  set  in  heaven. 
He  did  not  see  it  placed  there.  Look- 
ing through  the  door  he  saw  it  already 

located.       (Comp.  Ezek.  l;   Dan.  7  :  9.)       OUB 

sat  on  the  throne,  rather,  one  sitting. 
This  is  intended  to  represent  the  Father. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  spoken  of  in  ver.  5 ; 
Jesus  is  introduced  in  5:6.  Moses 
?Exod.  S3 :  23),  Isaiah  (na.  6),  Ezekiel 
(Ezek.  1  :  26),  all  had  manifestations  of 
the  Godhead.  No  attempt  is  made  to 
describe  him  in  a  definite  and  detailed 
way.  It  is  intimated,  though  in  an  in- 
definite way,  that  the  divine  person  is 
shadowed  forth  in  a  human  form,  as  in 
Isa.  6:1,5;  Ezek.  1  :  26 ;  Dan.  7  :  19 ; 
Exod.  33  :  23 ;  comp.  Deut.  4:12.  God 
is  spirit  (John  4  :  24),  hencc  no  repre- 
sentation of  him  can  be  made.  His 
moral  nature  is  revealed  in  a  clear  and 
distinct  way.  John  makes  no  attempt 
to  describe  the  unspeakable  glory  of 


the  person  of  the  Father,  though  he 
speaks  of  his  hand  in  5:1.  Art  has 
never  undertaken  to  describe  the  per- 
son of  the  Father  or  Spirit,  reserving 
its  powers  to  describe  the  person  of 
Jesus,  who  had  a  real  human  form. 
The  vision  guards  us  against  material- 
istic and  debasing  conceptions  of  God. 
We  see  God  through  Jesus  Christ. 

3.  We  now  have  the  character  of 
God  described  in  highly  figurative  ex- 
pressions. He  is  like  jasper,  a  pre- 
cious stone  described  as  red,  green, 
yellow.  By  a  comparison  with  21  :  11 
it  must  be  understood  here  as  having  a 
pure  whiteness.  The  Father  is  a  God 
of  utter  holiness  of  character.  Sar- 
dine, rather,  sardius,  is  a  sparkling 
red  stone.  This  signifies  God's  right- 
eousness that  comes  out  in  punishment, 
that  can  tread  down  the  oppressor,  that 
can  punish  the  ungodly.  God  is  not 
this  only ;  if  he  were,  there  would  be 
no  hope  for  us.  To  be  holy  and  right- 
eous would  mean  heaven  for  the  holy 
and  hell  for  the  ungodly,  but  no  salva- 
tion for  sinful  men.  The  rainbow  is 
significant  of  mercy,  of  hope.  The 
rainbow  is  the  emblem  of  God's  cove- 
nant of  grace  (Gen.  9:13).  Whether 
the  rainbow  was  all  green,  emerald, 
or  Avhether  it  was  restful  to  the  eye  as 
this  color,  cannot  be  determined.  John 
sees  and  describes  God  as  a  holy,  right- 
eous, and  merciful  being.  Such  a  God 
may  be  loved,  admired,  sought  after. 
Such  a  God  can  welcome  pardoned  sin- 
ners to  heaven.  Tenderness  and  holi- 
ness are  united  in  a  glorious  way  la 

God  (1  P«^'"  a  :  6,  8  ;   Heb.  12  :  28). 

4-8.  The  attendants  of  God: 
the  elders,  the  holy  spirit,  the 
LIVING  CREATURES.  John  next  sees 
the  representatives  of  the  redeemed 
church  above.  It  would  be  a  great 
encouragement  to  John  and  his  fellow- 
Christians,  suffering  distress,  to  know 
that  their  brothers  are  in  heaven,  shar- 
ing its  joy  and  power.  It  is  a  prophecy 


Ch.  IV.] 


REVELATION 


179 


4  *  And  round  about  the  throne  tvere 
four  and  twenty  seats:  and  upon  the 
seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sit- 
ting, y clothed  in  white  raiment:  'and 
they  had  on  t.ieir  heads    crowns   of 

5  gold.  And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded 
» lightnings  and  thunderings  and 
voices;  ^and  there  were  seven  lamps  of 
fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which 


4  appearance  like  an  emerald ;  and 
around  the  throne  were  twenty-four 
thrones ;  and  on  the  thrones  t\\  enty- 
four  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white 
garments,  and  on  their  heads  crowns 

5  of  gold.  And  out  of  the  throne  come 
forth  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thun- 
ders ;  and  there  were  seven  lamps  of 
fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which. 


X  11  :  16 ;  Dan.  T  :  22 ;  Matt.  19  :  28 ;  Luke  22  :  30. 

a  a  :  S ;  16  :  18 ;  Exod.  19  :  16 ;  Ps.  18  .  13,  14. 


y  3  :  *,  5;  19  :8,  14. 


s  Ver.  10. 


5  Ezek.  1  :  13;  Zech.  4  :  2. 


that  they,  through  faithfulness,  may 
dwell  in  God's  presence. 

(1)  The  elders.  About  the  throne 
are  twenty-four  elders  representing 
the  redeemed  of  both  dispensations. 
They  delight  to  be  near  God,  pure  in 
heart,  crowned  as  kings  (ver.  4). 

(2)  The  Holy  Spirit.  As  indicative 
of  the  judgments  about  to  come  upon 
the  earth  lightnings  proceed  from  the 
throne.  Seven  bright  burning  lights 
stand  for  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  com- 
pleteness of  his  work,  lighting  up  God's 
providences,  always  accompanying  his 
works.  The  Spirit  throws  light  upon 
God  and  his  ways  (ver.  5). 

(3)  The  four  living  creatures.  Before 
the  throne  is  a  glassy  sea  adding  to  the 
majesty  of  the  scene.  Four  creatures, 
full  of  life,  are  seen,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  throne.  They  are  nearest  God 
in  their  approach.  They  are  full  of 
intelligence  and  activity,  of  holiness 
and  praise.  _  Unceasingly  they  attribute 
to  the  Almighty  the  possession  of  com- 
plete holiness  of  character.  They  begin 
the  praise  that  fills  the  heavenly  tem- 
ple (ver.  6-8). 

4.  Seats,  rather,  thrones.  These 
are  subordinate  to  the  great  central 
throne.  The  elders  are  spoken  of  in 
many  places  in  this  book  (i :  10,  11 ;  5 : 

5,    6,    8-11,    14;     7  :  11,    13-17;    11  :  16-18;    14  :  3  ; 

i»  :  *).  They  represent  the  redeemed 
people  from  the  earth,  both  the  Old 
and  New  Testament  saints.  There 
were  twelve  tribes,  representing  God's 
people  of  the  olden  times.  There  were 
twelve  apostles,  representing  the  New 
Testament  followers  of  God.  For  allu- 
sions to  the  twelve  apostles  see  Matt. 
19  :  28 ;  Luke  22  :  30 ;  Rev.  21  :  12,  14. 
The  elders  stand  for  conscious  persons, 
for  they  ofi'er  voluntary  worship ;  they 
display  intelligence  and  sympathy 
(7 :  13).  They  represent  the  redeemed 
from  the  earth,  for  they  ascribe  salva- 


tion to  Christ  (5 :  8-11).  They  act  in  a 
priestly  way  (5  ;  8).  The  vision  reveals 
to  John  that  the  godly  are  not  lost,  but 
possess  a  personal  life.  They  worship 
God,  they  have  sympathy  with  their 
struggling  brothers,  they  have  power 
with  God.  They  are  pure,  clothed  in 
white  raiment;  they  are  kings,  they 
have  golden  crowns. 

5.  There  is  now  a  revelation  of 
another  person  of  the  Godhead,  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Naturally,  in  order  of 
thought,  Jesus  would  next  be  presented. 
When  he  appears  it  is  in  close  connec- 
tion with  the  history  and  development 
of  the  church  that  belongs  to  him. 
Proceeded,  rather,  proceed.  John, 
in  vision,  beholds  and  hears  light- 
nings, thunderings,  and  voices. 
They  awaken  awe,  reveal  God's  power, 
show  the  terribleness  of  his  dealings. 
They  reveal  nothing  of  special  sig- 
nificance, but  they  make  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  the  mind  of  John.  They 
show  the  severer  side  of  God's  nature, 
and  prepare  the  way  for  his  heavy 
punishments  upon  the  wicked,  as  shown 
in  this  book.  In  whatever  way  God  is 
revealed,  it  must  be  through  symbols, 
whose  meaning  will  be  plain  to  us.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  now  revealed  to  us  under 
the  figure  of  seven  lamps  of  fire 
burning  before  the  throne.  In 
the  tabernacle  was  the  seven-branched 
candlestick.  The  churches  are  repre- 
sented by  the  seven  lampstands  (i  :  20). 
In  Zech.  4  the  seven-branched  candle- 
stick represents  the  Holy  Spirit.  These 
lights  irradiate  the  throne  of  God.  The 
great  mission  and  purpose  of  the  Spirit 
is  to  reveal  the  character  of  God,  to 
make  known  his  will  to  men.  As  the 
Spirit  has  no  bodily  shape,  it  is  fitting 
that  the  fire,  bright,  consuming,  ir- 
radiating, should  stand  for  his  work. 
The  Spirit  is  an  eternal  person,  revealed 
especially  in  the  New  Testament,  after 


180 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IV. 


6  are  "^the  seven  Spirits  of  God.  And 
before  the  throne  Ihere  was  "i  a  sea  of 
glass  like  unto  crj-stal.  'And  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about 
the  throne,  were  four  beasts  full  of  eyes 

7  before  and  behind,  f  And  the  first 
beast  xuas  like  a  lion,  and  the  second 
beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  beast 
had  a  face  as  a  man,  and  the  fourth 


6  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  ;  and  be- 
fore the  throne  as  it  were  a  glassy  sea 
like  crystal ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  aud  around  the  throne,  four 
living  creatures  full  of  eyes  before  and 

7  behind.  And  the  first  creature  was 
like  a  lion,  and  the  second  creature 
like  a  calf,  and  the  third  creature 
having  the  face  as  of  a  man,  and  the 


C  1  :4;  Zech.  4  :  10;  Matt.  3  ^  H. 


d  15  :  2  ;  Exod.  24  : 
/  Ezek.  10  :  14,  20-22. 


e  Isa.  6:1-3;  Ezek.  1  :  5-10. 


the  ascension  of  Christ.  Where  God 
is,  the  Spirit  is.  The  Spirit  opens  the 
works  and  words  of  God  to  us ;  at  tlie 
same  time  he  opens  our  hearts  to  re- 
ceive them  and  understand  them. 

6.  We  here  meet  witli  four  myste- 
rious representations,  with  forms  unlike 
anytliing  in  actual  life.  If  they  were 
portrayed  on  canvas  they  would  be 
grotesque  and  repulsive.  But  taken  as 
representations  of  moral  ideas,  they 
are  highly  suggestive.  These  are  most 
mysterious  of  all  the  attendants  upon 
the  Almighty.  They  are  nearest  in 
their  approach  to  God ;  they  lead  in 
the  worship  of  God  as  Creator.  All 
the  surroundings  of  the  throne  are 
beautiful,  instructive,  pleasing  to  the 
eye.  And  .  .  .  crystal,  rather,  ^>kZ 
before  the  throne  as  it  were  a  glassy  sea, 
like  crystal.  Before  the  temple  was  a 
sea,  the  brazen  vessel,  full  of  water  (i 
Kings  7  :  23).  In  frout  of  the  upper  tem- 
ple is  this  glassy  sea,  perhaps  solid 
(15 : 2) J  giving  the  idea  of  calmness,  of 
repose,  as  when  the  sea  is  quiet.  In 
all  likelihood  the  figure  of  the  brazen 
laver  on  the  earth  suggested  the  glassy 
sea  in  the  upper  life.  No  unclean  man 
could  enter  the  earthly  temple;  he 
must  remove  all  defilement  in  the 
laver.  No  uncleanness  can  enter  the 
upper  sanctuary ;  all  is  moral  clean- 
ness there.  The  glassy  sea  suggests 
and  declares  holiness  as  an  essential  of 
heaven.  In  the  midst  of  the  throne. 
This  does  not  mean  that  they  supported 
the  throne  or  formed  a  part  of  it,  but 
suggests  their  nearness  to  it,  their  iden- 
tification with  the  life  and  plans  of 
God.  Each  one  may  have  stood  at  the 
middle  part  of  one  side  of  the  throne. 
Round  about,  on  each  side.  Beasts, 
rather,  living  creatures.  Nothing  is 
more  unfortunate  than  the  rendering, 
beast.  The  word  rightly  rendered 
beast,  is  found  in  1.3  :  1-4,  meaning  a 
savage,  wild,  fierce  creature.    Here  the 


word  means  a  creature  whose  whole 
being  is  distinguished  by  life  in  its 
fulness.  It  not  only  exists,  as  do  all 
creatures,  but  it  has  life  as  its  char- 
acteristic. The  foundation  for  these 
mysterious  forms  is  found  in  Ezekiel 
and  Isaiah.  In  Ezekiel  we  see  four 
cherubim,  each  in  the  form  of  a  man, 
having  four  faces  each,  four  wings 
each,  alongside  of  whom  were  wheels 
full  of  eyes.  In  Ezek.  12  the  entire 
l)ody  was  full  of  eyes,  signifying  the 
fulness  of  intelligence.  In  Isa.  6  we 
have  the  seraphim,  meaning  the  shi- 
ning ones,  in  the  form  of  a  man,  with 
six  wings  each,  crying,  "Holy,  holy, 
holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Over  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  (Exoa.  26  :  i),  and  on 
the  inside  of  the  tabernacle,  were  fig- 
ures of  cherubim,  whose  form  is  no- 
where accurately  described.  The  living 
creatures  here  described  are  unlike 
any  other  Old  Testament  figures,  com- 
liining  the  forms  of  Ezekiel  and  Isaiah. 
We  may  notice  the  characteristics  of 
these  creatures.  They  are  full  of  in- 
telligence, as  shown  by  the  eyes  in  all 
parts  of  the  body.  The  upraised  wings 
are  also  full  of  eyes ;  they  uuweariedly 
praise  God  for  his  complete  holiness ; 
they  represent  the  highest  forms  of  the 
intelligent  creation,  the  man,  the  ox, 
the  eagle,  the  lion.  AVliile  intimately 
associated  with  the  redeemed  from  the 
earth,  represented  by  the  twenty-four 
elders,  they  are  at  the  same  time  dis- 
tinct from  them.  The  number  four 
signifies  a  certain  kind  of  complete- 
ness, one  on  each  side  of  the  throne. 
They  join  with  the  elders  in  the  praise 
for  redemption. 

7.  Iteast,  rather,  creature.  It  is 
probable  that  in  every  case  the  body 
was  that  of  a  man  with  the  differing 
heads.  These  four  forms  present  the 
four  highest  classes  of  the  animate 
creation.  As  a  man,  rather,  as  of  a 
man.    The  Septuagiut  translators  often 


Ch.  IV.] 


REVELATION 


181 


8  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  And  the 
four  beasts  had  each  of  them  esix 
wings  about  him ;  and  they  were  ^  full 
of  eyes  within.  And  they  rest  not  day 
and  night,  saving, 

i"Holy,  ho'ly,  holy— Lord   God   Al- 
mighty "  [Isa.  6  :  ;<], 
k  Which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come. 

9  And  when  those  beasts  give  glory 
and  honour  and  thanks  to  him  that 
sat  on  the  throne,  '  who  liveth  for  ever 

10  and  ever,  ""the  four  and  twenty  elders 
fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  the 
throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  ■>  and  cast  their 
crowns  before  the  throne,  saying, 

11  •  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord— to  receive 
glory  and  honour  and  power : 

p  For  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
And  ifor  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 
were  created. 


fourth  creature  like  an  eagle  flying. 

8  And  the  four  creatures  having  each 
of  them  six  wings,  around  and  within 
are  full  of  eyes ;  and  they  have  no  rest 
day  and  night,  saying.  Holy,  holy, 
holy,  is  the  Lord  God,  the  Almighty, 
who  was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is  to 
come. 

9  And  when  the  living  creatures  shall 
give  glory,  and  honor,  and  thanks,  to 
him  who  sits  on  the  throne,  to  him 

10  wtio  lives  forever  and  ever,  the  twenty- 
four  elders  will  fall  down  before  him 
who  sits  on  the  throne,  and  will  wor- 
ship him  who  lives  forever  and  ever, 
and  will  cast  their  crowns  before  the 
throne,  saying,  Worthy  art  thou,  our 
Lord  and  our  God,  to  receive  the  giory, 
and  the  honor,  and  the  power ;  because 
thou  didst  create  all  things,  and  be- 
cause of  thy  will  they  were,  and  were 
created. 


g  Isa.  6:2.  h  Ver.  6 ;  Ezek.  1  :  18 ;  10  :  12.  i  Isa.  6:3.  ft  1  :  4 ;  Ps.  90  :  1. 

I  1  :  18 ;  5  :  14 ;  Exod.  15  :  18 ;  Isa.  40  :  28 ;  Jer.  10  :  10 ;  Heb.  7  :  25.  m  5  :  8,  14. 

n  Ver.  4.  o  5  ;  12 ;  1  Chron.  16  :  27,  28 ;  29  :  10-12  ;  Neh.  9  :  5,  6. 

p  Gen.  1:1;  Heb.  3:4.  {  Prov.  16  :  4 ;  Rom.  11  :  36. 


render  the  Greek  term  for  calf  by  ox 

(Exod.  22  :  l). 

8.  Here  we  have  a  further  descrip- 
tion of  the  living  creatures  and  their 
worship.  The  six  wings  (comp.  isa.  e) 
indicate  swiftness.  The  eyes  indicate 
great  intelligence.  Day  and  night 
reveals  the  untiring  energy  that  re- 
joices in  con.stant  praise.  The  three- 
fold praise,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  may 
indicate  a  threefold  distinction  in  the 
person  of  the  Godhead,  hinted  at  in  the 
Old  Testament,  revealed  fully  in  the 
New  Testament.  God  is  defined  in  a 
threefold  way,  the  one  who  had  no  be- 
ginning, the  present  one,  the  one  who 
is  to  be  made  manifest  in  the  future. 
While  there  is  no  allusion  to  Christ, 
the  close  union  of  Christ  with  God, 
and  his  second  coming  taken  together, 
form  this  e.xpression  :  and  is  to  come 
(1  :  8).    Heaven  is  a  place  of  worship. 

9-11.  The  song  of  heaven.  The 
four  creatures  give  unceasing  praise  to 
God  on  the  throne.  The  redeemed 
from  the  earth  follow  in  praise.  They 
praise  him  especially  for  his  creative 
power,  in  that  through  him  all  things 
began  to  be  and  exist  (ver.  9-11). 

9,  10.  The  Revised  version  renders. 
And  tvhen  the  living  creatures  shall 
give  glory  and  honor  and  thanks  to  hhn 
that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  the  twenty- 
four  elders  shall  fall  down.  The  future 
tense  is  not  unlikely  a  frequentative, 


meaning  as  often  as  they  lead  in  praise 
the  twenty-four  elders  will  follow  in 
praise.  The  living  creatures  lead  in 
the  worship.  They  give  a  threefold 
service,  glory,  honor,  thanks.  The 
elders  express  their  homage  in  a  three- 
fold way,  they  fail  down,  they  wor- 
ship, they  cast  their  crowns  before 
him.  They  are  high  in  station ;  but  a 
vast  gulf  separates  them  from  the  in- 
finite Creator.  Their  crowns,  either  as 
kings  or  conquerors,  they  ascribe  to 
him.  What  they  are,  he  graciously 
made  them. 

11.  We  have  the  words  of  praise, 
Thou  art . .  .  power,  rather,  Worthy 
art  thou,  our  Lord  and  our  God,  to  re- 
ceive the  glory  and  the  honor,  and  the 
power.  He  receives  praise  as  Creator ; 
the  praise  for  redemption  comes  out  in 
the  further  vi.sion.  For  . .  .  created, 
rather.  For  thou  didst  create  all  things, 
and  because  of  thy  will  they  were,  and 
were  created.  God  is  praised  as  creator 
of  all  things. 

Note. — Symbols  as  teachers.  In  the 
Old  Testament  great  stress  is  laid  upon 
teaching  by  symbols.  The  books  of 
Isaiah,  Zechariah,  Daniel,  Jeremiah, 
contain  illustrations  of  this  method  of 
teaching.  The  tabernacle  and  the 
temple  were,  in  their  entirety,  sym- 
bolic teachings.  The  altar  which  the 
man  entering   first   faced   announced 


182 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  V. 


The  sealed  book  to  be  opened  by  the  Redeemer ; 

songs  of  praise  to  him. 
5     AND  I  saw  iu  the  right  hand  of  him 


5     AND  I  saw,  in  the  right  hand  of  him 


the  man's  sin.  The  lavei-  declared  that 
no  unholy  man  could  meet  God.  The 
altar  of  incense  affirmed  the  accept- 
ance of  prayer.  The  shewbread  and 
the  lamp  revealed  the  strength  and  joy 
of  God's  fellowship.  In  the  holiest  of 
all  God  dwelt  in  a  symbolic  way ;  there 
■was  access  to  him  through  a  mediator, 
and  forgiveness  through  the  blood. 
The  entire  gospel  Avas  announced 
through  the  structure  of  the  building 
erected  according  to  God's  plan. 

When  God  would  announce  the  future 
of  his  church,  and  the  character  of  tlie 
heavenly  life,  this  is  done  through 
figures  and  symbols.  That  God  reigns 
in  the  universe  is  shown  by  a  throne. 
That  God  is  faithful  to  his  promise  is 
shown  by  the  rainbow.  That  God  is  the 
center  of  the  moral  universe  is  shown 
by  the  worship  rendered  him  by  all 
creatures;  God's  hidden  purposes  is 
manifested  by  a  sealed  book.  The  un- 
folding of  the  future,  and  of  the  real- 
ities of  the  unseen  life,  may  be  given 
more  impressively  and  often  in  a 
plainer  way  by  figures  than  by  words. 
The  problem  before  the  reader  of  this 
book  is  to  ascertain  what  the  symbols 


Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Heaven  is  not  a  sealed  place  to  us. 
Though  no  one  on  earth  has  ever  seen  it, 
we  maybe  thankful  that  a  door  is  opened 
into  it  through  Jesus  Christ  (ver.  1). 

2.  God  is  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse. No  one  can  break  down  his  throne, 
though  men  may  make  war  upon  him, 
forget  him,  deny  his  existence.  God  re- 
mains God,  and  will  hold  his  enemies  in 
derision  (ver.  2;  Ps.  2). 

3.  God  is  not  simply  holiness  and  jus- 
tice, else  there  would  be  no  salvation  for 
us.  He  is  not  all  mercy,  else  punishment 
would  not  come.  As  all  the  primary 
colors  make  the  white,  so  all  moral  qual- 
ities give  him  a  nature  pure  and  un 
spotted  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  redeemed  of  all  ages  will  find 
their  home  iu  heaven,  in  God's  immediate 
presence.  They  pass  out  of  imperfect 
lives  into  lives  of  purity,  and  are  crowned 


as  conquerors.    Every  age  will  contribute 
its  share  to  the  heavenly  host  (ver.  4). 

5.  God's  thunderings  have  no  terror  for 
his  children.  They  abide  under  the 
shadow  of  his  wings  His  throne  is  one 
of  grace  and  help  for  his  people  (ver.  5). 

6.  The  highest  qualities  of  mind  are 
needed  in  God's  service— courage,  endur- 
ance, wisdom,  high  aspiration.  One  talent 
rightly  used  is  better  than  ten  talents 
unused  (ver.  7). 

7.  God  is  worthy  of  receiving  honor 
from  men  and  thanks.  Worship  is  be- 
coming to  us,  and  acceptable  to  him. 
Heaven  is  full  of  praise,  for  it  is  full  of 
the  sense  of  God's  goodness. 

CHAPTER  V. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  we  had  a 
sight  of  tlie  Almighty  God  on  his  throne, 
surrounded  by  living  creatures  and  the 
redeemed,  in  worship.  We  now  have 
a  sight  of  Jesus  in  a  twofold  relation 
to  God  and  his  own  people. 

We  stand  at  the  portals  of  the  main 
thought  of  the  book,  the  unfolding  of 
the  course  of  the  Redeemer's  cause  on 
the  earth.  Jesus,  the  Redeemer,  that 
mighty  one  seen  in  vision  in  1  :  13-18, 
is  again  seen  actively  engaged  for  his 
people,  in  opening  to  them  their  future, 
and  in  leading  the  way  to  triumph. 
Three  persons  stand  out  conspicuously  : 
(3rod  the  Father,  giving  to  the  Son  the 
revelation  of  things  to  come,  making 
disclosures  of  the  divine  plan ;  Jesus 
the  Mediator,  that  one  who  through  the 
entire  course  of  human  history  is  the 
middle  man  between  God  and  man  ; 
John  the  revelator,  seeing  in  symbol 
the  divine  thoughts,  and  showing  them 
to  us. 

We  have  in  this  chapter  the  sealed 
roll  (ver.  1-5) ;  Jesus  Opening  the  roll 
(ver.  6, 7) ;  the  rcsultaut  heavenly  songs 
of  the  living  creatures,  the  angels,  the 
entire  creation  (ver.  8-i4). 

1-5.  The  sealed  roll. 

1.  In  his  spiritually  uplifted  state, 
through  the  opened  door,  John  sees 
upon  the  throne  the  Almighty,  and 
upon  the  open  palm  of  his  right  hand, 
a  roll.    It  is  on  his  right  hand,  the 


Ch.  v.] 


KEVELATION 


183 


that  sat  on  the  throne  f  a  book  written 
within  and  on  the  backside,  'sealed 
with  seven  seals. 

2  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaim- 
ing with  a  loud  voice,  Wlio  is  worthy 
to  open  tlie  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals 

3  thereof?  'And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor 
in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was 
able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look 


who  sat  on  the  throne,  a  book  written 
within  and  on  the  back,  sealed  up  with 

2  seven  seals.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel 
proclaiming  with  a  great  voice.  Who 
is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  its  seals  ? 

3  And  no  one  was  able,  in  heaven,  nor 
on  the  earth,  nor  under  tlie  earth,  to 
open   the   book,  or  to  look   thereon. 


Ezek.  2  :  9,  10. 


<  6:  1; 


.  29  :  U;  Dau.  12  :  4. 


(  Isa.  40  :  13,  14  ;  63  :  5 ;  Rom.  11  ;  34. 


symbol  of  authority.  God's  power  is 
to  be  used  in  the  furtherance  of  his 
cause ;  his  authority,  as  revealed,  is  to 
be  maintained.  We  have  the  same 
thought  expressed  in  1  :  1 :  "The  rev- 
elation which  God  gave  unto  him." 
Through  this  book  we  see  the  unfold- 
ing of  God's  mind.  A  book,  rather, 
roll,  like  one  of  the  sacred  rolls  used 
in  the  temple  or  synagogue.  Written 
.  .  .  back  side,  rather,  ivrittcn  ivithin 
and  on  the  back.  This  was  done  iu 
order  to  utilize  to  the  fullest  extent 
the  parchment,  writing  on  both  sides. 
Writings  of  this  kind  were  called 
"  Opistographs."  A  roll  thus  written 
would  indicate,  in  a  symbolic  way, 
that  there  being  no  further  space  for 
writing,  the  roll  contains  the  entire 
mind  of  God  concerning  tliis  matter. 
God's  purpose  is  full  and  complete,  to 
his  knowledge  there  is  no  addition. 
John  sees  the  roll  and,  observing  it 
intently,  sees  the  writing  on  the  out- 
side. For  a  like  revelation,  see  Ezek. 
2  :  10.  Sealed  with  seven  seals, 
rather,  close  sealed.  It  is  a  matter  of 
course  that  no  one  may  know  the  future, 
it  remains  hidden  from  us.  The 
seven  indicates  the  complete  impene- 
trability of  the  future,  apart  from  the 
revelation  granted  by  God.  God  knows 
the  end  from  the  beginning.  We  may 
conceive  of  the  roll  having  the  seals 
on  the  end  of  the  roll,  visible  to  the 
eye,  so  that  one  being  broken  the  roll 
may  be  partially  unfolded.  We  may 
infer  nothing  of  the  length  of  time  sig- 
nified by  the  successive  seals,  nor  the 
time  when  the  fulfilment  begins.  At 
the  Vjreaking  of  one  seal  a  part  of  God's 
pui-pose  is  made  known ;  each  succes- 
sive seal  adds  to  our  knowledge  of  his 
revealed  will.  What  is  meant  by  the 
roll  ?  It  is  not  the  book  of  life  spoken 
of  in  13  :  8  ;  21 :  27,  a  book  that  belongs 
exclusively  to  the  Lamb.  The  roll  is 
not  the  record  of  all  things,  according 
to  which  all  will  be  judged  (m  :  it).    It 


represents  here  the  purpose  of  God  con- 
cerning his  cause  on  the  earth.  We 
have  no  record  of  John  reading  in  the 
book  as  the  seals  are  broken.  But  we 
may  believe  that  the  apocalypse  itself, 
as  we  have  it  before  us,  in  its  rich  and 
impressive  imagery,  represents  sub- 
stantially the  contents  of  the  roll. 
For  instances  of  the  seal  see  Isa.  29  : 
11;  Dan.  12  :  4. 

3.  The  completeness  of  the  sealing 
is  shown  in  this  verse.  A  strong 
angel,  there  are  differing  grades 
among  the  angelic  ho.st  (i  Peter  3:22). 
This  is  one  of  God's  mighty  ones,  in 
God's  behalf  showing  the  futility  of 
human  wisdom  to  reveal  God's  plans. 
It  is  a  cry  to  the  universe  of  created 
things  in  behalf  of  the  Creator.  Who 
is  worthy  in  character,  in  power,  in 
knowledge  to  make  known  the  future 
of  God's  people?  In  ancient  contests 
a  herald  appeared,  making  known  the 
greatness  of  his  cause  and  challenging 
to  combat.    See  the  story  of  Goliath 

(1  Sam.  17). 

3.  The  mighty  champion  of  God 
finds  no  response.  The  living  crea- 
tures, the  elders,  the  angels,  were  finite 
creatures,  they  could  not  break  open 
God's  plans.  The  result  is,  no  man, 
rather,  no  one  among  those  living  in 
heaven  or  on  the  earth  or  among  the 
dead  could  be  found.  Under  the 
earth  does  not  have  reference  to  the 
spirits  of  the  lost,  but  means  the  dead 
in  a  general  way.  Placed  in  the  ground 
they  are  looked  upon  as  having  gone 
down  into  the  regions  below.  The 
voice  of  the  angel  is  thought  of  as 
reaching  all  parts  of  the  universe. 
God  is  seen  to  be  God  dwelling  in 
his  unapproachableness.  Sometimes 
prophets  declared  the  future,  but  it 
was  only  through  God's  inspiring 
Spirit.  No  one  was  worthy  even  to 
look  upon  the  roll  as  if  to  read  the 
fragmentary  writing  on  the  outside. 

4.  John  preserves  his  identity  and 


184 


REVELATION 


[Oh.  V. 


4  thereon.  "And  I  wept  much,  because 
no  man  was  found  wortliy  to  open  and 
to  read  tlie  book,  neither  to  look 
thereon. 

5  And  one  of  tlie  elders  saith  nnto  iiie, 
Weep  not:  behold,  'tlie  Lion  of  the 
trilie  of  Juda,  ."the  Root  of  David,  hath 
prevailed  to  open  the  book,  «and  to 
loose  the  seven  seals  thereof. 

6  And  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  and  of  the  four  beasts, 


4  And  I  was  weeping  much,  becau.se  no 
one   was    found    wortliy   to  oiien    the 

5  book,  or  to  look  thereon.  And  one  of 
the  elders  says  to  nie.  Weep  not;  be- 
hold, the  Lion  that  is  of  the  tribe  of 
Jiidah,  the  Kwitof  David,  prevailed  to 
open  the  book,  and   its   seven  seals. 

6  .\nd  I  saw,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 
and  of  the  four  living  creatures,  and 


D.^u.  7  :  15,  16. 


X  Quu.  49  :  9 ;  Ucb.  7  :  14. 


y  32  :  16. 


t  Vcr.  1 ;  0  :  1 ;  M»tt.  38  :  18. 


consciousness  in  his  uplifted  state. 
Loving  the  churches  among  wliicli  lie 
niinistered,  with  desires  raised  to  a 
high  degree  to  know  the  history  of  the 
church,  greatly  h)nging  to  see  the 
kingdom  widened  into  a  universal 
sovereignty,  and  seeing  that  no  one  is 
found  eveu  to  look  upon  the  roll,  he 
wept  much.  Daniel,  under  like  cir- 
cumstances, fasted,  sitting  in  sackclolli 
and  n.shes  (i>nu.  9  :  a).  No  mere  curiosity 
prompted  his  desire  to  know  the  con- 
tents of  the  roll;  he  desired  to  see 
Christ  enthroned  as  Lord  auion^  men. 
The  1,  in  the  Greek,  is  emphatic,  "  I, 
for  my  part,  wept  much."  He  was 
anxious,  liaving  seen  the  great  God  on 
his  throne,  to  know  liis  mind  concern- 
ing the  outcome  of  the  struggles  on  the 
earth.  The  proclamation  of  the  angel 
showed  God's  conception  of  the  tre- 
mendous import  and  worth  of  the  things 
contained  in  tlie  roll;  the  silence 
showed  the  limitations  of  all  creaturely 
life  to  understand  God's  mysteries. 

5.  Comfort  comes  from  one  of  the 
representatives  of  the  redeemed.  The 
elders,  rei)resenting  the  redeemed  from 
the  eartli,  would  naturally  sympathize 
with  John  more  than  the  angels  or  tlie 
living  creatures.  The  redeemed  church 
makes  known  God's  kind  intentions. 
The  church  is  not  divided,  the  church 
on  earth  and  the  church  in  heaven 
having  a  common  svmpathy  for  each 
other,  arising  from  the  love  for  a  com- 
mon Christ.  Jesus  is  described  in  a 
twofold  way,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 

of    Juda     (see    Oeu.  -19:9),     alluding    tO 

his  human  descent  from  Judali ;  the 
Root  of  David,  alluding,  not  to  his 
divine  nature,  hut  the  sprout  springing 
from  David  that  shall  grow  into  a 
stately  tree  (isi-  n  :  i).  Jesus  is  a  de- 
scendant of  David,  the  man  of  war;  is 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  tlie  lionlike 
tribe.    lu  his  heavenly  life  he  is  de- 


scribed in  terms  indicative  of  his  human 
character  and  life.  This  one  hath 
prevailed,  ratlier,  orercanw.  The 
overcoming  referred  to  is  tlie  over- 
coming in  tlie  mediatorial  life,  the 
overcoming  of  temptation,  the  wiles 
of  Satan,  the  power  of  sin  and  death, 
the  removal  of  guilt,  the  defeat  of 
Satan,  and  his  ultimate  suppression,  so 
far  as  God's  peoj)le  arc  concerned,  the 
introduction  of  riglitcousncss,  involv- 
ing the  exaltation  of  Jesus  himself  and 
his  people  tlirougli  liim.  He  is  worthy 
to  opeu  the  book — roll — and  the 
seals.  Omit  to  loose.  No  one  in 
heaven  so  enters  into  sympathy  with 
God's  cause  and  people  on  the  earth, 
has  such  power  and  knowledge  as  to 
unfold  the  future,  and  to  lead  in  the 
development  of  God's  cause  upon  the 
earth.  Jesus  is  meek  and  lowly  toward 
the  penitent,  but  he  is  also,  in  refer- 
ence to  government  and  Icadersliip, 
the  conqueror,  the  lionlike  leader,  the 
holy  David,  the  man  of  conquest. 

6",  7.  Jesits  opening  the  roll. 
The  main  thought  of  the  preceding 
verses  is  the  sealed  roll.  It  contained 
God's  thoughts  concerning  his  king- 
dom, but  no  one  was  found  worthy  to 
open  it.  A  new  person  now  appears, 
Jesus,  whom  John  had  seen  on  the 
earth,  on  wliose  bosom  he  had  lain. 
He  again  appears  as  in  1  :  13,  but  in  a 
synil)olic  way. 

(>.  The  position  of  Jesus  in  the  scene 
indicates  his  lofty  nature.  He  was 
close  to  the  throne,  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne.  This  book  everywhere 
joins  the  Father  and  the  Lamb  in  an 
inseparable  worsiiip  (."> :  i^).  On  earth 
he  could  not  be  numbered  among  men, 
in  heaven  he  cannot  lie  classed  with 
created  things — t>ven  the  highest.  To 
him  the  Old  Covenant  pointed;  from 
him  the  New  Covenant  came.  He  is 
the  express  image  of  the  person  of  God 


Ch.  v.] 


REVELATION 


185 


and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  stood 
•  a  Lamb  as  it  liad  been  slain,  ■>  naving 
seven  horns  and  "seven  eyes,  which 
are  ''the  seven  Spii-its  of  Ood,  sent 
7  forth  into  all  the  earth.  And  he  came 
and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right 
band  •  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. 


in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  a  Lamb 
standing,  as  if  slain,  having  seven 
horns  and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the 
seven  spirits  of  God  sent  into  all  the 
7  earth.  And  he  came,  and  has  taken  it 
out  of  the  right  hand  of  him  who  sits 


a  Ter.  9, 12 ;  13  :  8 ;  I«a.  53  :  7  ;  John  1  :  29 ;  Hcb.  9  :  14;  1  Peter  1  :  19.  b  Dao.  T  :  14. 

c  2  CbroD.  16  :  9 ;  Zech.  3  :  9 ;  4  :  10.  c{  1  :  4 ;  4  :  5.  e  4  :  2. 


(Heb.  1:3);  in  him  dwells  the  fulness 
of  the  Godhead  bodily  (f'"i.  2 :  »).  Notice 
the  high  position  accorded  to  Jesus  in 
his  person  and  work  in  Col.  1  :  LV20. 
In  f<>rm  he  appears  as  a  Lamb.  This 
word,  occurring  twenty-eight  times  in 
this  book,  differs  from  the  word  u.sed  in 
other  parts  of  the  New  Testament,  ex- 
cept in  John  21  :  i'>.  It  is  a  neuter 
noun,  a  diminutive  in  form,  used  per- 
haps in  an  endearing  sense.  Jesus 
conquered  as  a  lion  because  he  was  a 
lamb  in  nature.  John  harl  pointed  to 
Jesus,  in  the  Jordan  Valley,  as  the 
Lamb  of  Gf)d  (Johu  1  : 2»).  The  lamb 
is  indicative  of  passiveness,  of  purity, 
of  sacrifice.  Here  the  chief  signifi- 
cance of  the  Lamb  is  that  it  presents  the 
appearance  as  it  had  been  slain, 
rather,  as  though  if,  had  hein  sacrificed. 
The  expression  has  reference  to  the 
sacrificial  death  of  the  Lamb.  The 
words  as  though  do  not  intimate  that  the 
sacrifice  had  been  in  appearance  only. 
It  had  been  a  real  sacrifice  which  John 
himself  had  witnfssed  ( J"hn  19 :  26).  The 
fact  of  the  sacrifice  is  spoken  of  else- 
where in  this  book,  "The  first  and  the 
la.st  and  the  living  One  became  dead  " 
(i  :  i»).  There  was  upon  the  Lamb  the 
mark  of  its  having  been  offered.  Jesus, 
on  coming  from  the  grave,  bore  the 
marks  of  tne  nails  and  the  spear,  there- 
by declaring  his  identity  and  showing 
the  means  whereby  he  secured  for 
us  salvation.  He  has  all  power,  as 
shown  by  the  seven  horns.  The 
horn  is  the  symbol  of  power,  (seei 
KiDgi  22  :  11 ;  zech.  1  :  18.)  Jesus  claimed 
the  pos.session  of  all  power  (Matt.  28  :  is). 
He  nas  seven  eyes,  indicating  com- 
pleteness of  intelligence.  Among  the 
Egyptians  the  eye  was  the  symbol  of 
omniscience.  This  book  needs  to  be 
read  in  the  light  of  the  Old  Testament 
imagery.  For  a  reference  to  the  seven 
eyes,  see  Zech.  3:9;  4  :  10. 

7.  There  is  in  Jesus  the  full  sense  of 
a  personal  worthiness,  also  a  full  de- 


termination. He  had  heard  the  chal- 
lenge of  the  strong  angel.  When  no 
one  responded,  then  he  responded. 
There  is  here  a  giving  on  the  part  of 
God,  a  receiving  on  the  part  of  Jesus. 
Jesus  is  the  mediator  between  God  and 
the  church.  He  was  mediator  when 
on  earth,  he  is  mediator  in  heaven. 
There  is  a  oneness  of  mind  between  the 
various  persons  of  the  Godhead.  Jesus 
said,  "  1  and  my  Father  are  one  "  (Joi'u 
10  :  .10).  He  took,  rather,  hath  taken. 
These  words  imply  the  keeping  of  the 
roll  in  his  possession.  He  retains 
the  roll  in  order  that  he  may  execute 
the  judgments  here  portrayed  on  the 
enemies  of  the  church ;  that  he  may 
lead  the  church  to  its  ultimate  uni- 
versal conquests.  He  overcame  in  his 
own  per.son ;  he  must  now  lead  his 
followers  and  his  church  to  a  like 
overcoming. 

8-14.  The  song.s  in  heaven. 
There  is  a  thrill  of  joy  in  heaven  when 
Jesus  takes  the  book,  giving  assurance 
to  the  redeemed  that  their  cause  is  his 
cause.  There  is  first  the  song  of  the 
living  creatures  and  theelders  (vcr.s-io). 
Everything  about  the  unseen  life  is 
based  upon  reason.  Naturally  the  re- 
deemed would  be  most  interested  in 
the  progress  and  outcome  of  the  Re- 
deemer's work.  There  is  in  their  wor- 
.ship  and  love  an  element  that  cannot 
belong  to  the  angelic  worship.  The 
song  of  the  angels  is  found  in  ver. 
11,  12. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  scene  is  the 
Almighty  Father  on  the  throne,  the 
ever-blessed  Lamb,  who  has  achieved 
redemption,  the  light-giving  Spirit 
with  his  sevenfold  light,  the  four  living 
creatures,  and  the  twenty-four  elders, 
the  highest  of  creaturely  beings,  and 
the  redeemed  from  all  the  ages.  Now 
we  get  a  sight  of  the  angelic  throng. 
Jesus  assures  us  that  the  anj^els  rejoice 
over  every  enlargement  of  his  kingdom 

(Luna  15  :  10). 


186 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  V. 


8  And  when  he  had  taken  the  book, 
'the  four  beasts  and  four  and  twenty 
elders  fell  down  before  the  Lamb, 
having  every  one  of  them  sharps,  and 
golden  vials  full  of  odours,  ^  which  are 

9  the  prayers  of  saints.  And  '  they  sung 
a  new  song,  saying, 


8  on  the  throne.  And  when  he  took  the 
book,  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the 
twenty- four  elders,  fell  down  before 
the  Lamb,  having  each  one  a  harp, 
and  golden  bowls  full  of  incense, 
which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 

9  And    they  sing   a  new  song,  saying, 


/  4  :  8,  10. 


g  14  :  2  ;  15  ;  2. 


A  8  :  3,  4 ;  Ps.  141  :  2. 


The  song  of  all  created  things  is 
found  in  ver.  13. 

There  is  now  a  widening  of  the  circle. 
Begun  by  the  creatures  and  the  elders, 
taken  up  by  the  angels,  embracing 
thus  the  entire  sentient  holy  creation, 
the  song  is  now  taken  up  by  the  ma- 
terial creation.  It  is  a  beautiful  and 
sublime  representation.  The  existence 
of  evil  men  shut  up  in  tlieir  place  of 
banishment  (Matt.  25  :  46)  ;  of  Satan  to 
be  shut  up  finally  (Rev.  20 :  10)  ;  of  nature 
yet  suffering  under  the  cur.se  of  sin  (Kom. 
8 :  21);  these  things  are  not  thought  of  in 
that  glad  hour,  when  God  is  praised. 

8.  Those  nearest  the  throne,  the  liv- 
ing creatures  and  the  elders,  begin  the 
songs  of  praise.  The  harp  is  a  rem- 
iniscence of  the  earthly  temple,  the 
symbol  of  praise.  It  is  probable  that 
in  this  praise  and  worship  the  elders 
take  the  leadership  as  being  more  im- 
mediately concerned,  sharing,  as  the 
living  creatures  do  not,  in  the  benefits 
of  Christ's  redemption.  It  is  probable 
also  that  the  living  creatures  join  in 
the  song  in  sympathy  with  the  re- 
deemed, tliemselves  servants  of  God 
and  rejoicing  in  the  laouor  given  to  the 
Lamb.  The  harp  stands  for  praise. 
If  heaven  be  made  intelligible  to  us  it 
must  be  through  representations  that 
have  a  meaning  to  us  in  our  earthly 
life.  Golden  vials,  rather,  golden 
bowls ;  that  is,  open  vessels  like  .saucers. 
Odours,  rather,  incense.  In  the  tem- 
ple worship  the  altar  of  incense,  the 
ascending  smoke,  and  the  odor  filling 
the  sanctuary,  were  pictures  of  tlie 
moral  beauty  of  prayer,  with  its  power 
to  reach  God  and  influence  God's  rev- 
elations to  man.  While  the  smoke  of 
the  incense  ascended,  prayers  went  up 

to  God.     (See  Luke  1  :  9,  10  ;    Ps.  141  :  2.)     The 

temple  worship  in  all  its  parts  was  a 
visible  teaching  of  God's  trntli.  and  a 
help  to  the  spiritual  life.  Tlie  prayers 
of  saints  refers,  not  to  the  saints  in 
heaven,  but  to  the  saints  on  earth. 
Heaven   is   preeminently  a  place   of 


praise.  The  saints  in  heaven  may  join 
their  prayers  with  tlie  saints  on  earth 
that  God's  will  may  be  done  gladly 
and  universally.  The  prayers  of  earth 
are  represented  as  brought  to  the  notice 
of  God  througli  the  living  creatures 
and  the  elders.  We  are  not  to  infer 
that  there  is  any  m'edium  between  the 
believer's  praying  to  God  direct  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  (Joha  14 :  13).  Direct 
prayer  to  God  is  also  taught  in  tliis 
book  (i»  :  10;  22  :  8,  9).  The  Roman 
Cliurch  teaches  that  we  are  to  pray  to 
the  saints  in  heaven.  But  this  is 
against  the  express  teaching  of  Jesus 
that  we  are  to  pray  to  God  direct,  and 
it  would  imply  also  their  omnipresence 
if  prayer  to  them  were  to  be  effective. 
That  the  elders  have  anything  to  do  in 
the  presentation  of  our  prayers  to  God 
cannot  be  aflirmed  from  this  passage. 
All  that  it  means  is  that  our  prayers 
reach  God,  are  a  source  of  delight  to 
him,  are  effective  in  bringing  about 
results.  If,  in  a  figurative  way,  it  is 
to  be  sho\vn  that  our  prayers  are  set 
before  him,  it  must  be  through  some 
such  agency  as  that  of  the  elders  or 
other  intelligent  creatures.  They  are 
not  here  represented  as  interceding  for 
the  saints  on  the  earth.  It  is  here 
taught  that  prayers  have  great  influ- 
ence in  heaven,  in  deciding  the  course 
of  earthly  aflairs.  Coming  out  of 
troubled  hearts,  seemingly  wasted,  they 
are  treasured  up,  they  bring  about 
triumphs  on  the  earth,  they  hasten  the 
coming  of  the  kingdom.  In  answer  to 
their  prayers  the  Lamb  took  the  book, 
to  reveal  words  of  comfort  in  the  im- 
pending judgments  upon  his  foes  and 
the  deliverance  for  his  church  and 
faithful  friends. 

9,  10.  Sung,  rather,  siyig,  express- 
ing the  continued  song  of  praise.  Their 
adoration  continues  throughout  eter- 
nity (4 :  9, 10).  On  earth  there  are 
many  breaks  in  the  song ;  joy  gives 
way  to  sorrow ;  in  heaven  the  song  is 
continuous.    The  new  song  is  in  con- 


Ch.  v.] 


REVELATION 


187 


kThou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book, 
and  to  open  the  seals  thereof : 
For   thou   wast   slain,  and    'hast   re- 
deemed us  to  God  by  thy  blood 
""Out  of   every  kindred,  and  tongue, 
and  people,  and  nation  ; 
10  °  And  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings 
and  priests ; 
And  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth. 


Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  book,  and 
to  open  its  seals ;  because  thou  wast 
slain,  and  didst  redeem  to  God  by  thy 
blood  out  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue, 
10  and  people,  and  nation ;  and  didst 
make  them  to  our  God  a  kingdom  and 
priests,  and  they  will  reign  on  the 
earth. 


t  4  :  11.  J  14  :  4 ;  Matt.  20  ;  28 :  28  :  28 ;  Acts  20  :  28 ;  Col.  1:14;  Hcb.  9  :  12. 

m  7  :  9 ;  John  10  :  16.  n  1  :  6 ;  20  ;  6 ;  Dan.  7  :  18,  27  ;  1  Cor.  6:2,3. 


trast  with  the  old  song,  celebrating  the 
creative  power  and  wisdom  of  God, 
given  before  (*  =  n)-  The  new  song 
celebrates  the  fact  of  the  atoning  sac- 
rifice of  Jesus,  the  redemption  wrought 
through  him.  It  will  be  an  ever-new 
song  because  it  reveals  perpetually  the 
blessedness  and  ever-widening  salva- 
tion that  comes  to  tlie  redeemed  soul. 
It  is  new  also  in  that  it  announces  the 

E ending  triumphs  of  the  Lamb  over 
is  enemies  and  his  conquests  on  the 
earth,  ending  in  complete  victory.  It 
is  a  distinct  advance  over  the  matters 
contained  in  the  songs  of  chapter  IV. 
Five  things  are  asserted  in  the  song : 
that  Jesus  has  achieved  a  redemption 
for  his  people  ;  that  this  redemption  is 
by  means  of  the  sacrifice  of  himself; 
that  its  results  are  seen  among  all  na- 
tions ;  that  Jesus  has  exalted  his  people 
to  a  royal  and  priestly  rank ;  that  he 
therefore  is  worthy  to  take  the  book 
and  reveal  its  contents.  Jesus  has  re- 
deemed men,  that  is,  has  bought  thera 
as  in  1  Cor.  6  :  20.  They  liad  been  in 
bondage,  they  are  now  freed  from  that 
bondage  and  brought  into  a  new  rela- 
tion to  God.  Jesus,  using  a  diflferent 
term,  speaks  of  a  ransom  for  men  (Matt, 
ao  :  28).  The  method  of  redemption  is 
through  the  blood,  the  sacrifice  on  the 
earth.  Jesus  teaches  the  same  truth 
that  salvation  is  through  the  blood 
(Matt.  26:28).  The  _  word  us  should 
be  omitted,  the  living  creatures  were 
not  redeemed  by  the  blood.  The  elders, 
representing  all  the  redeemed  of  all 
ages,  owe  their  salvation  to  Christ. 
The  benefits  of  his  death  avail  to  all 
believers,    both  before    and  after  the 

coming  of  Christ    (Re",  is  :  »  ;    Heb.  9  :  15). 

The  width  of  the  saving  work  of  Christ 
is  seen  in  saving  men  from  every  kin- 
dred, rather,  tribe,  tongue,  people, 
nation.  The  fourfold  terms  used  in- 
dicate the  world-wide  mission  and  effect- 


iveness of  Christ's  work.  Gentiles  and 
Jews  alike  are  saved  by  the  blood  of  a 
common  Saviour.  Jesus  speaks  of  the 
wideness  of  his  work  (Matt.  8  :  ii). 

There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea. 

There  is  an  elevation  to  a  glorified  life. 
It  is  a  royal  life,  exalted,  full  of  dig- 
nity and  lionor — sharing  in  Christ's 
royalty.  It  is  also  a  priestly  life,  em- 
bracing tlie  ideas  of  holiness  of  char- 
acter, nearness  of  access  to  God,  con- 
secration to  service,  helping  in  the 
widening  of  Christ's  cause  on  the  earth, 
making  sacrifices  of  thanksgiving. 
Because  of  his  sacrifice  Jesus  is  de- 
clared to  be  worthy  to  take  the  book 
and  open  it.  God  highly  exalted  Jesus 
because  of  his  sacrifice  (Ph''-  « :  6-ii). 
Men  ought  to  exalt  Christ,  making 
him  their  supreme  Lord,  even  as  God 
has  highly  exalted  him.  The  entire 
passage  should  read  :  Worthy  art  thou 
to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals 
thereof ;  for  thou  uast  slain,  and  didst 
purchase  t(vfo  God  with  thy  blood  men 
of  every  tribe,  and  to7igue,  and  people, 
and  nation,  and  madest  than  to  be  itnto 
our  God  a  kingdom  and  priests.  And 
we  shall  reign  on  the  earth, 
rather,  and  they  rei^n  vpo7i  the  earth. 
It  is  a  present  reigning  here  spoken  of. 
The  redeemed  of  the  Lord  are  at  pres- 
ent in  fellowship  with  Christ,  they 
share  in  his  work,  in  his  final  conquest. 
Tliere  is  a  present  reign  and  kingship  of 
Christ  (1  Pf'-r  3 :  22).  This  book  reveals 
the  final  triumph  over  all  his  foes.  As 
kings  and  priests  on  the  earth  they 
have  a  share  with  Christ  in  an  ever- 
widening  spread  of  the  kingdom.  All 
things  are  in  process  of  being  subjected 
to  Christ,  being  placed  under  his  feet 
(1  Cor.  15  :  27 ;  Heb.  10  :  13).  This  reigning 
will  be  more  and  more  manifest  in  time. 
At  present  seeming  defeats  mark  the 


188 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  V. 


11  Aad  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  "  round  about  the 
throne  and  the  beasts  and  the  elders : 
and  the  number  of  them  was  p  ten 
thousand    times    ten    thousand,    and 

12  thousands  of  thousands ;  saying  with 
a  loud  voice, 

q  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain, 
To  receive  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom, 

And  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory, 
and  blessing. 

13  And  r  every  creature  which  is  in 
heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under 
the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea, 


11  And  I  saw,  and  I  heard  a  voice  of 
many  angels,  around  the  throne  and 
the  living  creatures  and  the  elders,  and 
the  number  of  them  was  ten  times  ten 
thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands, 

12  saying  with  a  great  voice.  Worthy  is 
the  Lamb  that  has  been  slain,  to  receive 
the  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and    honor,  and  glory  and 

13  blessing.  And  every  creature  which 
is  in  the  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  on  the  sea, 


0  1 :  1,  6. 


p  Ps.  68  :  17  ;  Dan.  7  :  10 ;  Heb.  12  :  22.  3  4:11;  Matt.  28  :  IS  ;  Phil.  2:9-11. 

r  Ps.  96  :  11-13  ;  148  ;  Isa.  42  :  5-13. 


course  of  Christ's  cause,  but  in  time  all 
will  acknowledge  his  sway  (p'"!-  2  =  10. 
11).  Sometimes  that  which  will  be 
completely  true  in  time  is  spolien  of  as 
if  it  had  already  come  to  pass.  In  this 
way  Christians  are  called  saints  (Pbii- 
1:1);  they  are  spoken  of  as  if  without 
sin  (1  JoiiQ  3:6);  they  are  regarded  as 
already  possessing  all  things  (1  Cor.  3  : 
22).  The  elders  praise  the  Lamb  on 
account  of  the  glories  of  redemption 
viewed  in  itself,  and  the  consequent 
triumphs  that  come  from  it  upon  the 
earth.  Heaven  and  Christianity  would 
not  be,  if  it  were  not  for  the  crucified 
and  glorified  Christ. 

11.  I  beheld,  rather,  I  saw.  As  he 
looked  he  heard.  The  angels,  perhaps, 
form  a  complete  circle  about  the  throne, 
or  a  semi-circle,  that  they  might  see 
the  more  clearly  the  One  upon  the 
throne.  Tliey  are  farther  from  the 
throne  as  not  so  immediately  concerned 
in  the  progress  of  Christ's  cause  on  the 
earth  as  the  redeemed  from  the  earth. 
There  is  a  bond  of  nearness  between 
Christ  who  came  into  a  life  in  the  flesh, 
and  those  who  came  into  heaven  from 
the  life  on  the  earth.  The  angels  are  a 
distinct  order  of  beings — holy,  intel- 
ligent, active  in  God's  service,  the  term 
meaning  messenger.  John  gives  the 
impression  made  upon  him  as  that  of 
vast  numbers  (Dan.  7 :  20).  The  angels 
did  not  join  in  the  praise  to  God  as 
creator  (*  ■  10) ;  they  now  join  in  the 
praise  to  Christ  as  redeemer.  There  is 
a  higher  evidence  of  God's  wisdom 
and  power  in  redemption  than  in  crea- 
tion. The  one  involves  moral  and 
spiritual  power,  the  other  physical 
might. 


12.  This  verse  has  the  angelic  song. 
It  is  with  a  loud  voice  they  sing, 
showing  thus  their  intense  admiration 
and  love.  They  rejoice  that  one  so 
worthy  is  to  receive  the  highest  honors 
of  the  upper  kingdom.  The  worthiest 
there  is  the  highest ;  it  is  often  other- 
wise here.  It  is  a  sevenfold  praise 
they  give  to  him.  They  praise  liim  as 
the  Lamb,  the  one  sacrificed  for  men. 
Was  slain,  rather,  hath  been  slain. 
Power,  rather,  the  poicer.  The  ar- 
ticle, the,  belongs  to  each  of  the  seven 
terms  of  adoration.  He  is  regarded  as 
tlie  almighty,  full  of  all  the  riches  of 
glorj%  the  wise  ruler,  wlio.se  miglit  is 
shown  in  overcoming  all  opposition, 
deserving  of  honor,  worship,  praise. 
Jesus  is  regarded,  by  the  angels,  as  the 
manifested  God  (John  u  :  7).  If  angels 
praise   Christ  for  his  redeeming  love 

(Luke  15  :  7  ;    1  Peter  1  :  12),  how  mUch  mOre 

should  men  for  whose  sins  Christ  died. 
Some  of  the  hymns  of  earth  can  be 
sung  in  heaven : 

All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name, 
Let  augels  prostrate  fall. 

13.  Every  creature,  rather,  every 
created  thing.  The  far-off"  star,  whose 
light  requires  years  to  reach  us,  the 
smallest  oliject  al>out  us,  everything 
John  heard  praising  God.  In  the 
sea,  rather,  on  thesea,  meaning  marine 
animals,  not  including  intelligent  crea- 
tures, such  as  sailors.  Under  the 
earth  does  not  here  mean  persons 
under  the  earth,  looked  upon  as  the 
habitation  of  the  dead,  but  is  a  desig- 
nation of  a  part  of  creation.  The  aim 
is  to  sliow  that  the  entire  creation,  in 
all  its  parts,  gives  praise  to  God.    All 


Ch.  v.] 


REVELATION 


189 


and   all   that  are   in   them,  heard  I 
saying, 

'Blessing,  and    honour,  and    glory, 
and  power, 

Be  unto  him  'that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb, 
For  ever  and  ever. 
14  "And  the  four  beasts  said.  Amen. 
And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell 
down  and  worshipped  him  » that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever. 


and  all  that  are  in  them,  I  heard  say- 
ing. To  him  who  sits  upon  the  throne, 
and  to  the  Lamb,  be  the  blessing,  and 
the  honor,  and  the  glory,  and  the 
14  might,  forever  and  ever.  And  the 
four  living  creatures  said.  Amen.  And 
the  elders  fell  down  and  worshiped. 


a  1  :  6 ;  1  Cliron.  29  :  U  ;  Kom.  9  :  5 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  16  ;  Heb.  13  :  21 ;  1  Peter  5:11;  Jude  25. 
«  4  :  2,  3  I  6  :  16 ;  7  ;  10.  «  19  :  4.  i  4  :  9,  10. 


that  are  in  them,  rather,  all  things 
that  are  in  them.  The  entire  passage 
must  be  understood  in  a  figurative  and 
poetical  way.  In  Ps.  145  the  sun, 
moon,  stars,  the  snow,  and  hail  are 
called  upon  to  give  praise  to  God. 
Blessiug  and  honour,  rather,  the 
blessing  and  the  honor.  The  article, 
the,  is  to  be  repeated  with  each  term. 
PoAver,  rather,  dominion.  Jesus  is 
worthj'  of  all  that  the  world  has  of 
praise  and  honor.  He  should  be  made, 
by  a  voluntary  choice,  the  supreme 
Lord  of  the  earth  as  lie  is  of  the  angels. 
Creation  came  from  God,  it  was  made 
through  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Word, 
its  laws  are  God's  ways  of  thinking  and 
working,  it  was  obedient  to  the  com- 
mand of  Jesus,  it  shall,  through  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Lamb,  be  delivered 
from  its  bondage  and  be  introduced 
into  a  glorious  condition  (Rom.  8  :  21 ;  2 
Peter  3 :  IS).  The  study  of  uaturc  should 
not  lead  to  the  hiding  of  the  person- 
ality of  God,  the  Creator ;  should  not 
beget  agnosticism,  or  atheism.  Accord- 
ing to  the  vision  here  granted  to  John, 
Jesus  must  be  divine  in  his  nature. 
The  Lamb  is  joined  in  the  worship 
with  the  Father.  It  is  not  conceivable 
that,  to  the  mind  of  a  reverent  Jew, 
the  name  of  any  created  being,  how- 
ever high,  could  be  associated  in  the 
worship  of  God,  unless  he  also  were 
regarded  as  divine,  in  the  strictest 
sense. 

14.  The  response  of  the  creatures 
and  the  elders.  When  the  angels  and 
all  the  holy  creation  have  rendered 
praise  to  God,  the  living  creatures  give 
a  response.  They  began  the  song  _  in 
4  :  8-10,  praising  God  for  his  creative 
power.  The  universal  praise  to  God 
and  the  Lamb  awakens  a  gracious  re- 
sponsive utterance.  They  unite  in  say- 
ing, Amen.    In  heaven  all  is  unity. 


On  earth  there  are  discords  and  divi- 
sions. Jesus  gathers  things  together, 
while  sin  scatters  (natt.  12 :  so).  The 
redeemed  church,  the  elders,  said 
nothing,  it  fell  down  and  worshiped. 
The  passage  reads :  And  the  four  living 
creatures  said,  Amen.  And  the  elders 
fell  dotcn  and  worshiped.  Omit  him 
that  liveth  forever  and  ever. 
Heaven  is  a  place  of  holj^  character, 
of  active  service,  of  devout  worship. 
Without  these  it  would  not  be  the 
Scripture  heaven.  It  is,  first  of  all,  a 
holy  condition  of  heart,  and  then  a 
holy  place  for  the  holy  heart.  An 
ungodly  man,  in  whose  heart  is  no 
spirit  of  worship,  would  not  find  heaven 
a  delightful  place. 

Note. — Salvation  through  sacrifice. 
The  distinct  teaching  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  that  forgiveness  and  salvation 
come  through  the  blood  of  sacrifice. 
The  altar  and  the  priest  stand  out 
prominently  on  every  page  of  the  older 
Scriptures.  The  opening  of  Bible  his- 
tory reveals  the  wilful  sin  of  man,  his 
guilt,  and  the  method  of  forgiveness 
through  a  sacrifice  divinely  established. 
The  fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah  por- 
trays a  suffering  Messiah  and  forgive- 
ness through  his  stripes.  Daniel  and 
Zechariah  speak  of  a  Messiah  cut  off 
for  his  people.  The  book  of  Hebrews 
(9  :  22)  affirms  that  without  the  shed- 
ding of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of 
sins.  Jesus  expressly  taught  that  sal- 
vation is  possible  through  his  death. 
His  blood  is  for  forgiveness  (Matt.  26  :  28). 
Toward  the  close  of  his  ministry  three 
times  Jesus  asserted  the  necessity  for 
his  dying  (Mark  9  :  31 ;  10  :  S3, 45).  After 
his  resurrection  he  affirmed  the  same 
moral  necessity  for  his  sufferings  (Luke 
24  :  26).  The  great  New  Testament 
teachers,  Paul  and  Peter,  unite  in  de- 


190 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  V. 


daring  that  salvation  comes  not 
throu^li  refined  human  character,  but 
through  Christ's  atoning  death  (Rom.  3  : 

24;    1  Peter  3:  18).      TilC     Song    of     llCaVCn 

declares  that  salvation  is  due  to  Christ's 
mediatorial  work.  No  name  is  heard 
in  heaven  but  that  of  Jesus.  Praise  is 
given  to  Christ,  not  as  teacher,  wonder 
worker,  or  sinless  person,  but  to  him 
as  the  one  who  redeemed  men  through 
his  blood. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  God  has  thoughts  and  plans  concern- 
ing his  people.  It  is  well  for  God's  cause 
that  it  has  God  to  care  for  it  (ver.  1,2). 

2.  God  is  very  high  above  all  his  crea- 
tures. Even  iu  heaven  there  will  always 
be  ignorance  and  weakness  when  meas- 
ured by  God's  knowledge  and  holiness 
(ver.  3). 

3.  A  good  man  is  interested  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  kingdom,  sorrows  over  its 
hindrances,  rejoices  over  its  triumphs. 
The  attitude  of  the  heart  toward  the 
triumph  of  Christ's  cause  reveals  what 
the  man  is  in  the  heart  (ver.  4). 

4.  Jesus,  in  heaven,  is  the  friend  of  the 
church  on  the  earth.  Jesus  is  revealed  in 
heaven  as  the  conquering  Christ.  His 
cause  on  the  earth  will  not  be  finally 
defeated  because  he  is  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  (ver.  5). 

5.  Jesus  Christ  is  all  iu  all  to  the  Chris- 
tian. He  is  this  because  he  is  the  Saviour 
who  died.  He  did  not  remain  dead,  but 
has  tiie  power  of  an  endless  life  with  God. 
When  no  one  could  help,  Jesus  stood  forth 
the  mighty  mediator  between  them  and 
God  (ver.  6). 

6.  The  cause  of  Christ  is  not  committed 
to  the  hands  of  strong  leaders  among  men 
nor  to  angels.  The  execution  of  God's 
thoughts  of  love  for  his  people  is  placed 
iu  the  hands  of  Jesus.  He  has  the  roll 
in  his  hands,  and  has  the  names  of  his 
people  ou  his  heart  (ver.  7). 

7.  Heaven  is  a  place  of  praise.  On 
earth  Paul  could  sing  even  in  a  jail.  The 
saints  could  find  songs  in  the  night-time. 
But  in  heaven  the  harp  is  never  hung  on 
the  willow.  Each  one  will  have  his  own 
harp  (ver.  8). 

8.  Prayers  are  delightful  to  God  and 
elTicacious  in  producing  results.  A  prayer 
meeting  may  seem  ineffective  and  dull, 


but  it  may  influence  heaven,  and  turn 
the  course  of  history.  Every  Christian 
may  be  an  Israel,  having  power  with  God 
and  man  (ver.  8). 

9.  In  heaven  they  worship  Jesus  because 
he  is  the  Saviour.  His  redemptiou  has  a 
world-wide  efficacy,  in  bringing  to  glory 
men  from  every  nation.  Heaven  will  not 
be  an  empty  place ;  from  all  countries 
men  will  crowd  into  it  (ver.  9). 

10.  Christians  have  in  them  now  the 
beginnings  of  the  blessedness  and  glory 
of  the  heavenly  life.  Even  now  they 
reign,  when  on  the  earth.  The  future, 
with  its  blessedness,  belongs  to  the  Chris- 
tian. The  earth,  and  all  God's  posses- 
sions, shall  be  theirs.  The  unpardoned 
sinner  will  be  very  poor  and  desolate 
(ver.  10). 

11.  The  angels  are  countless  in  number. 
They  may  be  of  more  service  to  Christ's 
cause  than  we  know  or  think.  They 
helped  Jesus  in  his  time  of  need  (Luke 
22  :  43)  ;  they  may,  unknown  to  us,  help 
us.  They  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  con- 
version of  men,  for  the  sake  of  Christ 
(ver.  11). 

12.  Nothing  is  too  good  to  give  to  Jesus. 
We  shall  please  Christ  by  thinking  rightly 
about  him,  by  rendering  praise  to  him, 
by  giving  him  the  place  in  our  heart  and 
life  that  he  deserves.  He  is  worthy  of 
being  exalted  to  supreme  rulership  in 
each  life.  He  is  worthy  of  our  time,  our 
influence,  our  money.  Our  plans,  our 
beliefs,  our  conduct  must  be  made  to  con- 
form to  the  will  of  Christ  (ver.  12). 

13.  Only  intelligent  creatures  are  capa- 
ble of  disobeying  God.  Nature  submits 
to  his  will  without  hesitation  (ver.  IS). 

14.  In  heaven  they  understand  Jesus, 
and  accord  him  divine  honors.  On  earth 
many  mistakenly  refuse  to  regard  him  as 
divine.  Heaven  is  wiser  than  earth  in 
thinking  rightly  about  Jesus,  and  in 
making  Jesus  supreme  in  their  lives 
(ver.  13). 

Section  IV. — The  opening  of  the 
SEALS.  Chap.  VI.-VIII. — We  have 
now  reached  that  point  in  the  apoca- 
lypse where  the  main  thought  of  the 
book  begins  to  unfold.  The  sealed  roll 
is  unfolded  little  by  little.  The  apoca- 
lypse has  three  complete  courses  of 
symbolic   representations:    the   seals, 


Ch.  v.] 


EEVELATION 


191 


the  trumpets,  the  vials  or  bowls. 
Tiiese  ruu  parallel  with  each  other, 
presentiug  the  same  course  of  history 
viewed  under  ditiering  aspects.  The 
seals  represent  the  providence  of  God 
toward  the  church,  a  parabolic  history 
of  Christ's  kingdom.  We  mustconsider 
the  seals,  the  trumpets,  the  bowls,  not 
as  describing  certain  events  in  a  chro- 
nological succession  so  that  the  trum- 
pets follow  the  seals  in  order  of  time, 
but  all  of  them  covering  the  same  space 
of  time.  This  will  be  evident  from  a 
view  of  the  three  placed  side  by  side : 


Many  of  our  Lord's  parables,  those 
of  the  sower,  the  wheat  and  the  tares, 
the  talents,  present  the  divine  kingdom 
under  varying  aspects,  and  also  show  a 
progressive  advancement  and  final  is- 
sue. In  the  visions  of  Daniel  there  is 
also  an  unfolding  of  the  divine  plans 
under  varying  figures.  In  this  series 
the  conqueror  goes  forth  on  his  mission 
of  conquest;  at  the  seventh  seal  we 
have  an  utter  silence,  when  the  thun- 
ders of  God's  throne  have  ceased  to 
sound  (■* :  5),  inasmuch  as  all  opposi- 
tion is  broken  down.    There  is  in  this 


THE  SEALS. 
CHAPTER  VI. 

1.  All  have 

2.  reference 

3.  to  the 

4.  earth. 


THE  TRUMPETS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.  All  have  (  The  land. 

2.  reference  J  The  sea. 

3.  to  the      j  The  rivers. 

4.  earth,     v  The  sun. 


THE  BOWLS. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

1.  All  have  (  The  land. 

2.  reference  )  The  sea. 

3.  to  the     ]  The  rivers. 

4.  earth,     v  The  sun. 


It  will  he  noticed  at  a  glance  that 
there  is  a  similarity  of  structure,  show- 
ing conclusively  that  these  are  not  suc- 
cessive periods  of  time,  but  synchronal 
periods.  Whatever  the  opening  of  the 
seals  reveals,  the  same  teachings,  in 
other  aspects,  are  contained  in  the  cor- 
responding trumpets  and  bowls.  The 
entire  book  is  constructed  in  a  highly 
artistic  way.  In  the  seven  seals,  a 
perfect  number,  is  the  unfolding,  in  a 
complete  way,  of  God's  action  in  be- 
half of  his  church.  In  the  seven  trum- 
pets, a  perfect  number,  is  the  unfold- 
ing, in  a  complete  way,  of  God's  action 
toward  a  wicked  world.  In  the  seven 
bowls,  a  perfect  number,  is  the  unfold- 
ing, in  a  complete  manner,  of  God's 
action  toward  a  degenerate  church.  It 
is  one  God,  revealing  in  vision  his  ac- 
tions under  differing  aspects  in  behalf 
of  his  cause  on  the  earth.  The  first 
group  brings  us  to  the  end.  The  next 
two  groups,  so  far  at  least,  begin  at  the 
beginning,  that  they  present  to  us  the 
evil  world  and  the  degenerate  church 
as  exposed  through  all  their  history  to 
the  just  judgments  of  God.  There 
have  always  been  in  the  world  a  church 
of  Christ,  dear  to  him,  a  wicked  and 
ungodly  world,  and  a  church,  to  some 
extent,  a  corrupt  and  degenerate 
church.  It  is  noticeable  that  at  the 
end  of  each  of  these  three  groups  of 
visions  is  a  great  earthquake  («  :  12 ;  n  : 
IS;  16  :  18).  (For  further  consideration, 
see  Introduction.) 


series  the  conception  of  completeness 
presented  in  two  symbolic  ways,  the 
term  seven,  and  the  silence  ushered  in 
by  the  last  seal  (8:i)-  But  thereis 
room  for  supplemental  revelations,  in- 
asmuch as  in  the  seals  everything  is 
presented  in  masses.  We  do  not  see 
the  definite  agencies  at  work,  and  many 
things  are  unexplained.  Under  the 
fifth  seal  we  see  the  souls  of  the  mar- 
tyred dead,  but  we  have  had  no  notice 
of  any  persecution.  In  the  after  parts 
of  the  book  in  the  sixth  trumpet  (n  = 
7)  we  behold  the  servants  of  Christ 
witnessing  unto  death.  Thus  the 
various  lines  of  visions  correspond  in 
time,  and  they  also  supplement  each 
other.  It  is  noticeable  how  each  sec- 
tion brings  us  over  the  same  course, 
and  brings  us  to  the  same  close  viewed 
under  differing  aspects. 

The  series  of  the  seals  brings  us  to  a 
close  (8:1)  when  there  is  silence,  all 
opposition  having  broken  down  and 
Christ  is  triumphant. 

The  series  of  the  trumpets  brings  us 
to  a  like  close  in  11  :  15,  when  it  is  an- 
nounced that  the  kingdom  of  the  world 
is  become  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  series  of  the  bowls  brings  us  to 
a  final  closing  in  16  :  17,  when  the 
voice  from  heaven  declares  "It  is 
done." 

The  fall  of  Babylon  brings  us  to  a 
close  in  19  :  7,  "  for  the  marriage  of 
the  Lamb  is  come,  and  the  bride  hath 
made  herself  ready." 


192 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  VI. 


The  sealed  book— Opening  of  the  first  six  tealt. 

6  AND  J I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened 
one  of  the  seals,  and  I  heard,  as  it 
were  the  noise  of  thunder,  'one  of  the 
four    beasts   saying,    Come   and    see. 

2  And  I  saw,  and  behold  >a  white  horse : 


6  AND  I  saw,  when  the  Lamb  opened 
one  of  the  seven  seals,  and  I  heard 
one  of  the  four  living  creatures  say- 

2  iug,  as  a  voice  of  thunder.  Come.  And 
I  saw,  and  beheld  a  white  horse,  and 


tf  &:&-1. 


a  19  :  7-16 ;  Zech.  6  :  3. 


The  fall  of  all  the  outward  foes  of 
Christ,  and  the  forces  against  Christ, 
also  introduces  the  end  in  20 :  14.  Com- 
pare Swete,  Introduction,  p.  xxix  ff. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  course  of  Christ's  cause  on  the 
earth  is  here  presented  in  a  symbolic 
way.  The  Lamb  having  taken  the  roll 
now  proceeds  to  open  it  part  by  part, 
breaking  seal  after  seal.  In  the  vision 
John  beholds  the  breaking  of  the  seals. 
There  is  a  gradualness  in  the  unfold- 
ing of  the  teachings.  We  have  here, 
as  the  personal  activities  and  agencies, 
the  Redeemer,  the  four  living  creatures, 
the  souls  of  the  martyrs,  the  various 
operations  signified  by  the  opening 
seals.  The  chapter  falls  naturally  into 
two  divisions.  The  first  four  seals  con- 
stitute one  division,  the  closing  three 
the  second. 

1,  2.  The  opening  of  the  first 
SEAL.  There  is  no  break,  in  time,  be- 
tween the  close  of  the  song  in  chapter 
V  and  the  breaking  of  the  seals.  The 
Lamb,  in  his  character  of  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  begins  to  unfold  the 
history  of  redemption  in  its  origin,  its 
hindrances,  its  spread,  its  final  triumph 
on  the  earth. 

1.  The  Lamb  opened  one  of 
the  seals,  rather,  one  of  the  seven 
seals.  And  I  heard  ...  see,  rather, 
And  I  heard  one  of  the  four  living 
creatures  saying  as  with  a  voice  of 
thunder.  Come.  The  one  of  the  four 
refers,  in  all  likelihood,  to  the  lion 
which  is  mentioned  first  in  4 :  7.  There 
is  an  incongruity,  in  an  artistic  view, 
in  depicting  the  lion  as  speaking.  But 
the  vision  regards  things,  not  in  an 
artistic  aspect,  but  in  a  moral  aspect. 
There  were  thunderings  proceeding 
from  the  throne  (*  :  5),  indicative  of 
God's  judgments  about  to  come  upon  a 
guiltjr  world.  The  voice  of  the  crea- 
ture is  like  thunder  in  its  volume. 
Omit,  and  see.  The  creature  utters 
one  word,  Come.   This  is  not  addressed 


to  John  in  order  to  bring  him  nearer, 
otherwise  it  would  not  be  repeated 
again  and  again.  It  is  not  addressed 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  as  if  the  expectant 
creatures  and  the  church  were  waiting 
for  hip  coming  a  second  time,  as  in  22  : 
17,  20.  It  is  an  appeal  for  the  horse- 
man to  come  forth,  an  appeal  for  the 
hidden  future  to  reveal  itself.  This  is 
in  accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  entire 
passage,  and  with  the  resulting  appear- 
ance. There  is  an  expectant  attitude 
on  the  part  of  the  church,  the  desire 
for  his  coming  to  avenge  his  cause,  to 
manifest  his  glory,  and  take  to  himself, 
in  an  outward  way,  the  authority  that 
rightly  belongs  to  him.  But  this  can- 
not be  the  meaning  here.  The  thun- 
der may  indicate,  as  it  often  does  in 
this  book,  not  simply  the  arresting  of 
attention,  but  the  accompanying  judg- 
ments. 

2.  The  answer  comes  at  once.  There 
came  a  vision.  No  word  apparently 
was  uttered,  but  every  part  of  the  vision 
had  significance.  A  white  horse 
appears.  White  is  largely  used  in  this 
book  as  a  symbol  of  purity,  holiness ; 
also  of  conquest,  of  victory.  There  is 
a  white  throne  (20  =  n) ;  there  are  white 
robes  (7 :  9).  In  19  :  11  we  have  the 
appearance  of  a  rider  on  a  white  horse, 
where  it  is  no  other  than  the  glorified 
Redeemer  in  his  course  of  resistless 
conquest.  But  here  we  can  understand 
not  a  conqueror  in  a  merely  earthly 
sense,  either  in  civil  strife  or  foreign 
conquest,  but  a  holy  being  or  a  holy 
cause. 

Professor  Ramsay  believes  that  the 
rider  on  the  "  white  horse  "  represents 
the  Parthian  king,  and  that  commen- 
tators, who  try  to  force  a  Roman  mean- 
ing on  this  figure,  are  mistaken.  But 
Swete  (p.  335)  says  that  white  horses 
were,  on  occasions,  used  in  Roman 
triumphant  processions,  and  quotes 
Plutarch  and  Dion  Cassius.  He  sees 
in  "the  white  horse"  a  picture  of 
"triumphant  militarism,"  and  thinks 
"  a  vision  of  the  victorious  Christ  would 


Ch.  VI.] 


REVELATION 


19a 


•"and  he  that  sat  ou  him  had  a  bow; 
"and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him: 
and  he  went  forth  conquering,  and  to 
conquer. 

3  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second 
seal,  <*!  heard  the  second  beast  say, 

4  Come  and  see.  « And  there  went  out 
another  horse  that  was  red  :  and  power 
was  given  to  liim  that  sat  thereon  fto 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  tiiat 
they   should    kill   one    another:    and 


he  who  sat  on  him  had  a  bow  ;  and  a 
crown  was  given  to  liim  ;  and  be  came 
forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer. 

3  And  vvheu  he  opened  the  second  seal, 
1  heard  the  second  living  creature  say- 

4  ing.  Come.  And  there  came  forth 
another  horse,  a  red  horse,  and  to  him 
who  sat  thereon  it  was  given  to  take 
away  peace  from  the  eartli,  and  that 
they  should    slay   one   another ;    and 


b  Pa.  16  :  3-5. 


c  14:  U;  Dan.  7  :  14.  d  4  ;  7. 

/  Matt.  10  ;  34 ;  Luke  12  :  49,  51. 


be  inappropriate  at  the  opening  of  a 
series  which  .symbolizes  bloodshed, 
famine,  and  pestilence."  But  Moses 
in  his  song  (Exod.  15 : 3)  says :  "  Jehovah 
is  a  man  of  war."     (Comp.  Exoa.  14  :  i4; 

Deut.  7  :  1,  2  :    Rev.  19  :  13-16.)      In  regard    tO 

the  white  horse  and  rider,  whether  a 
Parthian,  Roman,  or  Old  Testament 
symbol,  it  need  not  be  used  slavishly, 
but  freely,  as  a  common  form  in  a  new 
way,  to  suit  new  conditions. 

The  Cambridge  Bible  suggests  that 
these  four  riders  signify  the  woes  that 
precede  Christ's  final  coming ;  that  the 
white  horse  signifies  a  conquest  that 
may  be  beneficial  in  its  nature.  But 
in  that  event  there  would  be  no  dis- 
tinctive difference  between  the  white 
horse  and  the  red  hor.se  of  the  second 
seal.  In  each  of  the  first  four  seals  a 
horse  appears  :  the  symbol  of  motion, 
of  activity;  of  war  also,  as  in  the  Old 
Testament  times  the  horse  was  used 
for  war  purposes.  The  Old  Testament 
foundation  for  this  imagery  is  found  in 
Zech.  6 : 1-8,  where  four  horses  appear — 
black,  white,  grizzled,  bay  or  red.  He 
that  sat  on  him.  If  this  has  refer- 
ence to  a  person,  then  it  will  be  needful 
to  designate  each  of  the  other  riders  as 
a  definite  person.  In  no  case  is  a  defi- 
nite person  meant,  but  rather  a  cause, 
a  principle,  an  agency.  The  bow  is, 
for  the  times,  a  symbol  of  war.  In 
vision  a  crown  is  given  to  him,  a 
crown  of  conquest,  of  royalty.  His 
purpose  in  coming  forth  is  shown  in 
conquering  and  to  conquer.  He 
inarched  on  to  victory.  When  the 
struggle  is  over,  the  foe  is  crushed. 
The  Old  Testament  speaks  of  the  Lord 
as  a  mighty  conqueror,  beating  down 

all  opposition  (Ps.  2  ;  64  :  7-9  ;  110  :  3  ;  Isa. 
J«  :  9). 

3,4.  The  OPENING  OF  THE  SECOND 

SEAL.    The  second  horse  is  red,  the 
N 


color  of  blood,  the  symbol  of  war.  It 
is  probable  that  the  .second  living  crea- 
ture (•':''),  the  ox,  gives  the  call  to  the 
horseman  to  appear.  It  is  in  vision 
that  John  sees  the  red  horse,  and,  at 
once,  knows  the  significance  of  it.  In 
the  symbolism  of  this  book  we  are  not 
to  understand  that  actual  war  is  meant. 
It  is  a  book  in  which  words  are  not  to 
be  pressed  in  their  literal  meaning. 
War  stands  for  calamity,  suft'eriug, 
woe,  hardships  of  all  kinds.  War,  in 
the  olden  times,  meant  unbridled  pas- 
sions, the  release  of  all  the  ferocity 
dwelling  in  hunjan  nature,  savagery. 
It  describes  the  sorrow  brought  by  a 
sinful  world  upon  itself  through  its 
wilful  rejection  of  its  rightful  Lord. 
That  the  truth  may  win  its  way,  and 
opposition  be  broken  down,  the  powers 
of  the  ungodly  must  be  weakened. 
This  is  portrayed  by  the  absence  of 
peace,  and  the  vision  of  the  wicked 
slaughtering  each  other.  The  conquer- 
ing Christ  is  at  work  in  this  vision  also 
in  the  sending  of  judgments  upon  a 
wicked  world.  This  vision  has  usually 
been  referred  to  the  persecutions  that 
came  upon  Christians  on  account  of 
their  allegiance  to  Christ.  But  the 
reference  is  not  to  be  found  in  the.se 
persecutions,  nor  to  any  contests  be- 
tween the  righteous  and  the  ungodly. 
Rather  it  is  the  picture  of  the  ungodly 
slaughtering  each  other.  Kill  one 
another,  rather,  slaughter.  Not  re- 
ceiving Jesus,  the  real  peace-giver, 
into  their  souls,  whereby  peace  with 
God  and  with  men  would  have  come, 
they  became  bitter  toward  each  other. 
At  enmity  with  Jesus,  they  became 
enemies  of  each  other.  Great  judg- 
ments and  sorrows  came  upon  the 
world  because  of  their  rejection  of 
their  rightful  sovereign.  It  was  as  if 
war    with   its    limitless    horror    had 


194 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VI. 


there   was  given   unto   him   a  great 
sword. 

5  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third 
seal,  el  heard  the  tliird  beast  say, 
Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo 
ha  black  horse;  and  he  that  sat  on 
him  had  'a  pair  of   balances  in   his 

6  hand.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the 
midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure 
of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  meas- 
ures of  barley  for  a  penny;  and  ^see 


there  was  given  to  him  a  great  sword. 

5  And  wlien  lie  opened  the  third  seal, 
I  heard  the  third  living  creature  say- 
ing. Come.  And  I  saw,  and  behold  a 
black  horse,  and  he  who  sat  on  him 

6  had  a  balance  in  his  hand.  And  I 
heard  as  it  were  a  voice  in  the  midst 
of  the  four  living  creatures,  saying,  A 
quart  of  wheat  for  a  denary,  and  three 
quarts  of  barley  for  a  denary;  and, 


J  4  :  7.  A  Amos  8:11;  Zech.  6:2;  Job  30  :  30 ;  Jer.  8  :  21 ;  Lam 

i  Kzek.  i  :  10,  16 ;  Dan.  5  :  27.  k  9:i;  Jer.  30  :  11. 


come  upon  the  world.  In  this  book 
the  expression,  earth,  is  generally 
used  of  the  ungodly  upon  the  earth. 
There  was  given,  in  vision,  a  great 
sword,  a  symbol  of  fearful  slaughters, 
of  widespread  devastation.  As  a  re- 
sult peace  goes  from  the  earth.  In 
the  Greek  the  article,  the,  occurs  be- 
fore peace,  meaning  the  peace  that 
ought  to  be  on  the  earth,  the  peace  that 
Christ  would  give  it.  The  period  of 
this  vision  is  not  limited  to  the  one 
definite  era,  but  extends  through  all 
the  subsequent  periods.  The  red  horse 
may  continue  his  travels  on  the  earth 
during  the  progress  of  all  the  seals. 
The  sufferings  as  of  war,  the  woes  of  a 
burdened  world,  the  judgments  sent 
upon  the  earth  rejecting  Jesus,  are  fit- 
tingly represented  by  this  rider  on  the 
red  horse.  At  the  present  time  Europe 
is  an  armed  camp,  two  million  men 
being  under  arms.  The  condition  of 
the  entire  world  resembles  an  armed 
truce.  If  Jesus  should  conquer  the 
ruling  ideas  of  the  nations,  then,  in  an 
actual  sense,  wars  and  slaughters  would 
wholly  cease.  Jesus  unites  the  hearts 
of  men  to  God  and  to  each  other.  Sin 
disunites  men  from  God  and  from  each 
other,  and  creates  slaughter. 

5,  6.  The  opening  of  the  third 
SEAL.  Another  of  the  living  creatures 
says  "  Come,"  whereupon  appears  a 
black  horse.  The  black  color  stands 
for  misery,  for  famine  (Jer.  4  ;  28).  The 
black  horse,  the  balances,  the  small 
measure  of  common  food  for  the  daily 
living,  indicate  a  time  of  great  scarcity. 
The  oil  and  wine  stand  for  peace  and 
joy.  There  is  no  allusion  to  a  literal 
famine,  or  food  or  oil.  There  was  a 
time  of  misery  for  the  wicked  world, 
a  time  of  rest  and  confidence  for  the 
saints  on  the  earth. 

5.   Had  opened,  rather,  opened. 


The  third  living  creature,  as  given  in 
the  vision  (*:'),  had  a  face  like  a 
man.  Omit  and  see.  The  Come 
brings  a  third  horse,  black  in  color* 
Logically  famine  follows  war,  hen/?e 
in  orderly  procedure  this  follows  the 
second  seal.  Black  stands  for  mourn- 
ing, gloom,  despair.  The  rider  has  a 
balance  in  his  hand,  indicating  a  time 
of  scarcity,  when  war  has  made  a  de- 
struction of  men  and  crops.  The  earth 
has  yielded  but  a  partial  increase,  and 
the  things  that  support  life  are  given 
out,  not  with  a  full  hand,  but  are  care- 
fully weighed.  In  the  Old  Testament 
tihies  of  scarcity,  bread  was  weighed 
out  to  men  (Lev.  26  ;  26).  Ezckicl  por- 
trays the  horrors  of  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem in  this  manner  (Ezek.  *  -.  i6,  i7). 

6.  A  voice  came  in  addition  to  the 
vision.  And  I  heard  .  .  .  beasts, 
rather,  mid  I  heard,  as  it  wei-e,  a  voice 
in  the  midst  of  the  four  living  creatures. 
The  as  it  ivere  does  not  throw  any  doubt 
upon  the  reality  of  the  voice,  or  the 
distinctness  of  the  words  uttered,  but 
shows  an  uncertainty  as  to  the  speaker 
and  also  his  location.  It  seemed  to 
come  from  a  certain  place,  uttered  by 
one  of  the  living  creatures  or  by  him 
that  sat  upon  the  throne.  The  meas- 
ure is  a  chenix,  a  solid  measure  hold- 
ing about  a  quart.  Eight  measures 
would  ordinarily  be  obtained  for  a 
penny  or  denarius.  This  was  the  daily 
pay  for  an  able-bodied  man  at  his  work. 
The  penny  corresponds  to  fifteen  cents 
in  our  currencj^,  the  denarius  being 
apparently  a  liberal  payment  for  a 
laborer's  daily  work  (Matt.  20 : 2).  Bar- 
ley was  a  cheaper  food,  considered 
more  fit  for  cattle  than  for  men.  Three 
measures  of  the  common  food  might 
be  purchased  with  the  day's  wages, 
supporting  thereby  partially,  at  least, 
a  family  if  not  too  large.    There  is 


Ch.  VI.] 


REVELATION 


195 


thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine. 

7  And  when  he  liad  opened  tlie  fourtli 
seal,  '  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourtli 

8  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  ™Aud  I 
looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse :  and 
his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death, 
and  Hell   followed   with   him.     And 


The  oil  and  the  wine  hurt  thou  not. 

7  And  when  he  opened  the  fourth  seal, 
I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth  living 

8  creature  saying.  Come.  And  I  saw, 
and  behold  a  pale  horse  ;  and  he  who 
sat  on  him,  his  name  was  Death,  and 
Hades  followed  with  him.     And  au- 


(4:7. 


m  Zeoh.  6  :  3. 


indicated  here  a  time  of  great  scarcity, 
not  of  absolute  starvation.  Oil  aud 
wine.  These  are  generally  understood 
as  modifying  the  judgment  seut  upon 
them,  implying  that  God's  auger  is 
tenderly  limited.  Not  the  day-laborer, 
but  the  wealthy  alone  find  occasion  for 
the  oil  and  the  wine.  If  it  were  in- 
tended to  emphasize  God's  mercy,  this 
would  be  shown  in  the  grant  of  abun- 
dance of  wheat  and  a  scarcity  in  the 
wine,  rather  than  a  scarcity  of  the  ne- 
cessities of  life  and  an  abundance  of 
the  luxuries  of  life.  The  sufferer  from 
famine  would  not  find  in  these  luxuries 
compensation  for  the  absence  of  the 
food  that  life  leans  upon.  The  laborer 
could  not  purchase  them,  they  would 
be  for  the  wealthy  alone.  These  two 
terms  express  the  joy,  the  abundance, 
the  blessedness  of  life.  They  show 
that  when  the  common  things  are  cut 
off,  the  very  highest  things  of  life  God 
bestows  abundantly.  They  are,  there- 
fore, the  symbolic  expressions  of  God's 
care  aud  love  for  his  own  people.  The 
slaughter  and  famine  came  upon  the 
world  of  the  ungodly.  They  express 
God's  attitude  toward  the  unbelieving 
and  rejecting  world.  But,  at  the  same 
time,  God  has  a  people  in  tlie  world  ; 
for  them  he  provides  and  cares.  In 
the  second  seal  the  ungodly  slay  each 
other.  In  this  seal,  although  the  un- 
godly suffer,  there  is  rich  provision  for 
the  flock  of  the  Lord  (ps.  23 :  5;  91  :  10). 
John  is  seeing  visions  and  symbols, 
not  actual  things.  We  may  not  seek 
anywhere  in  history  for  a  time  of 
actual  famine,  and  regard  it  as  a  ful- 
filment of  this  vision.  Oftentimes, 
through  human  selfishness  and  sin- 
fulness actual  famines  have  come, 
bringing  terrible  ills  upon  men.  The 
seals  represent  the  attitude  of  God 
toward  the  world  on  account  of  its 
relation  to  tlie  church  and  cause  of 
Christ.  God  sends  judgments  upon 
the  ungodly. 
7,  8.  Opening  of  the  fourth 


SEAL.  Another  living  creature  says 
"  Come,"  and  a  pale  horse,  livid  like  a 
corpse,  appears.  Death  is  the  horse- 
man, and  tlie  underworld  is  an  insep- 
arable companion.  The  judgments  of 
God  are  only  partial  in  severity  and 
extent  indicated  bj'  a  fourth ;  they  grow 
in  severity  indicate  by  one-third  in 
in  8  :  7.  These  judgments  fall  on  the 
uugodly  alone. 

8.  The  fourth  living  creature  now 
speaking  is  the  eagle  (* :  7).  There  is 
a  natural  sequence  in  the  character  of 
the  horsemen  coming  forth  in  response 
to  the  Come  of  the  living  creatures. 
War,  famine,  death  follow  each  other 
in  close  order,  revealing  a  growing  in- 
tensity in  meaning.  In  this  seal  there 
comes  forth  a  pale  horse.  The 
Greek  word  here  rendered  pale  is  trans- 
lated green  in  8  :  7.  It  is  a  term  often 
used  of  the  pallor  of  the  human  face 
when  paled  by  tei-ror,  or  when  dying 
or  dead.  His  name  ...  death, 
rather,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him,  his 
name  was  Death.  In  this  case  only  the 
name  of  the  rider  is  given.  Death  is 
personified  as  a  devourer,  in  the  form 
of  a  skeleton  specter,  riding  upon  the 
horse  (20  :  13,  u).  It  is  a  fearful  vision. 
Death  is  understood  by  some  as  having 
the  deeper  meaning  given  to  it  in  the 
writings  of  John  and  Paul,  separation 
and  alienation  from  God,  the  spiritual 
death.  It  is  better,  however,  to  regard 
it  as  here  used  in  its  usual  sense.  As 
death  goes  beyond  war  and  famine  in  its 
intensity  of  meaning,  so  John  sees  the 
increasing  judgment  of  God  falling 
upon  a  wicked  world.  Hell,  rather, 
Hades.  This  word,  hades,  has  a  wide 
range  of  meaning.  It  is  sometimes 
used  in  its  literal  and  etymological 
sense,  the  unseen  world,  the  world  of 
spirits.  Sometimes  it  is  almost  iden- 
tical with  the  grave  as  symbolizing  the 
unseen  world.  Sometimes  it  involves 
the  idea  of  pain,  of  penalty  that  come 
upon  the  ungodly  in  the  unseen  life. 
It  is  regarded  as  the  enemy  of  Christ 


196 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VI. 


power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  j 
fourth  part  of  the  earth,  "to  kill  with 
sword,  and   with    hunger,    and    with 
death,   and   with  the   beasts  of  the 
earth.  I 


thority  was  given  to  them  over  the 
fourth  part  of  the  earth,  to  kill  with 
sword,  and  with  famine,  and  with 
death,  and  by  the  wild  beasts  of  the 
earth. 


Lev.  26  ;  22-29  ;  Jer.  15  ;  2,  3 ;  Ezek.  14  :  21. 


and  his  cause  (Matt,  is  :  is,  Revised  versioa). 

Here  it  is  simply  the  grave  or  unseen 
world  that  swallows  up  the  people. 
Death  and  hades  go  close  together.  It 
is  to  be  noted  that  there  are  four  instru- 
ments with  which  these  two  scourges 
work — sword,  hunger,  death,  wild 
beasts.  Ezekiel  speaks  of  God's  four 
sore  judgments  (Ezek.  u  :  21).  These 
judgments  come  upon  the  world  in 
its  ungodliness,  and  therefore  there 
are  four  agencies  of  destruction,  be- 
cause four  is  the  symbol  of  the 
world.  Those  who  follow  the  Lamb 
shall  have  blessings ;  those  who  fol- 
low the  world  and  dwell  under  its 
sway  shall  have  the  world  itself  turn- 
ing upon  them  and  bringing  curses. 
The  rule  of  these  two,  death  and  hades, 
e-^tends  over  the  fourth  part  of  the 
earth.  Some  have  surmised  that  each 
one  of  these  four  judgments  rules  over 
a  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  thus  making 
the  entire  world  subject  to  the  sway  of 
death.  It  is  better,  however,  to  regard 
this  term,  one-fourth,  not  in  any  strict 
and  mathematical  sense,  but  as  ex- 
pressive of  the  wide  rule  of  death.  We 
are  not  to  find  in  this  a  prophecy  of 
the  murderous  persecutions  that  have 
come  upon  the  church  in  many  cen- 
turies of  the  Christian  era.  We  are  to 
find  the  meaning  of  this  symbol  in  the 
judgments  of  God  coming,  not  upon 
his  church,  but  upon  tbe  ungodly 
world.  So  long  as  the  claims  of  Jesus 
are  rejected,  so  long  the  history  of  the 
world  is  to  be  marked  by  the  perpetual 
return  of  wars,  pestilences,  and  every- 
thing that  is  fraught  with  disaster,  to 
those  who  live  in  the  worldly  sphere. 
And,  therefore,  the  seals  are  opened 
and  these  judgments  come  forth  under 
the  supreme  control  of  the  Lamb,  whose 


the  world  is  by  right,  and  to  wliose 
rulership  all  men  should  submit  them- 
selves. 

9-11.  The  opening  of  the  fifth 
SEAL.  We  have  here  no  voice  of  the 
living  creatures  as  in  the  first  four 
seals.  There  is  a  vision  of  the  great 
altar  of  the  temple  court,  where  sac- 
rifices were  offered.  Under  this  John 
sees  the  souls  of  the  martyred  dead. 
They  are  conscious,  enjoy  a  nearness 
to  God,  are  interested  in  the  extension 
of  God's  cause,  and  intercede  for  the 
manifestation  of  God's  righteousness. 
They  are  given  white  robes,  significant 
of  enlarged  joy  and  of  the  victory  that 
will  ensue  for  the  cause  for  which  they 
died.  Assurance  is  given  that  others 
must  yet  die  on  the  earth  in  witnessing 
for  the  truth,  and  that  the  holy  dead 
did  not  die  in  vain.  The  artificial  and 
methodical  structure  of  the  book  is 
manifest  in  the  grouping  of  the  seven 
seals  into  two  divisions.  In  the  letters 
to  the  churches  there  was  a  division 
into  two  groups  of  three  and  four.  In 
the  seals  there  is  a  corresponding  divi- 
sion into  two  groups  of  four  and  three. 
The  same  line  of  division  separates  the 
first  four  trumpets  from  the  three  fol- 
lowing. It  is  thought  by  many  that 
the  reason  for  the  group  of  four  stand- 
ing first  is  that  God's  judgments  come 
upon  the  world,  four  being  the  number 
that  represents  the  world.  No  longer 
does  a  horseman  appear  as  in  the  first 
four ;  no  longer  does  the  voice  say 
Come.  We  pass  from  the  material 
world  with  its  war,  pestilence,  and 
famine,  into  the  unseen  world.  There 
is  a  like  passage  into  the  unseen 
world,  at  the  same  point,  in  the  cor- 
responding series  of  the  trumpets  and 
the  bowls,  thus: 


FIFTH  SEAL,  5  :  9-11. 
An  altar  in  heaven. 


FIFTH  TRUMPET,  9:1. 

I         Pit  of  the  abyss. 


FIFTH  BOWL,  16  :  10. 
Throne  of  the  beast. 


It  is  a  designed  break  in  the  form  of 
the  teaching,  not  accidental.  It  is 
evident   from    this    sameness   in    the 


structure  of  the  book,  in  seal,  in  trum- 
pet, in  bowl,  that  the  seals  cannot  be 
intended  to  depict  a  chronological  his- 


Ch.  VI.] 


KEVELATION 


197 


9  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth 
seal,  I  saw  under  "the  altar  Pthe  souls 
of  them  that  vvere  slain  for  the  word 
of  God,  and  fori  the  testimony  which 
10  they  held  :  and  they  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saj'ing,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy 
and  true,  'dost  thou  not  judge  and 


9  And  when  he  opened  the  fifth  seal, 
I  saw  underneath  the  altar  the  souls 
of  lliose  that  had  been  slain  on  account 
of  the  word  of  God,  and  on  account  of 
10  the  testimony  which  they  had.  And 
they  cried  with  a  great  voice,  saying, 
How  long,  O  Master,  the  holy  and  true, 


0  8:3; 


9  :  13.  p  20  :  4 ;  John  16  ;  J.  «  12  :  17  ;  19  ;  10 ;  2  Tim.  1  :  8. 

r  19  :  2  ;  Deut.  32  :  36-43 ;  Luke  18  :  7,  8. 


tory  of  the  world  or  the  church.  They 
rather  outline  certain  great  ideas  that 
will  be  in  operation  in  all  the  ages  from 
the  first.  The  fifth  seal,  trumpet,  and 
bowl,  correspond  with  each  other,  rep- 
resenting each  of  them  the  same  thought 
under  a  diflering  aspect,  a  scene  in  the 
spiritual  world.  "The  altar  here  in 
view  is  the  counterpart  of  the  altar  of 
burnt  ofl'ering  and  the  victims  which 
have  been  oflered  at  it  are  martyred 
members  of  the  church,  w  ho  have  fol- 
lowed their  Head  in  the  example  of 
his  sacrificial  death.  Comp.  .5:6,'  as 
if  slain.'  .  .  An  altar  i.s  mentioned  also 
in  8:  3, 5;  9:13;  11:1;  14:18;  16:7" 
(Swete).     Comp.  Heb.  8  :  5,  note. 

9.  Under  the  altar.  In  8:3  is 
given  a  sight  of  the  altar  of  incense. 
Here  it  is  the  brazen  altar,  standing  in 
the  court,  the  altar  of  sacrifice  (E-^od. 
JT  :  1).  It  is  a  part  of  the  heavenly 
temple,  existing  figuratively  there.  At 
the  foot  of  the  altar,  on  the  earth,  the 
blood  of  the  victim  was  poured  (Exod. 
29:12).  The  souls.  The  same  word 
is  used  in  the  New  Testament  inter- 
changeably for  the  principle  of  life, 
and  also  for  the  immortal,  conscious 
part  of  man's  nature  (Matt.  i6  :  25, 26). 
Here  it  refers,  not  to  the  mere  principle 
of  life,  but  to  the  conscious,  sentient 
part.  The  souls  are  represented  as 
praying,  appealing  to  God's  righteous- 
ness, and  receiving  rewards.  Slain 
for  the  word  of  God.  This  indi- 
cates the  class  of  persons  seen.  Jolin 
does  not  see  the  souls  of  all.  As  the 
purpose  here  is  to  show  God's  holy 
vindication  of  his  people,  it  is  needful 
to  bring  into  view  only  those  who  had 
passed  through  martyrdom.  It  cannot, 
therefore,  be  held  with  Milligan  that 
this  number  includes  all  the  men  who 
had  lived  lives  of  faith — Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob,  the  men  who  through 
struggles  had  entered  into  blessedness. 
The.se  persons  were  not  slain  for  per- 
sonal reasons,  but  on  account  of  their 


devotion  to  God,  counting  not  their 
lives  dear  unto  them.  The  expression, 
tvord  of  God,  stands  for  God's  revela- 
tion of  himself  and  his  will,  testing 
their  faithfulness  in  adhering  to  it  and 
declaring  it.  It  is  maintained  by  some 
that  the  absence  of  any  allusion  to 
Jesus  shows  that  these  martyrs  were 
exclusively  Old  Testament  martyrs. 
In  many  passages  in  this  book  the 
testimony  is  explicitly  declared  to  be 
that  concerning  Jesus  (i;2,  9;  12:17; 
19  :  16).  As  John  was  living  at  a  time 
when  persecutions  were  sweeping  over 
the  church,  the  vision  includes  those 
in  the  Christian  era  who  suflered  for 
Christ's  sake.  It  would  be  a  comfort 
to  the  suff^erers  of  his  day  to  know  that 
they,  in  their  death,  would  not  be  un- 
cared  for,  and  that  they  would  not  die 
in  vain.  This  vision  is  designed  to 
bring  out  and  emphasize  the  teaching 
that  God's  seeming  delay  in  executing 
penalty  upon  the  enemies  of  his  church 
will,  in  time,  give  way  to  punishment. 
The  souls  of  the  martyrs  are  made  use 
of,  as  in  a  drama,  to  bring  out  this 
teaching.  Tliere  is  no  real  throne,  real 
altar,  no  suffering  on  the  part  of  the 
saints  in  the  unseen  life. 

10.  The  person  addressed  is  Lord, 
rather,  blaster.  The  term  is  sometimes 
applied  to  God,  as  supreme  ruler  ( inke 
2:29;  Acts  4  :  24) ;  sometimes  to  Christ 
(jude  4 ;  2  Peter  2:1).  He  is  described  as 
holy  and  trne.  God's  holiness  and 
fidelity  to  his  own  nature  and  promises 
furnish  foundation  for  prayer,  for  ap- 
peal to  God  that  he  execute  righteous- 
ness among  men,  tliat  he  punish  wrong- 
doing. At  the  same  time  they  serve 
to  bewilder  the  righteous  man,  in  the 
presence  of  wrong  unpunished,  unless 
there  is  also  a  remembrance  of  God's 
righteousness.  There  is  here  portrayed, 
in  vision,  the  consciousness  among  the 
saints,  of  God's  holy  nature,  and  of 
unexplained  delay  in  executing  pun- 
ishment upon  the  wicked  on  the  earth. 


198 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VI. 


avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dM'ell 
11  on  the  earth  ?  And  » white  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them  ;  and  it 
was  said  unto  them,  'that  they  sliould 
rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  "uutil  their 
fellowservants  also  and  their  brethren, 
that  should  be  killed  as  they  were, 
should  be  fulfilled. 


dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our 
blood  on  those  who  dwell  on  the  earth? 
11  And  a  white  robe  was  given  to  each 
one  of  them ;  and  it  was  said  to  them, 
that  they  should  rest  yet  a  little  time, 
until  their  fellow-servants  also  and 
their  brethren,  who  were  about  to  be 
killed  as  they  were,  should  be  fully 
numbered. 


e  3:  4  5,  7  :9,  U. 


t  14  :  13 ;  Isa.  26  :  20,  21 ;  Dau.  12  :  13. 


Heb.  11  :  40. 


Avenge.  It  has  beea  said  that  the 
spirit  here  manifest  is  not  Christian  in 
its  nature,  that  it  shows  a  spirit  of  i-e- 
veuge.  There  is  a  growth  in  the  ten- 
derness of  spirit  in  the  New  Testament 
as  contrasted  with  the  Old  Testament, 
due  to  the  influence  of  Christ  upon  tlie 

age.       (Comp.    2   Chroa.    24  :  22  ;    Ps.  138  :  9  with 

Aot8  7  :  60.)  But  we  may  remember  that 
every  holy  nature  must  side  with  God 
in  feeling  that  wickedness  ought  to  be 
punished.  A  holy  nature  rejoices  iu 
goodness  and  hates  badness.  To  hate 
evil  is  as  essential  as  to  love  the  good. 
The  saints  in  heaven  are  assured  that 
God,  in  time,  must  punish  wrong-doing, 
the  open  enemies  of  his  church.  In  the 
same  spirit  Milton  writes  concerning 
the  justice  that  should  he  measured  out 
upon  the  murderers  of  the  Waldeuses. 
It  was  not  personal  vindictiveuess,  but 
the  justice  of  a  high  moral  nature. 
Such  cries  may  go  up  in  all  the  ages  to 
the  holy  Lord,  for  the  moral  sense  of 
God's  people  will  not  be  satisfied  until 
wickedness  is  punished  as  wickedness. 
Heaven  will  be  more  heavenly  when 
goodness  is  rewarded  and  wickedness 
is  recognized  as  such  and  punished. 
That  dwell  on  the  earth.  This 
does  not  mean  that  those  for  whose 
punishment  they  cry  are  at  that  time 
living  on  the  earth.  The  expression 
only  denotes  that  they  were  earthly  in 
their  nature,  that  they  were  worldly 
people.  Their  home  is  on  the  earth ; 
men  whose  portion  is  in  this  life.  We 
must  not  infer  that  the  martyred  saints 
do  actually  invoke  God's  vengeance 
upon  the  persecutor.  In  a  highly 
figurative  and  dramatic  way  they  are 
made  use  of  to  show  that  though  God 
apparently  delays  yet,  iu  time,  the 
suffering  will  be  richly  rewarded. 

11.  And  white  robes  were 
given,  rather.  Arid  there  was  given 
them,  to  each  one,  a  white  robe.  It  is 
implied  that   these  cries  will  be  an- 


swered in  time.  The  white  robe  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  this  book  (3 :  4, 
5,  18).  It  is  the  symbol  of  purity,  joy, 
triumph.  It  refers,  seemingly,  to  a 
special  privilege  granted  to  them  on 
account  of  their  special  faithfulness  in 
the  earthly  life.  In  so  far  as  the  martyrs 
are  those  of  the  Christian  era,  the 
white  robe  signifies  God's  approval 
and  the  assured  victory  of  their  cause. 
Despite  all  the  contumely,  reproach, 
and  sufiering  on  the  part  of  ungodly 
men,  God  highly  regards  them,  and 
their  cause  will  be  crowned  with  tri- 
umph. It  is  not  to  be  understood  that 
the  saints  in  heaven  are  not  always 
clothed  in  white  (3 :  *).  That  is  a  part 
of  the  heritage  of  all  Christ's  people. 
The  robes  are  given  not  actually,  but 
in  vision,  in  order  that  the  divine 
teaching  may  be  clearly  brought  to 
view.  Those  on  the  earth,  the  faithful 
servants  of  God,  are  described  as  their 
fellow-servants,  having  a  common 
relation  to  God;  their  brethren,  hav- 
ing a  kinship  with  each  other.  Be 
killed.  Jesus  foretold  days  of  per- 
secution in  store  for  his  followers  (John 
16  : 2).  Here  in  vision  times  of  perse- 
cution and  outward  disaster  are  fore- 
told for  the  church.  In  every  century 
this  vision  has  received  its  fulfilment. 
In  recent  years  in  Madagascar,  in 
Africa,  in  China,  in  Armenia  many 
have  given  up  their  lives  for  Christ's 
sake.  Missionaries  who  have  hazarded 
their  lives  in  unhealthful  climates  have 
been  equally  martyrs.  Such  times 
may  yet  come  when  persecution  and 
hatred  will  arise  against  Christ's  cause. 
Under  all  the  seals  there  will  be  faith- 
ful ones  suffering  in  varied  ways  for 
Christ.  Men  who  suffer  in  business 
for  Christ's  sake,  who  suffer  social 
standing  for  principle,  may  be  classed 
among  those  having  the  martyr  spirit. 
This  seal  is  designed  to  make  plain 
the  following  teachings :  (1)  The  con- 


Ch.  VI.] 


REVELATION 


199 


12  Aud  I  belield  when  he  had  opened 
the  sixth  seal,  »and,  lo,  there  was  a 
great  earthquake ;  aud  v  tlie  sun  be- 
came black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and 

13  the  moon  became  as  blood;  ^and  the 
stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth, 
even  as  a  lig  tree  casteth  her  untimely 
figs,  when  she  is  'shaken  of  a  mightj' 


12  Aud  I  saw  when  he  opened  the  sixth 
seal,  aud  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake ;  and  the  sun  became  black  as 
sackcloth  of  hair,  and  tlae  whole  moon 

13  became  as  blood ;  and  the  stars  of 
heaven  fell  to  the  earth,  as  a  fig-tree 
casts  its  unripe  tigs,  when  shaken  by  a 


z  16:  18;  Hag.  2  :  21. 


y  Isa.  13  :  9,  10;  Acts  2  :  20. 


a  Nahuui  3  :  12. 


quering  Christ  has  an  ally  in  the 
church,  the  people  following  in  his 
steps  and  holding  to  his  life.  (2) 
Alongside  of  the  forces  of  evil  in  the 
world  are  two  effective  agencies  of 
Christ — the  church  faithful  in  suffering 
and  the  piaj'ers  of  saints  above.  (3) 
AVhile  God  seemingly  permits  the 
wicked  element  to  triumph,  yet  in 
time  God's  judgment  will  be  manifest. 
His  holiness  and  righteousness  insui-e 
this.  (4)  God  in  the  unseen  life  will 
graciously  and  richly  reward  his  faith- 
ful servants.  Larger  faithfulness  will 
bring  larger  reward.  It  is  to  be  under- 
stood that  all  this  takes  place  in  vision. 
There  is  no  real  altar  in  heaven  under 
which,  or  at  the  foot  of  which,  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs  repo.se.  The  saints 
above  already  share  in  the  joys  of 
Christ.  These  things  are  portrayed  in 
vision  in  order  that  the  teachings  of 
Christ  may  be  .seen  with  the  eye.  It  is 
an  acted  prophecy  that  God  sympa- 
thizes with  his  suffering  church,  will 
stand  by  it,  will  put  a  crown  upon  it, 
will  punish  the  wicked  opposers  of  his 
kingdom. 

l'-4-17.  The  OPENING  OF  THE  SIXTH 
SEAL.  In  this  seal  we  have,  in  vision, 
the  beginning  of  the  overwhelming  of 
the  ungodly  world  by  God's  judgments. 
Those  opposing  Christ  flee  in  conscious 
weakness  and  despair  from  his  face. 
When  God  rises  in  his  might  no  one 
can  stand.  The  imagery  is  taken  from 
the  Old  Testament  prophecies  and  the 
Saviour's  discour.se  in  Matt.  24.  The 
falling  of  the  stars,  the  darkening  of 
the  moon,  and  the  kindred  physical 
changes  are  not  to  be  taken  literally. 
They  all  have  a  real  meaning,  but  are 
not  to  be  interpreted  in  a  material  way. 
In  every  age  God's  judgments  make 
war  upon  the  ungodly  portion.  There 
may,  therefore,  I)e  successive  fulfil- 
ments of  this  vision  at  crises  of  the 
world's  history,  while  the  complete 
fulfilment  will  naturally  take  place  in 


the  events  preceding  the  Lord's  final, 
personal  coming. 
12-14.  And  lo  .  .  .  earthquake, 

rather,  and  there  was  a  great  eaith- 
quake.  This  seal  surpasses  the  pre- 
ceding seals  in  the  terribleness  of  the 
judgments.  The  sword,  famine,  and 
pestilence  having  done  their  work,  these 
now  give  way  to  convulsions  in  nature 
■whereby  the  whole  fabric  of  things  is 
shaken.  Jesus  implies  the  stability  of 
the  laws  of  nature,  but  afiirms  the  in- 
destructibility of  his  own  words  (Mark 
24:35).  There  is  a  noticeable  corre- 
spondence between  this  series  of  visions 
and  the  discourse  in  Matthew  concern- 
ing the  earlier  and  later  comings  of  the 
Lord.  The  second  seal  corresponds 
with  ver.  6  ;  the  third  seal  with  ver.  7 ; 
the  fourth  seal  with  ver.  7 ;  the  fifth 
seal  with  ver.  9 ;  the  sixth  seal  with 
ver.  29.  The  earthquake  is  a  sign  of 
an  impending  crisis.  In  the  corre- 
sponding vision  of  the  trumpets,  which 
runs  parallel  with  the  seals,  an  earth- 
quake is  mentioned  in  the  sixth  trum- 
pet. Black  as  sackcloth.  This 
expression  is  used  in  Isa.  50  :  3.  The 
moon,  rather,  the  whole  moon.  In 
the  entire  eclipse  the  moon  assumes  a 
reddish  color,  but  giving  out  no  light. 
The  same  expression  occurs  in  Joel 
2  :  31 :  "  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into 
darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood, 
before  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the 
LOKD  come."  Peter  declares  (Act»2: 
16)  that  these  words  had  a  fulfilment 
in  the  introduction  of  Christianity  and 
the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  State. 
Isaiah  makes  use  of  the  same  terms  in 
describing  the  fall  of  Babylon  (i"^-  i3  : 
9,  10).  Stars  of  heaven.  These 
words  are  found  in  Matt.  24  :  29.     Fig 

tree.       (Comp.  Isa.  34  :  4;    Matt.  24  :  32.)      As 

showing  how  the  discourse  of  Jesus  in 
Matt.  24  influences  this  book  it  may  be 
noticed  that  there  the  parable  of  the 
Fig  Tree  immediately  follows  the  men- 
tion of  the  falling  of  the  stars.     And 


200 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VI. 


14  wind  ;  *  and  the  heaven  departed  as  a 
scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together;  and 
"every    mountain    and    island    were 

15  moved  out  of  their  places.  ^  And  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men, 
and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief 
captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and 
every  bondman,  and  every  freeman, 
<  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the 

16  rocks  of  the  mountains;  fand  said  to 
the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  us, 
and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  Him  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne,  «and  from  the 

17  wrath  of  the  Lamb !  *"  for  the  great  day 


14  great  wind  ;  and  the  heaven  parted 
asunder  as  a  scroll  rolled  up;  and 
every  mountain  and  island  were  re- 

15  moved  out  of  their  places.  And  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men, 
and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  rich 
men,  and  the  strong  men,  and  every 
bondman  and  freeman,  hid  themselves 
in  the  caves  and  in  the  rocks  of  the 

16  mountains ;  and  they  say  to  the  moun- 
tains and  to  the  rocks.  Fall  on  us,  and 
hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  who  sits 
on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of 

17  the  Lamb ;  because  the  great  day  of  his 


b   Pa.  102  :  26  ;  Isa.  34  :  4  ;  Heb.  1  :  12,  13.      c  16  :  20  ;  Isa.  2  ;  14-17  ;  Jer.  3  :  23 ;  4  :  23-26. 

d  Job  34  :  19,  20;  Ps.  110  :  5,  6 ;  laa.  24  :  21,  22.      e  Isa.  2  :  19. 

/  9  :  6 ;  Isa.  2  :  19  ;  Jer.  8:3;  Hosea  10  :  8  ;  Luke  23  :  30.       ■     g  Vcr.  10  ;  19  :  15 ;  Ps.  3  :  9-12. 

ft  16  ;  14 ;  Isa.  13  :  6,  etc. :  Joel  2:11;  Zeph.  1  :  14,  etc. 


the  heavens  .  .  .  together,  rather, 
and  the  heavens  departed  cis  a  scroll 
rolled  up.  To  the  beholder  looking 
upon  the  earth  from  above  it,  the 
heaven,  with  its  firmament,  appeared 
to  be  rolled  up  for  removal.  These 
widespread  convulsions  in  nature,  seeu 
in  vision,  embracing  moon,  stars, 
heavens,  island,  mountain,  are  not  to 
be  understood  in  a  material  sense.  The 
teachings  portrayed  by  these  symbols 
might  all  come  to  pass,  even  if  nature 
were  not  in  any  way  disturbed.  No 
physical  changes  took  place  at  Pente- 
cost when  Peter  affirmed  that  the 
prophecies  of  Joel  had  come  to  their 
fulfilment.  These  symbols  indicate 
great  convulsions  in  civil  society,  the 
overturning  of  all  that  opposes  Christ 
and  his  cause.  It  is  the  picture  of  all 
that  is  hostile  to  Christ  giving  way, 
all  organized  opposition  breaking 
down. 

15,  16.  John  has  seen,  in  vision, 
nature  giving  way;  he  now  sees  the 
effect  of  this  collapse  of  nature  upon 
the  intelligent  creation.  The  wicked 
of  all  classes,  the  disobedient  and  un- 
believing who  had  joined  together 
against  the  Lord's  cause  now  give  way 
in  alarm.  Kings  .  .  .  mighty  men, 
rather.  And  the  tinfjs  of  the  earth,  and 
the  princes,  and  the  chief  coi)tains,  and 
the  rich,  and  the  strong.  These  are  not 
the  believers,  but  the  ungodly.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  seven  clas-ses  of  men 
are  here  portrayed.  As  seven  stands 
for  completeness  these  seven  classes  of 
men  represent  the  com))ined  forces  of 
men  arrayed  again.st  God.  From  the 
highest  to  the  lowest  they  are  utterly 


overwhelmed,  they  make  confession  of 
their  guilt.  (comp.Ps.2.)  In  the  dens. 
(comp.  Isa.  3 :  19, 21.)  On  the  impossibility 
of  escaping  from  God's  presence  see 
Ps.  139.  Fear,  inspired  by  the  con- 
sciousness of  guilt  and  ill-desert,  drives 
away  the  unbelieving  from  God's  pres- 
ence. Adam  hid  from  God's  sight 
(Geu.  8:8);  the  publican  stood  afar  off 
(Luke  18:13);  the  finally  impenitent 
voluntarily  go  from  God's  presence 
(Matt.  25  :  46).  The  face  represents  the 
person.  The  psalmist  said  :  "  Thy  face 
will  I  seek"  (ps.  27  :  s).  God  is  at- 
tractive to  the  godly  in  heart.  The 
Father  and  the  Son  both  are  manifest 
in  these  moral  dealings  with  men, 
though  it  is  probable  that  the  final 
judging  will  be  that  of  the  Son  (John  5 : 
22).  Wrath  of  the  Lamb.  The 
words  seem  antagonistic  in  their  mean- 
ing, affirming  that  wrath  dwells  in  the 
Lamb.  It  is  to  misinterpret  the  na- 
ture of  Jesus  to  think  of  him  as  gentle 
and  tender  only.  When  on  earth  he 
was  angry  (Mark  3:5).  He  exercised  a 
holy  indignation.  He  condemned  ut- 
terly the  hypocrite,  pronouncing  woes 
(Matt.  23).  He  is  the  same  Jesus  still, 
uniting  holiness  and  compas.sion. 
President  Wayland  pronounced  these 
words  the  most  fearful  in  the  Bible, 
revealing  the  awfulness  of  sin,  the 
utter  guilt  of  wicked  men  that  the 
nature  of  the  divine  Lamb,  whose 
being  is  love,  should  be  stirred  up  so 
that  the  divine  wrath  should  be  mani- 
fested. In  nature  and  in  the  realm  of 
grace  there  is  a  severity  as  well  as  a 
tenderness  in  God  manifested.  God's 
tenderness  alone  dwelt  upon  obscures 


Ch.  VI.] 

REVEI 

ATION                                       201 

of  his  wrath  Is  come ; 
be  able  to  stand  ? 

iand  who  shall 

wrath  is  come,  aud  who  is  able  to 
stand  ? 

i  Ps.  76  :  7 

ilal.  3  :  2. 

the  holy  judgments  of  God ;  his  severity- 
alone  dwelt  upon  hides  his  heart  of 
love  more  tender  than  that  of  a  mother 

(Rom.  11  :  22). 

17.  For  presents  the  reason  for  the 
trepidation.  The  great  day.  It  is  a 
day  of  days ;  a  day  for  which  other  days 
were  made.  It  is  sometimes  spolien 
of  as  ' '  that  day,"  or  "  tlie  day"  Often 
men  have  seen  intimations  aud  pre- 
monitions of  that  great  day,  great  con- 
vulsions in  nature  or  in  society  when 
the  hearts  of  men  failed  them  for  fear. 
The  one  great  clay  is  yet  to  come. 
Able  to  staud.  Who  can  stand  jus- 
tified, without  fear  or  alarm,  before 
him  at  that  day  ?  ( fomp.  m.ii,  s  :  2. )  The 
reference  is  to  men  without  God.  Paul's 
words  in  Rom.  8  :  34  reveal  the  heart 
of  the  man  who  can  face  all  things, 
even  the  Lord's  coming  and  the  judg- 
ment day,  without  alarm.  Every  man 
with  an  awakened  moral  nature  will 
carry  a  judgment  seat  in  his  own  heart. 
One  of  the  world's  great  hymns,  "  Dies 
Irse,"  is  founded  on  the  scenes  of  this 
great  day,  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 
John  speaks  of  the  calmness  of  heart 
■with  which  the  child  of  God  meets  the 
last  day  ( 1  John  * :  n).  Read  also  Whit- 
tier's  "  Abraham  Davenport."  Onlj'^ 
the  justified  man  can  staud  calmly 
before  the  judgment  day.  L^ngodly 
men  may  have  quietness  in  mind  now 
because  present  things  are  exclusivelj' 
dwelt  upon  ;  because  God  is  ignored  ; 
because  the  judgment  day  is  kept  from 
the  thoughts.  This  seal  brings  us  close 
to  the  end.  But  the  end  cauuot  be  yet, 
because  God  is  a  God  who  makes  dis- 
tinctions among  men.  There  must 
therefore  be  a  separation  between  the 
believer  and  the  unbeliever.  These 
moral  distinctions  among  men  are  now 
revealed  to  us  in  the  next  vision. 

Practical  Remarks. 
1.  God  reveals  his  purposes  little  by 
little.  It  requires  ages  to  see  God's  com- 
plete plans.  We  must  not  judge  hastily 
of  God's  government,  because  we  do  not 
know  all  yet.  Jesus  breaks  one  seal  at  a 
time  (ver.  1 ;  1  Cor.  13  :  12). 


2.  Christianity  began  on  the  earth  in  a 
small  way,  has  met  with  much  opposition, 
but  has  the  truth  of  God  in  it.  Jesus  will 
overcome  all  oiiposition  (Heb.  10: 13).  No 
one  need  fear  that  the  cause  of  Christ  will 
perish  from  the  earth,  though  it  needs  the 
help  of  every  friend  of  Jesus  to  give  it 
wider  power  (ver.  2). 

3.  Jesus  is  the  great  peacemaker.  The 
absence  of  Jesus  begets  disorders  and  dis- 
turbances in  the  heart,  and  in  the  world. 
The  ills  in  the  world  all  arise  from  the  re- 
jection of  Jesus  as  the  supreme  ruler  and 
Saviour  (ver.  3). 

4.  God  has  judgments  as  well  as  bless- 
ings. Judgments  and  afflictions,  if  used 
rightly,  will  prove  great  ble.ssings.  If 
they  do  not  lead  the  heart  to  wisdom, 
they  will  only  embitter  and  harden  it. 
Moses  was  helped  by  rebuke ;  Pharaoh 
was  hardened  by  it  (ver.  5). 

5.  God  has  always  a  regard  for  his  own. 
He  prepares  a  table  for  them  (Ps.  23  :  5). 

6.  Death  has  been  looked  upon  as  the 
king  of  terrors.  He  is  terrible  to  the  man 
who  has  not  the  promise  of  the  life  in 
Christ.  Worse  than  the  first  death  is  the 
second  death  (Rev.  2  :  11).  Jesus  can 
change  the  first  death  into  a  sleep  (Acts 
7  :  60).  We  may  overcome,  through  Christ 
who  is  the  life,  the  power  of  the  first  and 
the  second  death.  Death  on  the  pale 
horse  will  not  frighten  the  believer  (1  Cor. 
15:55),  nor  destroy  the  church  (ver.  8; 
Matt.  16  :  18). 

7.  The  souls  of  the  faithful  are  honored 
in  heaven.  Cast  out  of  the  earth  as  un- 
worthy, they  constitute  God's  jewels  in 
heaven  (ver.  9). 

8.  It  is  not  vindictiveucss,  but  a  fellow- 
ship with  the  holy  God  that  leads  the 
suffering  Christian  to  pray  for  the  out- 
shining of  his  power  in  protecting  his 
cause  and  putting  down  wickedness  on 
the  earth.  The  Christian  must  hate  the 
wrong-doing  while  trying  to  bless  the 
wrong-doer.  The  coming  of  God's  king- 
dom means  the  utter  subjugation  of  all 
evil.  Jesus  will  be  not  only  a  forgiving 
Saviour,  but  also  a  reigning  Saviour.    The 


202 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VII. 


good  man  must  long  for  tlie  time  to  come 
when  wickedness  shall  be  suppressed  and 
holiness  shall  reign  (ver.  10). 

9.  Men  need  great  patience  in  times  of 
persecution.  If  God  can  be  patient,  his 
people  should  strive  so  to  be.  The  seem- 
ing inequalities  in  life  and  injustices  will 
disturb  the  heart  unless  there  is  a  firm 
belief  in  God's  holiness,  wisdom,  and 
strength.  God's  patience  toward  wrong- 
doers is  for  their  salvation  (ver.  11;  2 
Peters  :  9). 

10.  Only  through  tribulation  may  we 
enter  into  heaven  (2  Tim.  3:12).  Our 
own  age  has  supplied  many  martyrs  for 
Christ  and  his  cause.  Every  age  is  a 
martyr  age  (ver.  11). 

11.  All  nature  is  under  God's  control. 
More  stable  than  the  laws  of  nature  are 
the  words  and  teachings  of  Jesus.  When 
the  heavens  and  earth  pass  away,  Jesus 
and  his  words  will  abide  (ver.  12;  Matt. 
24  :  35). 

12.  Temporal  things  change  and  pass 
away,  unseen  things  are  abiding  (2  Cor. 
4  :  18).  It  is  not  wise  to  be  a  man  of  this 
life  only  (ver.  14 ;  Ps.  17  :  14). 

13.  Among  men  there  are  gradations, 
kings  and  bondmen.  All  are  equally  in- 
significant when  measured  by  God's  in- 
finite person  and  power.  Men  may  talk 
like  Pharaoh,  but  they  will  crumble  into 
nothingness  at  the  touch  of  his  power 
(ver.  15). 

14.  If  a  person  find  a  refuge  in  Christ, 
he  will  need  no  other  refuge  at  the  last 
day.  Jesus  is  a  hiding-place  for  penitent 
men.  David  found  a  hiding-place  in 
God's  forgiveness  (Ps.  32).  The  day  of 
wrath  will  never  come  to  a  man  who 
makes  Christ  his  friend.  Every  man 
creates  for  himself,  by  his  attitude  toward 
Christ,  a  day  of  blessing  or  a  day  of  wrath 
(ver.  16). 

15.  God's  love  and  God's  anger  are 
joined  together  in  the  one  person.  On 
the  earth  Jesus,  in  holy  anger,  cleansed 
the  temple.  His  nature  is  not  that  soft 
kind  that  does  not  distinguish  between 
the  good  and  the  bad,  that  treats  all  alike 
irrespective  of  character.  Jesus  himself 
uses  the  words,  blessed  and  accursed 
(ver.  16;  Matt.  25  :  34). 

16.  There  is  a  great  gulf  between  the 
friends  and  enemies  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 


Great  alarms  and  the  judgment  day  have 
no  terrors  for  the  man  who  has  made  God 
his  friend  (1  John  4  :  17).  In  life  character 
is  forming.  At  the  judgment  the  char- 
acter will  be  tested  (ver.  17). 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Six  seals  have  been  opened.  In  the 
fifth  seal  was  the  assurance  that  God 
will  avenge  his  own  cause,  and  those 
who  die  in  maintaining  it.  In  the 
sixth  seal  we  .see  the  trepidation  and 
fear  with  which  the  ungodly  world 
looks  upon  the  manifestation  of  the 
Lord.  Before  the  seventh  seal  is 
opened  there  are  presented  two  visions, 
kindred  in  nature,  by  way  of  episode. 
They  have  no  direct  relation  to  the 
preceding  or  the  following  seal.  The 
expression,  after  this^  does  not  in- 
dicate that  the  things  portrayed  in  the 
vision  take  place  chronologically  after 
the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal.  In  order 
of  time  John  saw  this  vision  after  he 
had  seen  the  seals  opened.  There  is  a 
naoi-al  reason  for  the  appearance  of  the 
visions  in  this  place.  What  will  be 
the  condition  of  Christ's  people  when 
these  dread  events  happen  ?  Will  they 
be  overwhelmed  in  the  judgments  upon 
the  wicked?  Will  the  persecutions 
that  rage  against  the  church  utterly 
destroy  it?  Will  God  draw  a  dividing 
line  between  his  people  and  his  adver- 
saries? We  have  the  answer  in  these 
visions.  While  those  living  on  the 
earth  in  an  earthly  way  will  be  subject 
to  God's  severest  judgments,  Christ's 
own  will  be  recognized  as  his,  and 
treated  as  such.  Severe  judgments 
have  already  been  portrayed  in  the 
seals — slaughters,  famines,  death.  The 
judgments  revealed  in  the  trumpets 
will  be  more  severe  than  those  in  the 
seals.  These  visions  are,  therefore,  in- 
tended to  be  consolatory  in  their  nature 
for  the  followers  of  Christ.  Jesus  has 
a  tender  regard  for  his  flock.  He  will 
not  permit  their  hearts  to  fail  them  for 
fear  lest  they  also  may  perish.  They 
will  have  tribulations,  but  the  judg- 
ments will  not  fall  on  them.  They  will 
be  chastened,  they  will  not  be  punished 
(John  15 : 3).  This  vision  represents  the 
constant  relation  that  Jesus  sustains 
toward  his  people,  at  all  times  during 
all  the  seals,  the  whole  course  of  time 
in  the  world's  history.    In  every  age 


Ch.  VII.] 


REVELATION 


203 


TTie  sealed  book— Sealing  of  faithful  Israelites 
from  impending  judgmenla. 

7  AND  after  these  thiugs  I  saw  four 
angels  stauding  on  the  four  corners  of 
the  earth,  ^  holding  the  four  winds  of 
the  earth,  'that  the  wind  should  not 
blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor 
on  any  tree. 


7  AND  after  this,  I  saw  four  angels 
stauding  at  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the 
earth,  that  no  wind  should  blow  on 
the  earth,  or  on  the  sea,  or  on  any 
tree. 


*  Jer.  49  :  36 ;  Dan.  7  :  2. 


2  9:1. 


judgments  fall  upon  the  wicked ;  in 
every  age  God  knows  how  to  shield  his 
people.  Ultimate  defeat  will  not  hap- 
pen to  Christ's  cause  or  Christ's  peo- 
ple. As  Jesus  foretold  persecutions 
that  his  people  might  not  be  terri- 
fied, so  here  we  have  strong  consola- 
tion for  the  troublous  times  that  come 

(John  16  :  33). 

The  first  vision  —  the  sealing  of  the 
servants  of  God  —  embraces  ver.  1-8; 
the  second  —  the  innumerable  multi- 
tude— ver.  9-17. 

1-8.  The  sealing  of  the  serv- 
ants OF  God.  As  revealing  a  general 
principle  of  God's  administration  we 
now  have  presented  God's  personal 
knowledge  of  his  people  and  his  pi-o- 
vision    for    them.     It  corresponds    in 

grinciple,  with  the  saving  of  the  house- 
olds  of  the  Israelites  when  the  first- 
born of  the  Egyptians  were  put  to 
death  (Exod.  12 :  ss). 

In  ver.  1-3  John  beholds,  in  vision, 
four  angels,  a  figurative  way  of  speak- 
ing of  God's  power,  restraining  the 
winds  from  blowing  on  the  earth. 
God's  care  for  his  people  restrains  the 
deserved  punishment  from  coming 
upon  the  world  of  the  ungodly  until 
the  people  of  Christ  dwelling  among 
them  are  made  safe.  They  are  all 
marked  upon  the  forehead,  whereby 
their  identity  is  made  known  and  their 
safety  assured. 

In  ver.  4-8  John  hears  the  number 
of  the  sealed,  from  each  of  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel.  The  Israel  here  spoken 
of  is  the  sum  total  of  all  believers. 
Each  tribe  gives  its  quota,  an  exact 
number,  speaking  definitely,  for  an 
indefinite  number,  but  embracing  every 
one  of  the  redeemed. 

I.  After  these  things,  rather, 
after  this.  In  point  of  time  this  vision 
comes  after  the  seals  just  noticed. 
While  in  chronological  order  it  may 
have  special  reference  to  the  critical 
times  yet  to  come,  it  reveals  the  spirit 


of  God's  providences  in  all  periods.  It 
is  in  vision  that  John  sees  four  augels 
.  .  .  earth.  Elsewhere  he  speaks  of 
the  angel  having  charge  of  the  fire 
('1:8);  having  charge  of  the  waters 
(16  :  5).  The  devout  Hebrew  conceived 
of  the  powers  of  nature  as  under  the 
immediate  control  of  God  through  his 
angels.  It  was  not  God  apart  from 
nature,  but  God  in  and  through  nature. 
The  meaning  intended  here  is,  that  the 
winds,  symbolizing  God's  judgments, 
are  restrained  by  the  divine  power. 
The  judgments  upon  the  wicked,  wide- 
spreading  and  intensive  in  their  nature, 
are  held  back  until  the  righteous 
dwelling  among  them  are  placed  under 
the  divine  guardianship.  The  four  in- 
dicates the  world-wide,  universal  judg- 
ment impending,  coming  from  every 
quarter.  Four  corners.  These  in- 
dicate the  four  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass,  the  extremes  of  the  earth. 
John  now,  beholding  these  visions  in 
the  heavenly  life  {*  ■  1),  looks  down 
upon  the  earth.  He  is  not  teaching 
geography  or  declaring  that  the  earth 
IS  a  rectangle.  He,  in  a  figurative 
way,  sees  the  entire  world  with  its 
physical  resources  under  the  divine 
control.  The  winds,  in  a  general  way, 
denote  the  impending  judgments,  hav- 
ing in  them  destructive  powers.  They 
are  spoken  of  in  this  way  in  the  Old 
Testament  prophecies,     (see  jer.  «  :  so  ; 

l>aa.  7:2;    Ezek.  1  :  4.)      Actual    M'iuds   are 

not  meant,  nor  physical  disturbances 
in  the  air,  but  great  convulsions  and 
judgments  represented  by  them.  The 
object  of  the  holding  fast  by  the  angels 
is  that  the  wind  may  not  as  yet  blow 
upon  the  earth.  We  are  not  to  attribute 
any  special  meaning  to  sea,  or  tree. 
When  an  actual  wind  blows,  the  sea  is 
disturbed,  the  trees  are  bent  by  the 
storm.  They  represent  here  the  world- 
wide effects  of  God's  visitations  in 
righteousness  upon  the  wicked.  God 
holds  back  the  winds  so  that  his  holy 


204 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VII. 


2  And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending 
from  the  east,  "having  the  seal  of  the 
living  God :  and  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice  to  the  four  angels,  "to  whom  it 
was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the 

3  sea,  saying  ;  "  Hurt  not  the  earth, 
neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  Ptill  i  we 
have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God 
f  in  their  foreheads. 


And  I  saw  another  angel  coming  up 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  having  the 
seal  of  the  living  God;  and  he  cried 
with  a  great  voice  to  the  four  angels, 
to  wliom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth 
and  the  sea,  saying,  Hurt  not  the 
earth,  nor  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  until 
we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God 
on  their  foreheads. 


m  John  6  :  27  ;  2  Cor.  1  :  22  ;  Eph.  1 :  13 ;  4  :  30. 
p  U:l;  Ezek.  9  :  4-6. 


n  8  :  7-12.  o  6  :  6 ; 

q  Gen.  1  :  26;  Isa.  6  :  8. 


E.\od.  12  :  13  ;  2  Peter  2  :  9. 
-  22  ;  4. 


indignation  is  restrained  for  a  time 
until  another  purpose  be  subserved. 
In  like  manner  the  flood  did  not  come 
until  Noah  was  saved  ;  Sodom  was  not 
destroyed  until  Lot  made  his  escape 

(Geu.  19  :  22). 

2.  And  I  saw  .  .  .  east,  rather, 
from  the  snn  rising.  This  angel  is  not 
the  Lord  Jesus  as  imagined  by  some, 
nor  any  definite  angel,  but  a  symbolic 
form  introduced  in  order  to  bring  out 
God's  care  for  his  own.  The  angels 
everywhere  appear  as  carrying  out 
God's  purposes.  It  cannot  be  known 
whether  any  definite  meaning  is  to  be 
assigned  to  the  angel  arising  from  the 
sun  rising.  Some  tliink  that  it  in- 
dicates light,  safety,  and  joy  for  the 
righteous ;  there  is  the  sun  rising  for 
them  while  impending  storms  are  for 
the  wicked.  The  sun  fittingly  represents 
the  Sun  of  Righteousness  (I'ai.  4:2). 
When  judgments  come  they  will  hurt 
those  upon  whom  they  come.  God's 
care  for  his  people  is  such  that  even 
the  wicked  are  not  promptly  punished 
in  order  that  his  own  people  may  be 
preserved.  God  bears  with  the  tares 
for  the  sake  of  the  wheat  (Matt.  13 :  29). 
Seal.  The  main  featuresof  this  vision 
we  find  in  Ezek.  9  :  4,  where  those  who 
love  God  are  marked  upon  the  fore- 
head. This  mark  is  for  their  safety 
when  destruction  comes  upon  the  city. 
Compare  al.so  Paul's  reference  to  the 
seal  in  2  Tim.  2  :  19.  In  Eph.  1  :  13 
we  have  the  sealing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  inward  witness  and  mark  of  God's 
ownersliip.  The  mark  is  upon  the 
forehead,  plain  and  open  to  all, 
where  also  the  high  priest  had  on  a 
golden  plate,  "  Holiness  to  the  Lord." 
The  distinguishing  feature  of  the  godly 
man  is  the  godlikeness  of  tlie  life. 
The  Holy  Spirit  will  make  separate- 
ness  of  life,  will  transform  character 
so  that  the  Christian  life  will  be  read 


and  known  by  all  (2  cor.  3:3).  God 
will  treat  men,  in  outward  ways,  in 
accord  with  tlieir  character.  It  is  as 
if  a  real  marli  were  placed  on  the  fore- 
head. We  have  a  marking  of  a  pre- 
cisely opposite  character,  that  of  the 
beast,  in  13  :  17;  14  :  11. 

3.  We  have  here  the  words  heard 
by  John.  Hurt  not ...  trees.  The 
powers  of  nature  stand  for  the  moral 
movements  of  God  whereby  he  visits 
the  wicked  in  judgments.  The  loud 
winds  would  be  a  fitting  symbol  of 
God's  storm  of  justice  sweeping  over 
the  earth.  Paul's  ship  was  helpless 
before  the  storm  (-^<:is  27) ;  in  like  man- 
ner no  one  can  stand  when  God  arises 
in  vindication  of  his  righteousness 
(Job  9  : 3).  The  angel  is  a  servant  of 
God,  our  God.  Angels  and  men  are 
equally  under  obligation  to  serve  God. 
Sealed.  This  denotes  a  mark  where- 
by the  holy  ones  are  distinguished  from 
others,  and  their  safety  thereby  secured. 
It  is  not  an  indiscriminate  marking, 
but  according  to  character.  In  the  life 
that  now  is  there  is  often  no  distinc- 
tion, apparently,  between  the  righteous 
and  the  unrighteous,  whereby  the  moral 
sense  is  confused  (ps.  73).  But,  in  due 
time,  God  will  draw  a  dividing  line 
between  bis  friends  and  his  enemies. 
In  their  foreheads,  rather,  upon. 
It  is  implied  that  when  the  servants 
of  God  are  sealed,  that  the  winds  will 
hurt  the  earth ;  that  is,  the  wicked  who 
make  their  home  there.  The  unsealed 
men  will  be  hurt.  In  reality  all  men 
are  sealed  with  God's  seal,  or  the  seal 
of  the  beast.  Every  man  has  a  char- 
acter, and  stands  in  a  certain  definite 
relation  to  God.  This  sealing  must  not 
he  interpreted  to  mean  the  physical 
safety  of  God's  followers  at  all  times. 
Jesus  said:  "Not  a  hair  of  your  head 
shall  be  hurt,"  yet  the.se  same  men 
were  persecuted,  tortured,  killed.    He 


Ch.  VII.] 


REVELATION 


205 


4  "Aud  I  heard  the  uumber  of  them 
which  were  'sealed:  and  there  were 
sealed  "au  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel. 

5  01  the  tribe  of  Juda  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

Of   the  tribe   of    Reuben  ivere  sealed 

twelve  thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve 

thousand. 


4  And  I  heard  the  number  of  the  sealed, 
a  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
were  sealed,  out  of  every  tribe  of  the 
sons  01  Israel ; 

5  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  twelve  thou- 
sand sealed. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  twelve  thou- 
sand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  twelve  thousand, 


a  9  :  16. 


t  2  Cor.  1  :  22. 


had  reference,  not  to  the  physical  life, 

but  to  the  inner  life,  the  man  himself. 

4.  And   1    heard    the    number. 

He  does  not  state  from  whom  he  heard 
the  number.  One  asked  Jesus  if  few 
would  be  saved  (Lu^e  is :  23).  A  defi- 
nite answer  would  have  ministered 
only  to  curiosity.  He,  therefore,  gave 
counsel  that  the  questioner  be  found 
among  the  saved.  Persons  are  sealed 
from  each  of  the  twelve  tribes,  repre- 
senting all  the  people  of  Christ,  the 
collective,  universal  church.  We  have 
twelve,  the  number  that  stands  for  the 
church,  squared  and  multiplied  a  thou- 
sandfold, one  iiundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  from  all.  By  this  is  meant, 
not  that  this  arithmetical  number  will 
be  saved,  but  that  the  entire,  the  com- 
plete, number  of  Christ's  people  will 
be  saved.  It  would  utterly  mislead  us 
to  regard  this  number  as  used  in  a 
mathematical  sense.  It  is  a  symbolic 
expression  expressing  the  conception 
of  the  largeness  of  Christ's  kingdom 
and  the  unerring  accuracy  with  which 
Christ  separates  his  own  from  the  mass 
of  men  in  a  wicked  world.  Israel. 
The  question  arises  whether  these  sealed 
persons  are  of  the  literal  Hebrew  race, 
showing  the  number  of  the  lineal  de- 
scendants of  Abraham  who  are  saved 
through  Christ.  This  view  is  main- 
tained by  many  who  think  the  first 
vision  gives  the  Jewish  followers  of 
Christ;  the  second  vision  the  Gentile 
followers  of  Christ.  This  view  cannot 
be  maintained.  The  New  Testament 
writings  wipe  out  the  distinction  be- 
tween the  Jew  and  the  Gentile  in  the 
church.  All  believers  in  Christ  are 
the  children  of  Abraham  (Oai.  3 :  29)^ 
are  true  Israelites  (P'lii.  s  :  a).  All  be- 
lievers are  included  in  the  expression, 
twelve  tribes  (21  :  12).  This  vision 
represents  the  entire  church  of  Christ 
on  the  earth,  as  the  next  vision  repre- 


sents them  gathered  into  heaven.  All 
believers,  therefore.  Gentiles  as  well  as 
Jews,  must  be  embraced  in  the  sealed. 
The  mark  upon  the  forehead  character- 
izes all  the  saved,  not  Jews  alone  (i<  : 
1 ;  22  : 4).  Satan  marks  all  his  own,  of 
all  races,  with  his  own  distinguishing 

mark     (12  ;  Ifl,    17  ;     14  :  9;     16:2;     19:20). 

The  marking  of  God  will  therefore 
fittingly  belong  to  all  his  people,  of  all 
races.  There  is  no  limitation  in  the 
description,  all  the  servants  of  God  are 
to  be  marked.  The  conclusion  is  irre- 
sistible that  sealed  here  embraces  all 
the  believing  part  of  the  world,  whether 
Gentile  or  Jew  by  birth  or  belief.  As 
to  the  time  of  sealing.  As  the  refer- 
ence is  to  the  entire  church  of  Christ, 
in  all  the  ages,  the  sealing  cannot  be 
limited  to  a  certain  time.  It  is  not  re- 
stricted to  a  period  just  before  the  end, 
but  goes  on  always,  at  all  periods  of 
the  church's  history.  At  all  periods 
God  knows  his  own,  cares  for  them, 
supplies  with  needful  grace,  creates 
his  own  holy  character  in  them,  gathers 
to  himself.  Not  one  of  them  is  lost 
(John  10  :  28).  The  Sealed  belong  to  all 
ages  and  peoples,  the  one  organized 
host  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  At  distinct 
times  of  peril  Christ  will  recognize  and 
save  his  own.  When  Jerusalem  fell, 
his  followers,  remembering  his  words 
of  counsel,  escaped  the  horrors  of  the 
siege.  At  the  last  days,  when  the 
present  order  of  things  will  give  way 
(3  Peter  3 :  10),  Christ  will  recoguize  this 
invisible  seal. 

5-8.  We  have  here  the  list  of  the 
twelve  tribes.  The  names  do  not  cor- 
respond with  the  names  as  usually 
given  in  other  places  (Ezek.  ts :  1-27, 
31-3*).  It  is  difficult  to  decide  why  the 
changes  have  taken  place.  Judah 
stands  first  in  the  list,  instead  of  Reu- 
ben the  firstborn.  The  reason  for  this 
change   may  be  the   desire   to   place 


20G 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VII. 


6  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve 
thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Nepthalim  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Manasses  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

7  Of  the   tribe   of   Simeon   icere   sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  ivere  sealed  twelve 

thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed 

twelve  thousand. 

8  Of  the  tribe  of   Zabulon  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

Of   the   tribe   of   Joseph   were   sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand. 

The  sealed  book— Vision  of  the  glorified 
sufferers :  the  seventh  seal. 

9  After  this  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  ^a  great 


6  Of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  twelve  thou- 
sand. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  twelve 
thousand, 

Of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  twelve 
thousand, 

7  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  twelve  thou- 
sand, 

Of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  twelve  thou- 
sand, 

Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  twelve  thou- 
sand, 

8  Of  the    tribe    of    Zebulun,   twelve 
thousand, 

Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  twelve  thou- 
sand, 

Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  twelve 
thousand  sealed. 


9     After  these  things  I  saw,  and  behold 


V  Ps.  22  :  27:  Isa.  60:  3,8;  Kom.  11  :  25. 


honor  upon  Jesus,  inasmuch  as  he  is 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah  (5:5).  Dan  is 
omitted  entirely  from  the  lists.  Several 
conjectures  are  given  for  the  omission  : 
That  it  was  given  over  to  idolatry 
(judg.  18 : 1-31) ;  that  it  had  disappeared, 
being  entirely  extinct  in  the  days  of 
John  ;  that  the  symbol  of  the  tribe,  a 
serpent  (g™-  «  ■  i),  made  it  unfitting 
to  be  classed  among  the  followers  of 
the  Lamb.  Ephraim  is  omitted,  Joseph 
taking  the  place.  In  all  the  Old  Testa- 
ment period  Ephraim  assumes  a  posi- 
tion hostile  to  Judah,  which  was  true, 
in  the  main,  to  Jehovah  and  his  cause 
(Ps.  80  ;  2 ;  jer.  7  :  17),  Levi  has  here  a 
place  in  the  list.  As  Levi  had  the 
priesthood,  he  had  no  share  among  the 
tribes.  Inasmuch  as  all  believers  are 
now  priests  (i  Peter  2  :  9)^  Lcvi  fittingly 
takes  a  position  among  the  twelve 
tribes.  The  order  in  which  the  names 
occur  is  diSerent  from  that  found  else- 
where. Doubtless  John  had  his  rea.sons, 
which  we  cannot  discover,  for  this  dif- 
fering order.  Perhaps  the  difierence 
in  the  order  is  another  indication  that 
the  vision  is  not  meant  to  represent  the 
fleshly  Israel,  but  the  spiritual  Israel. 
Were  sealed  should  be  omitted  in 
all  cases  except  in  the  finst  and  last 
clauses.  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  twelve 
thousand  sealed  .  .  .  of  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  twelve  thousand. 
9-17.  The  second  vision.    The 

INNUMERABLE  MULTITUDE.     Another 

companion  vision  follows,  whose  scene 


is  laid  in  heaven.  It  presents  a  higher 
conception  than  the  preceding ;  there 
they  were  sealed,  here  they  are  saved. 
In  the  first  vision  dangers  were  im- 
pending; here  glory  has  settled  down 
upon  them. 

The  vision  is  portrayed  in  ver.  9-12. 
John  beholds  a  countless  multitude  in 
white,  the  symbol  of  purity,  with 
palms,  the  symbol  of  rejoicing,  prais- 
ing God.  They  are  gathered  from  all 
peoples.  They  ascribe  their  completed 
salvation  to  God,  who  originated  their 
salvation,  and  to  Jesus,  who  mediated 
it  to  them.  The  angels  join  the  song, 
falling  down  before  the  throne  and 
giving  him  a  sevenfold  doxology. 

The  vision  is  explained  in  ver.  13-17. 
An  elder  asks  John  who  those  are 
arrayed  in  white,  and  whence  they 
came.  He  further  explains  to  John 
that  they  came  from  great  tribulations, 
and  that  they  obtained  their  holiness 
of  life  through  Jesus,  whose  blood 
made  expiation  for  their  sins.  Because 
they  are  saved  they  worship  God  con- 
tinually, have  fellowship  with  God, 
have  all  wants  supplied,  are  led  into 
all  fulness  of  life  through  Jesus,  who 
is  their  shepherd. 

9.  After  this  .  .  .  lo,  rather,  After 
these  things  I saiv,  and  behold.  In  point 
of  time  this  vision  is  placed  beyond 
the  end  of  human  history,  when  the 
saved  are  gathered  together.  But  the 
design  is  to  present  here  a  definite 
teaching,  not  to  fix  the  mind  upon  the 


Ch.  VIL] 


REVELATION 


207 


multitude,  which  no  man  could  num- 
ber, »of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  i  clothed 
with  white  robes,  and  '  palms  in  their 

10  hands ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying ; 

*  Salvation  to  our  God,  ^  which  sitteth 
upon  the  throne, 
"And  unto  the  Lamb. 

11  <>  And  all  the  angels  stood  round 
about  the  throne,  and  about  the  elders 
and  the  lour  beasts,  and  fell  before  the 


a  great  multitude,  which  no  one  could 
number,  out  of  every  nation  and  all 
tribes  and  peoples  and  tongues,  stand- 
ing before  the  throne,  and  before  the 
Lamb,  clothed    in    white    robes,   and 

10  palms  in  their  hands.  And  they  cry 
with  a  great  voice,  saying,  Salvation 
to  our  God  who  sits  on  the  throne,  and 

H  to  the  Lamb.  And  all  the  angels  were 
standing  round  the  throne  and  the 
elders  and  the  four  living  creatures, 


X  5  :9 


Isa.  66  :18;  Matt.  8:  11. 
o  19  :  1 ;  F9.  S  :  8  :  1 


y  Ver.  14 ;  3  :  5,  18 ;  4  :  4 ;  6  :  11.  z  Lev.  23  :  40 ;  John  12  : 

5:1;  Isa.  43  :  11 ;  Jer.  3  :  23 ;  Hosea  13  ;  4.  65: 13. 

c  5  :  9 ;  John  1  :  29.  d  4  :  6. 


chronology.  In  the  first  vision  it  was 
taught  that  the  judgments  of  God  will 
not  come  upon  the  world  in  any  such 
way  as  to  interfere  with  God's  purpose 
of  salvation.  All  the  believers  must 
be  sealed.  This  vision  presents  to  us  a 
view  of  the  sealed  as  gathered  into  one 
fold,  having  passed  through  the  tribu- 
lation, an  innumerable  number.  It  is 
a  great  multitude.  It  is  from  every 
nation.  To  show  the  universal  char- 
acter of  the  gathering  three  further 
terms  are  added,  making  four,  express- 
ing the  world-wide  collection  of  the 
ransomed,  kindreds,  people,  and 
tongues,  rather,  tribes,  peoples,  and 
tongues.  Jesus  speaks  in  like  manner 
of  the  wideness  of  his  kingdom  (>■»'' 
8  :  11).    They  are  before  the  throne  and 

the    Lamb.      (Comp.  4  :  5,  6,  lO;  5  :  s.)      As 

in  a  drama,  while  there  are  new  scenes 
introduced,  yet  the  main  features,  the 
throne  and  the  surrounding  groups,  re- 
main the  same.  One  common  thread 
binds  the  book  together.  The  white 
robes  typify  the  priestly  purity  of  the 
saved.  Beyond  all  sublimity  and 
grandeur  of  surroundings  heaven  is  a 
place  of  whiteness  of  character.  The 
palms  do  not  portray  the  victory,  as 
in  heathen  games,  but  reproduce  the 
joyful  scenes  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles. 
This  was  the  feast  of  the  ingathering  of 
the  crops,  a  national  thanksgiving  time 
(Lev.  23 :  40).  Hcrc  all  God's  people  are 
gathered  home,  under  their  own  vine 
and  fig  tree,  a  reign  of  perfect  .security. 
The  tribulation  has  passed,  joy  has 
come  to  abide  with  them.  The  number 
passes  computation.  It  corresponds 
with  the  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  of  ver.  4.  It  is  a  comfort  to 
know  that  so  many  will  be  saved,  that 


the  house  may  be  fijled  (Luke  14:23); 
that  he  shall  see  of  the  anguish  of  his 
soul  and  be  satisfied  (isa.  53  :  11).  The 
cause  of  Christ  is  not  doomed  to  defeat 
on  earth  or  in  its  results  in  heaven. 
Albert  Barnes  thought  that  in  the  final 
outcome  of  God's  reign  the  lost  might 
be  but  an  inconsiderable  number  com- 
pared with  the  multitudes  of  the  saved. 

10.  Cried,  rather,  cry.  It  is  a 
present,  joyful,  worshipful  life.  The 
loud  voice,  rather,  great,  indicates 
the  heartiness  of  the  praise,  the  appre- 
ciation of  the  salvation  that  has  come 
to  them.  Salvation — the  article  is 
joined  to  the  word  in  the  Greek — is 
used  in  its  widest  sense.  The  salvation 
from  sin,  from  the  perils  of  life,  the 
state  of  ble.ssedness,  are  all  attributed 
to  God.  It  is  alone  of  God's  mercy 
from  first  to  last,  that  the  heavenly  life 
is  secured.  Jesus  is  joined  with  God 
in  the  praise  of  procuring  their  salva- 
tion. No  Jew  would  think  of  joining  a 
created  being,  however  high,  with  the 
uncreated  God  as  an  object  of  worship. 
Jesus  must  be  a  divine  being. 

11.  As  in  chapter  five  a  response  is 
straightway  given.  The  angels  men- 
tioned in  5  :  1  break  forth  into  praise 
at  the  sight  of  the  multitude  saved 
through  Christ.  And  all  the  angels 
were  standing  round  about  the  throne, 
and  the  elders  and  the  four  living 
creatures.  We  are  looking  here  at  the 
woi-shipers  from  the  outside  of  the 
circle.  Hence  the  elders  are  men- 
tioned before  the  living  creatures.  Un- 
like the  scene  in  5  :  11  the  angels  fall 
down  before  the  throne.  There  is  in- 
creasing development  of  God's  wisdom 
and  an  increasing  manifestation  of 
reverence.     God's   purity  and    right- 


208 


HEVELATION 


[Ch.  VII. 


throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped 

12  God,  'saying; 

Amen— Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wis- 
dom, 

And  thanksgiving,   and  honour,  and 
power,  and  might. 

Be  unto  our  God  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 

13  'And  one  of  the  elders  answered, 
saying  unto  me,  What  are  these  which 
are    arrayed    in    e  white    robes,    and 

14  whence  came  they?  And  1  said  unto 
him,  Sir,  thou  kuowest.  And  he  said 
to  me,  ''These  are  they  which  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have 
'washed  their  robes,  and  made  them 
white   in    the    blood   of    the    Lamb. 


and  fell   before  the  throne   on   their 

12  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  saying, 
Amen ;  the  blessing,  and  the  glory, 
and  the  wisdom,  and  the  thanksgiving, 
and  the  honor,  and  the  power,  and  the 
strength,  be  to  our  God  forever  and 

13  ever.  Amen.  And  one  of  the  elders 
answered,  saying  to  me.  These  who 
are  clothed  in  the  white  robes,  who  are 

14  they,  and  whence  came  they  ?  And  I 
said  to  him.  My  lord,  thou  knowest. 
And  he  said  to  me.  These  are  they  who 
come  out  of  tlie  great  affliction,  and 
they  washed  their  robes,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 


e  5  :  12-14  ;  1  ChroD.  16  :  36.  /  4  :  4 ;  Zech.  4  :  4,  5.  ff  Ver.  9. 

74  6  :  9 ;  17:6;  Joho  16  :  33  ;  Acts  14  :  22  ;  Rom.  8  :  35-37. 

i  1  :  5 ;  Isa.  1  :  18 ;  Heb.  9  :  14 ;  1  Peter  1  :  19 ;  1  John  1:7;  Zech.  3  :  3-5. 


eousness,  his  faithfulness  and  truth, 
his  mercy  and  loving-kindness,  his  in- 
dignation against  wrong-doing,  these 
awaken  the  feelings  of  worship  in  the 
mind  of  the  angelic  host. 

13.  There  is  a  sevenfold  ascription 
of  praise,  differing  in  the  words  and  in 
the  order  from  that  of  5  :  12.  _  Tiiey  do 
not  praise  him  for  the  forgiveness  of 
sin,  for  they  do  not  know  the  meaning 
of  forgiveness  (s  :  s).  If  the  angels 
rejoice  over  one  sinner  saved  (Luke  15 : 
7),  how  much  more  over  a  completed 
redemption  when  all  the  fruits  of 
Christ's  death  shall  be  seen  at  once. 

13.  This  vision  is  of  such  impor- 
tance that  an  explanation  is  given  of 
it.  In  like  manner  Jesus  explained 
his  parables,  that  in  the  one  explana- 
tion the  spirit  of  the  interpretation  of 
all  parables  might  be  seen  (Matt.  13  : 
18-23).  Surprise  and  wonder  may  have 
been  apparent  in  the  face  of  John  at 
the  number  of  the  saved.  One  of  the 
elders  answered.  The  question 
was  asked  in  John's  thoughts.  The 
elder  puts  to  him  the  question  that  he 
himself  was  thinking  of.  An  elder,  as 
representing  the  church,  asks  the  ques- 
tion. Two  questions  are  asked,  who 
they  are  and  whence  they  are  ? 

14.  I  said,  rather,  I  say  or  have 
said.  Sir,  rather,  3Iy  lord.  John 
does  not  declare  that  he  cannot  tell, 
but  he  asserts  the  superior  knowledge 
of  the  heavenly  questioner.  The  elder 
himself,  as  representing  the  saved 
church,  had  personal  knowledge  of  the 
matter,  of  the  source  and  method  of 


salvation.  He  was  in  reality  one  of 
the  redeemed.  The  answer  is  given  in 
two  parts.  (1)  These  .  .  .  tribula- 
tion, rather,  These  are  they  which  come 
out  of  the  great  tribulation.  The  pres- 
ent tense  is  used,  those  who  are  com- 
ing. This  carries  with  it  the  teaching 
of  a  continuous  coming  from  the  earthly 
to  the  heavenly  life.  The  earthly  life 
is  defined  as  a  tribulation,  a  time  of 
trial.  There  is  no  allusion  to  any  defi- 
nite time  of  trial,  the  times  preceding 
the  end,  but  to  all  the  human  life  as 
subject  to  trials  (2  Tim.  3 :  12).  Every 
age  gives  a  contribution  to  the  number 
of  the  redeemed.  Saintship  comes  only 
through  sufierings.  Jesus  foretold  suf- 
ferings   for    his    disciples    (John    is  :  S3). 

(2)  They  have  washed,  rather, 
washed.  This  washing  took  place  in 
the  blood.  The  sacrifice  of  Jesus,  the 
expiation  for  sin,  is  the  means  of  cleans- 
ing. John  speaks  elsewhere  of  a  cleans- 
ing through  the  blood  (1  Jo''"  1  :  7),  of 
Jesus  taking  away  sin  (John  1  :  29).  The 
robes  refer  not  to  the  outward  habits 
alone,  but  to  the  whole  life,  inner  and 
outer,  cleansed,  renewed,  sanctified. 
There  is  presented  here  the  human 
acceptance  of  Christ's  work.  They 
washed.  Men  are  saved  as  men,  not  as 
machines.  The  result  of  the  washing 
is  a  whiteness.  There  is  a  seeming 
paradox,  the  blood  makes  white.  The 
man  who  knows  Christ,  whose  sins  are 
forgiven  by  one  who  died  for  him,  he 
can  no  longer  live  a  sinful  life.  "Who 
loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me" 
(Gal.  2 :  20) — the  man  feeling  this  cannot 


Ch.  VII.] 


REVELATION 


209 


15  ^  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne 
of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night 
in  his  temple :  and  he  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne  sliall  'dwell  among  them. 

IG  •"  "  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither 
thirst  any  more ;  "  neither  shall  the 
suu  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat  "  [Isa. 

17  49  :  10] .  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  "shall  feed  them, 
pand  shall  lead  them  unto  living  foun- 
tains of  waters:  land  "God  shall  wipe 
away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  "  [Isa. 
25  :  81. 


15  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of 
God,  and  they  serve  him  day  and  night 
in  his  temple ;  and  he  who  sits  on  the 
throne  will  spread  his  tabernacle  over 

16  them.  They  shall  hunger  no  more, 
nor  thirst  any  more  ;  nor  shall  the  sun 

17  fall  on  them,  nor  any  heat;  because 
the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  will  shepherd  them,  and  will 
guide  them  to  the  fountains  of  waters 
of  life ;  and  God  will  wipe  away  every 
tear  from  their  eyes. 


k  Matt.  5:8.  2  21  :  3 ;  22  :  3 ;  Exod.  29  :  45 ;  Ps.  68  :  16-18 ;  Isa.  4  :  5,  6.  m  Isa.  49  :  10. 

n  Ps.  121  :  5.  o  Ps.  23  :  1  ;  36  :  8 :  Isa.  25  :  6 ;  Matt.  2:6;  John  10  :  11,  14. 

p  21:6;  Isa.  35  :  6,  7  ;  John  7  :  37,  38.  8  21  :  4 ;  Isa.  25  :  8. 


live  an  ungodly  life.  The  Christ  iu 
him  will  make  a  Christly  life.  The 
garments  now  are  partially  spotted,  iu 
time  they  will  be  exceeding  white. 
Heaven  is  the  completion  of  what  is 
now  really  a  holy  life  on  the  earth. 

15.  Having  described  the  saved  as 
to  the  personal  character  and  the 
method  of  salvation,  he  now  describes 
the  relation  to  God  in  three  aspects. 

(1)  Therefore.  By  reason  of  what 
they  are  they  stand  secure  before  God's 
throne.  Only  the  cleansed  can  stand 
thus  before  the  absolutely  holy  God. 

(2)  They  serve,  rather,  worship.  We 
are  told  there  is  no  night  there  (22  ;  5) ; 
they  need  no  temple  there  (21  ;  22). 
John  means  that  they  continually  wor- 
ship God.  As  in  the  temple  worship 
they  adore  and  praise  him.  The  life 
above  is  holy,  happy,  useful.  It  is  full 
of  enlarged  activity.  Heaven  is  not  a 
place  for  dwarfing  men,  but  for  enlarg- 
ing them  in  all  possible  holy  direc- 
tions. (3)  Shall  dwel],  rather,  shall 
spread  his  tabernacle  over  them.  They 
will  dwell,  as  in  one  tabernacle,  with 
the  Lord  himself.  They  will  not  be 
apart  from  God,  or  strangers  to  his 
presence  and  his  glory.  He  will  over- 
shadow them,  will  throw  his  own  fel- 
lowship about  them.  Heaven  is  a 
place,  not  of  majestic  scenery  or  pre- 
cious stones,  but  of  delight  in  a  per- 
sonal God.  To  these  sealed  men  it 
would  be  no  heaven  if  God  and  the 
Lamb  were  not  there.  A  holy  heart  is 
needful  to  make  a  heaven  anywhere. 
Heaven  is  a  place,  but  there  must  be  a 
holy  condition  of  heart  as  a  pre- 
requisite. 

16.  Out  of  their  relation  to  God 
comes  a  blessed  life,  described  under 


two  aspects.  Every  •  want  shall  be 
satisfied,  and  perfect  security  is  as- 
sured. All  physical,  intellectual,  spir- 
itual want  shall  be  satisfied.  The 
limitations  of  this  life  will  be  re- 
moved. The  burning  sun  of  the  East- 
ern sky,  the  wilderness  wanderings, 
are  things  of  the  past.  The  deficien- 
cies of  life  have  given  way  to  all  the 
fulness  of  that  life  which  is  life  indeed 

(1  Tim.  6  :  19  ;   Revised  version). 

17.  This  verse  is  explanatory  of  the 
preceding.  The  Liamb  .  .  .  shall 
feed,  rather,  shall  be  their  shepherd. 
There  will  be  a  personal  relation  to  the 
Lord  Jesus.  The  divine  person  on  the 
throne  will  be  their  shepherd,  who  will 
guide  them  into  all  blessedness  of  the 
social,  intellectual,  spiritual  life.  There 
will  be  no  division  of  the  life  into 
secular  and  sacred,  all  will  be  sacred. 
Living  fountains  of  waters, 
rather,  foimtains  of  water  of  life  ('sa. 
49:10).  All  tears,  rather,  every  tear 
(Isa.  25 :  8).  It  is  not  asscrtcd  that  there 
will  be  tears  in  that  blessed  life  to 
be  wiped  away.  There  M'ill  be  foun- 
tains of  water,  but  the  fountains  of 
tears  will  be  dried  up.  The  tear  stands 
for  sorrow,  disappointment,  grief,  peni- 
tence, sin.  These  will  exist  there  iu 
the  memory  alone. 

Note.   The  consolatory  visions 

IN  THE  SERIES  OF  THE  SEALS.  This 
entire  book  is  constructed  iu  an  orderly 
and  methodical  way,  though  to  the 
casual  reader  it  may  seem  a  miscella- 
neous collection  of  visions,  with  not 
much  relation  to  each  other.  Between 
the  sixth  and  seventh  visions  occurs 
this  episode,  filling  the  chapter.  The 
same  method  obtains  in  the  series  of 


210 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VII. 


the  trumpets.  Between  the  sixth  and 
seventh  trumpets  occurs  an  episode  fill- 
ing up  the  chapters  10,  11  :  1-14.  One- 
occurs  also  in  connection  with  the 
series  of  the  bowls  (chap.  i4). 

In  the  unfolding  of  the  seals  there  is 
a  constant  punishment  of  ungodliness ; 
blow  after  blow  comes  upon  it.  There 
is  a  possibility  that  God  may  be  re- 
garded simply  as  a  God  of  penalty. 
This  chapter  is  not  essential  to  under- 
standing the  meaning  and  development 
of  the  seals.  If  there  were  no  break, 
if  the  sixth  seal  were  followed  at  once 
by  the  seventh  seal,  we  should  see  the 
steady  march  of  God's  procedure  to- 
ward a  definite  end  and  a  final  triumph. 
But  God  has  other  thoughts — thoughts 
of  mercy  for  his  people.  He  is  a  God 
of  judgment  breaking  down  all  oppo- 
sition, having  control  of  all  forces  seen 
and  unseen ;  he  is  a  God  of  tenderness, 
of  guidance,  of  preservation  for  all  his 
people.  He  so  guides  his  people  that 
as  in  Egypt  there  was  darkness  in  the 
land  of  the  ungodly,  but  light  in  the 
homes  of  his  people  (Exod,  lo  :  23).  He 
breaks  down  and  he  builds  up.  In  this 
vision  there  is  the  utterance  to  all  ages 
that  God  saves  his  people,  he  knows 
them  one  by  one,  he  saves  in  large 
numbers.  This  episode  occurs  natu- 
rally toward  the  close  of  the  series 
when  the  judgments  grow  heavier,  in- 
asmuch as  the  truth  here  taught  will 
then  be  most  needed.  It  reveals  prin- 
ciples at  work  all  the  time,  during  the 
entire  time  when  Ciirist  is  at  work  in 
the  world.  Over  the  flood  rides  the 
ark  in  safety.  In  the  midst  of  im- 
pending destructions  God  is  a  shepherd 
having  a  sheepfold  for  his  people  in 
the  life  that  now  is.  His  work  will 
not  be  a  failure,  inasmuch  as  uncounted 
numbers  will  be  gathered  into  a  place 
of  safety. 

These  two  visions  complement  each 
other.  In  the  first,  tribulations  are  the 
lot  of  the  church,  but  God  knows  his 
own  and  keeps  them.  Storms  may 
come,  but  the  Saviour  will  be  in  the 
midst  of  the  storm  to  preserve  his  own. 
The  cloud,  dark  to  the  wicked,  will  be 
light  to  God's  ijeople  (Ew.d.  u  :  20),  God 
restrains  a  universal  judgment  upon 
the  wicked  until  his  people  are  safe- 
guarded. In  the  second  vision  the  re- 
deemed of  the  Lord  are  seen  by  them- 
selves, gathered  out  of  every  age  to  the 


Lord  himself.  The  complete  symbolic 
number  of  the  first  is  seen  to  be  a 
countless  number.  There  is  a  personal 
association  with  the  divine  Shepherd 
and  an  entrance  upon  a  fulness  of  life 
through  Christ.  The  doctrinal  teach- 
ings are  these:  (1)  A  just  judgment 
will  come  upon  the  ungodly.  (2)  This 
judgment  is  restrained  on  account  of 
the  godly  dwelling  among  them.  (3) 
God  knows  his  own  and  cares  for  them. 
(4)  The  saved,  in  countless  numbers, 
will  be  gathered  into  a  place  where  the 
Redeemer  and  the  redeemed  will  dwell 
in  holy  fellowship. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  God  knows  how  to  restrain  wicked- 
ness. He  can  guide  and  guard  his  cause 
so  that  it  shall  not  be  overwhelmed. 
Even  the  wicked  are  blessed  for  the  sake 
of  Christ's  people  who  dwell  on  the  earth 
(ver.  1). 

2.  Revelation  unfolds  to  us  a  knowledge 
of  beings  between  man  and  God  who 
serve  God  and  are  helpful  to  his  people. 
The  angels  rejoice  with  God,  and  do  his 
will  gladly.  Unseen  by  us  they  may  be 
our  helper  (ver.  2). 

3.  Every  Christian  should  live  so  openly 
and  transparently  that  all  will  know  his 
relationship  to  Christ.  The  character 
and  the  open  confession  should  put  a 
mark  as  upon  the  forehead  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  people  of  God  are  the  true  Israel. 
Believing  in  Jesus  brings  into  a  saved 
state  and  a  holy  society  (ver.  4). 

5.  In  every  tribe  and  people  Christ  has 
his  own.  A  complete  register  exists  in 
God's  mind  of  the  saved.  Those  who  are 
saved  will  be  saved  completely.  Not  one 
will  be  forgotten ;  there  will  be  a  com- 
pleted number  (ver.  5). 

6.  Heaven  will  not  be  a  contracted 
place.  Countless  millions  will  be  there 
of  those  dying  in  infancy,  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  human  race.  Believers  will 
be  numbered  by  millions,  found  in  in- 
creasing numbers  in  the  years  to  come. 
More  piety  may  exist  in  the  world  than 
we  sometimes  estimate  (ver.  9;  1  Kings 
19:  14,  18). 

7.  The  saved  will  be  from  all  peoples, 
making  one  people  of  the  Lord.  One 
word  will  be  common  in  all  languages, 
that  of  Jesus  Christ.    One  common  feel- 


Ch.  VIII.] 


REVELATION 


211 


8  AND  '  when  he  had  opened  the 
seventh  seal,  there  was  "silence  in 
heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an 
hour. 


8  AND  when  he  opened  the  seventh 
seal,  there  was  silence  in  heaven  about 
half  an  hour. 


6:  1. 


a  Hab.  2:  20:  Zecb.  2:  13. 


ing  will  bind  all  hearts,  a  love  for  God 
and  the  Saviour  (ver.  9). 

8.  Salvation  is  all  from  God,  sin  is  all 
from  man.  Publicly  and  forever  the 
saved  will  adore  God  and  the  Saviour. 
There  will  be  no  room  in  heaven  for 
boasting,  but  large  room  for  praise  of 
Christ  (ver.  10). 

9.  Heaven  is  largely  a  place  of  worship. 
Angels  and  redeemed  alike  worship  God. 
It  is  fitting  to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  wor- 
ship when  on  the  earth.  We  should  adore 
God  for  what  he  is,  and  praise  him  for 
what  he  does  (ver.  11). 

10.  Angels  praise  God  for  his  excellen- 
cies of  nature.  The  redeemed  sing  an- 
other song,  that  of  redeeming  love.  The 
sense  of  sin  pardoned,  of  hearts  renewed, 
of  guidance  in  life,  of  a  perfect  salvation, 
will  give  to  the  saved  sinner  a  new  joy. 
God  the  Father  and  the  Lamb  will  be 
jointly  praised  (ver.  12). 

11.  Even  an  apostle  may  be  taught  con- 
cerning heavenly  things.  Many  things 
are  yet  to  be  learned  by  the  Christian. 
Now  all  things  are  but  imperfectly  known 
(1  Cor.  13  :  12).  Heaven  will  be  a  place 
for  instruction  in  heavenly  knowledge 
(ver.  13). 

12.  Tribulation  means  a  threshing  In- 
strument. The  human  life  undergoes 
many  hardships.  They  are  not  pleasant 
in  themselves.  But  they  minister  good 
in  the  discipline  of  the  life,  give  room 
for  patience,  and  bring  Christ  and  his 
grace  near  (ver.  14  ;  2  Cor.  12  :  9). 

13.  All  men  need  to  have  a  white  robe 
for  the  heavenly  life.  The  best  human 
garment  apart  from  Christ  is  but  filthy 
rags  (Isa.  64  :  6).  The  man  not  having  on 
a  wedding  garment  Is  cast  out  (ver.  14  ; 
Matt.  22  :  13) . 

14.  There  will  be  a  personal  guidance 
of  the  Christian  into  all  the  domains  of 
the  holy  life,  a  growth  in  all  directions, 
in  knowledge  as  well  as  in  goodness 
(ver.  15). 

15.  A  large  part  of  the  language  of  to- 
day will  be  useless  in  heaven.    Tempta 


tions,  perils,  besetting  sins,  pitfalls,  will 
all  be  things  of  the  past.  Heaven  ought 
to  be  very  attractive  to  burdened  men  on 
the  earth  (ver.  16). 

16.  It  was  a  beautiful  ministry  when 
Jesus,  in  person,  guided  disciples,  feed- 
ing, counseling,  caring  for  them  on  every 
side  of  their  lives.  It  will  be  more  blessed 
when  the  gloritied  Lord  shall  personally 
associate  with  his  gloriped  disciples  (ver. 
17). 

CHAPTEK  VIII. 

1.  The  seventh  seal.  It  is  un- 
fortunate and  misleading  that  this 
verse  should  be  joined  to  this  chapter. 
It  ought  naturally  to  be  joined  to  the 
seventh  chapter,  as  the  consummation 
of  the  series  of  the  seals.  The  seven 
.shows  here,  as  everywhere  else,  a  com- 
pleteness in  the  line  of  thought  intro- 
duced by  the  first  seal.  In  the  sixth 
seal  the  powers  of  wickedness  break 
down  under  God's  judgments  ;  the 
people  of  God  are  safe-guarded ;  the 
innumerable  host  of  the  saved  are 
gathered  together ;  before  the  end  is 
reached  there  are  judgments  upon  the 
wicked.  The  series  naturally  ends 
with  the  seventh.  In  this  chapter  we 
have  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal 
(ver.  1);  the  souudiug  of  the  first  four 
trumpets  (»"•  2-13). 

1.  The  opening  of  the  seventh 
SEAL.  There  was  silence  in 
heaven.  We  cannot  regard  the  songs 
in  heaven  as  silenced,  for  God  is  always 
worthy  of  praise.  The  songs  continue 
day  and  night.  There  may  be  songs 
of  increased  joy  when  Christ  wins  de- 
served triumphs.  Nor  can  we  think 
that  it  has  reference  to  the  silencing  of 
the  sighs  of  the  church  on  the  earth. 
This  vision  is  seen  in  heaven.  It  can  re- 
fer only  to  the  cessation  of  the  thunders 
and  lightnings  of  4:5.  There  is  a 
pause  in  God's  judgments  because  op- 
position has  utterly  broken  down.  In 
the  second  series  they  are  resumed  in 
even  more  startling  forms.  At  the 
like  period  in  the  series  of  the  trum- 


212 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  VIII. 


pets  (11  :  15)  great  voices  are  heard  in 
heaven  crying:  "The  kingdom  of  this 
world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  of  his  Christ."  Wlien  the 
seventh  bowl  is  poured  out  a  great 
voice  comes  from  the  tliroue  :  "It  is 
done"  (16:17).  Tlie  hour  of  triumph 
has  come  for  Christ  and  his  cluirch. 
Tliis  triumph  may  he  shown  in  vision 
in  one  of  two  ways,  either  by  increased 
songs  of  praise  or  by  the  cessation  of 
God's  judgments.  Tlie  latter  method 
is  adopted.  Half  an  hour.  We  are 
not  to  regard  this  as  literal.  Nor  is  it  to 
be  construed  as  a  very  small  period  of 
time.  This  takes  place  in  symbol. 
The  essential  idea  is  that  an  interval 
of  silence  takes  place  befoi-e  the  judg- 
ments of  God  again  come  in  the  next 
series  of  visions.  This  silence  makes 
the  resumption  more  impressive.  Some 
interpreters  think  that  the  broken 
period  of  time,  the  half-hour,  indicates 
that  the  series  is  not  yet  completed, 
that  we  must  be  prepared  for  what  is 
to  follow  in  another  series  of  judg- 
ments. ' '  Half  an  hour,  though  a  rela- 
tively short  time,  is  a  long  interval  in 
a  drama,  and  makes  an  impressive 
break  between  the  seals  and  the  trum- 
pets" (Swete). 

Section  V.  The  series  of  trum- 
pets. 8  :  2  to  11  :  19.  We  begin  the 
second  series  of  visions,  the  trumpets. 
These  are  seven  in  number.  This 
series  moves  alongside  of  the  seals  in 
order  of  time.  They  traverse  the  course 
of  Christian  history  from  the  beginning 
to  the  closing,  under  another  aspect. 
The  opening  seals  reveal  the  antag- 
onism to  Christ's  redemptive  reign, 
with  the  judgments  thereby  coming  on 
his  foes.  When  the  work  is  ended  we 
behold  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord 
gathered  into  one  flock,  sealed,  saved, 
j)raising  the  Redeemer  for  his  redemp- 
tion. In  this  series  we  have  God's 
judgments  upon  the  openly  hostile  and 
antagonistic  world.  We  may  not  affirm 
that  the  first  seal  corresponds  in  time 
with  the  first  trumpet.  The  idea  of 
chronology,  of  succession  in  order  of 
time,  or  the  limiting  of  a  seal  or  a 
trumpet  to  a  definite  period  within 
which  its  power  may  be  felt,  cannot 
be  held.  There  is  a  noticeable  paral- 
lelism between  the  two  series  from  the 
beginning  to  the  closing,  sliowing  that 


they  are  constructed  on  the  same  plan. 
As  in  the  seals  there  is  a  division  into 
groups  of  four  and  three.  As  in  the 
seals  the  earth  was  hurt,  as  famine, 
slaughter,  death  ranged  over  it,  so  here 
the  land,  the  sea,  the  rivers,  the  sun 
that  shines  upon  the  earth,  are  all  the 
objects  of  judgment*.  Under  the  fifth 
seal  there  was  a  vision  of  an  altar  in 
heaven.  Under  the  fifth  trumpet  there 
is  the  opening  of  the  abyss,  the  oppo- 
site of  heaven.  Between  the  sixth  and 
seventh  seals  there  were  two  interven- 
ing visions,  the  assurances  of  safety 
and  triumph.  Between  the  sixth  and 
seventh  trumpets  are  likewise  two 
visions.  Under  the  seventh  seal  there 
was,  after  the  manifold  struggles,  a 
blessed  and  quiet  rest,  all  opposition 
overcome,  the  ushering  in  for  the 
church  of  an  eternal  blessedness. 
Under  the  seventh  trumpet  comes  a 
voice  of  triumph  :  "The  kingdom  of 
the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ."  It  is 
evident  from  the  similarity  of  the  two 
series  that  they  are  constructed  on  the 
same  plan,  must  have  the  same  general 
teachings  imder  differing  aspects.  We 
have  in  this  series  God's  judgments 
upon  a  wicked  world,  the  trumpets  in- 
dicating the  warlike  attitude  of  the 
Most  High.  It  is  only  the  revelation 
of  the  varied  providence  toward  the 
church  and  the  world  which  is  suc- 
cessive in  the  seals  and  trumpets,  not 
the  progress  of  events.  The  work  of 
redemption  is  introduced  into  human 
history;  it  is  opposed,  it  triumphs.  The 
world,  resisting  in  all  ways,  finally 
gives  way.  We  cannot  here,  more  than 
in  the  seals,  look  for  distinct  and 
definite  historical  events.  They  pre- 
sent simply  outlines  of  principles,  not 
details.  Undoubtedly  many  historical 
events  may  be  found  that  again  and 
again  will,  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree, 
correspond  to  the  descriptions  given. 
Under  the  varying  imagery  are  por- 
trayed tlie  distinct  kinds  of  judgments 
in  which,  and  through  which,  God 
will  finally  overwhelm  all  opposition. 
We  shall  get  the  most  of  profit  from 
the  book  by  getting  hold  of  the  general 
teachings  without  attempting  to  local- 
ize the  things  described. 

Nations  have  no  personal  existence 
beyond ;  judgments  therefore  must 
come  upon  them  here.    The  trumpets 


Ch.  VIII.] 


REVELATION 


213 


The  seven  trumpeti— Sounding  of  the  first 
four  trumpets. 

2  'AND  I  saw  the  seven  angels  which 
stood  before  God ;  "and  to  them  were 
given  seven  trumpets. 

3  And  another  angel  came  'and  stood 
at  the  altar,  J  having  a  golden  censer  ; 


2  And  I  saw  the  seven   angels  who 
stand  before  God,  and  there  were  given 

3  to  them  seven  trumpets.    And  another 
angel  came  and  stood  over  the  altar, 


(  15  : 1 ;  Luke  1  :  19 


u  Josh.  6  :  i. 


z  Rom.  B:U;  Heb.  7  :  25. 


y  Lev.  16  :  12,  13. 


stand,  not  for  the  proclamation  of  the 
gospel  as  is  maintained  by  some,  but 
for  the  manifestation  of  judgments. 
It  is  asserted  that  if  the  trumpets  stand 
for  judgments  alone,  the  book  repre- 
sents a  protracted  day  of  judgment, 
and  is  not  in  accord  with  the  nature 
of  this  dispensation,  which  is  one  of 
mercy  and  salvation.  That  the  con- 
cluding three  trumjiets  stand  for  dis- 
asters is  evident  from  the  terms  used  ; 
they  are  woe  trumpets  ushering  in  days 
of  darkness.  All  of  the  trumpets  em- 
phasize the  dealings  of  God  mainly 
with  the  impenitent.  But  there  is 
mercy  mingled  with  the  judgn:ent. 
The  design  of  the  judgments  is  not  for 
penalty  merely,  but  for  convincing  of 
sinfulness  and  bringing  to  repentance. 
In  9  :  20  it  is  said,  "they  did  not  re- 
pent," implying  a  gracious  purpose  of 
God  even  in  punishments.  At  the 
close  of  the  series  there  is  the  glad  an- 
nouncement that  the  kingdom  God  has 
been  established  (n  ■  is).  There  has 
evidently  been  at  work  in  the  world  a 
continuous  and  wide-spread  and  ef- 
fective work  of  evangelization  whereby 
not  only  the  bad  has  been  crushed, 
but  all  good  agencies  have  been  blessed 
in  their  work.  In  the  episodes  espe- 
cially is  manifest  the  other  side  of 
God's  dealings,  his  attitude  toward  his 
own  people. 

2-13.  The  SOUNDING  OF  THE  FIRST 
FOUR  TRUMPETS.  We  have  in  the  re- 
maining part  of  this  chapter  the  prep- 
aration for  sounding  the  trumpets 
(ver.  2-6),  and  a  description  of  the  first 
four  trumpets,  with  the  fearful  results 

following  (ver.  7-13). 

2.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels 
which  stood  before  God,  rather, 
stand.  There  are  gradations  among  the 
angels,  some  higher  than  others  in  intel- 
ligence, power,  rank.  We  are  not  re- 
quired to  think  that  the  angels  here  seen 
in  vision  are  really  employed  to  carry 
out  God's  purposes ;  they  may  serve 
merely  as  symbols  of  God's  way  of 


doing  things.  All  power  is  given  to 
the  Son  of  man  (Jouu  5  :  27).  We  are 
not  required  to  think  that  numerically 
seven  angels  sound  the  trumpets.  The 
seven  spirits  of  God  (* :  8)  stand  for  the 
one  Holy  Spirit  complete  in  his  person 
and  operations ;  the  seven  horns  repre- 
sent his  unlimited  .power  (s :  6);  the 
seven  eyes  represent  his  penetrating 
knowledge  (5 :  «).  In  like  manner  the 
seven  seals,  the  seven  trumpets,  the 
seven  bowls  represent  the  many  judg- 
ments and  dealings  of  God,  which  in 
reality  are  one.  The  vision  of  the  seven 
angels  means,  in  reality,  that  Jesus 
Christ  will,  in  the  interests  of  his  king- 
dom, supervise  all  these  judgments 
about  to  be  portrayed.  They  are  varied 
in  form,  they  are  essentially  one. 
Given  seven  trumpets.  The  trum- 
pet in  the  Old  Testament  is  used  to 
sound  the  alarm  for  war  (Num.  10  -.  19). 
It  is  used  to  summon  the  people  to  their 
solemn  assemblies  (Num.  10  :  10).  It  also 
indicated  the  time  of  marching  when 
on  their  journeys  (Num.  10  -.  5,  6).  It 
pointed  out  the  danger  approaching 
(Ezek.  ss  :  3).  The  general  meaning  is 
that  the  sounding  of  the  trumpet  in- 
dicates the  approach  of  God's  judg- 
ments; it  is  the  declaration  that  God 
makes  a  holy  war  upon  the  wicked 
world.  It  is  not  so  much  the  cause  of 
Christ  triumphant  that  is  brought  into 
view  as  the  destruction  of  the  ungodly 
world  that  is  emphasized.  We  are  here 
in  a  condition  of  expectancy,  the  seven 
angels  have  the  trumpets  in  their 
hands. 

3.  Another  angel  ...  at  the 
altar,  rather,  ^(pon  the  altar,  as  if 
standing  over  it.  In  7  :  1  was  a  vision 
of  four  angels,  and  then  a  vision 
of  another  angel  more  distinctly  repre- 
senting God,  having  the  seal  of  God. 
Here  another  angel,  stands  apart  from 
the  seven,  doing  a  different  work. 
Some  have  thought  this  angel  to  be  the 
Lord  Jesus,  acting  as  mediator  for  his 
people,  through  whom  prayers  find  ac- 


214 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VIII. 


and  there  was  given  unto  him  much 
incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with 
'the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  "the 
golden    altar    which    was   before   the 

4  throne.  And  ''the  smoke  of  the  in- 
cense, which  came  with  the  prayers  of 
the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out 

5  of  the  angel's  hand.  And  the  angel 
took  the  censer,  "and  filled  it  with  tire 


having  a  golden  censer ;  and  there  was 
given  to  him  much  incense,  that  he 
should  give  it  to  the  prayers  of  all  the 
saints,  on  the  golden  altar  which  was 
before  the  throne.  And  there  went  up 
the  smoke  of  the  incense  for  the  prayers 
of  the  saints,  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
angel  before  God. 
And  the  angel  has  taken  the  censer ; 


6:9;  Exod.  30  :  1. 


2  5:8;  I  John 
6  Ps.  141  :  2 ;  Luke  1 


2  :  1,  2. 


'< :  11-16;  Ezek.  10  :  2. 


ceptance  with  God.  It  is  better,  how- 
ever, not  to  associate  particular  persons 
with  these  angelic  figures,  remembering 
that  they  are  employed  as  symbols  of 
thoughts  and  forces.  The  thought  here 
presented  is  that  the  prayers  of  God's 
saints,  through  the  divine  mediation, 
become  acceptable  to  God  and  have 
power  with  him.  The  altar  here 
meant  is  not  tlie  brazen  altar  of  6  :  9, 
the  altar  of  sacrifice,  but  the  altar  of 
incense  within  the  holy  place.  To 
this  altar,  one  cubit  square  and  two 
cubits  high  (exoi.  30;2),  the  priest 
brought  twice  every  day  the  frankin- 
cense that  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  as 
it  arose,  might  be  a  symbol  that  the 
prayers  of  the  people  were  acceptable 
to  God.  The  sense  of  sin  and  guilt 
made  a  separation  between  man  and 
God.  Through  sacrifice  atonement  was 
made.  Figuratively  cleansed  from  sin, 
access  to  God  is  a  source  of  delight 
to  God.  The  golden  censer  is  a 
proof  that  the  altar  of  incense  is  meant. 
And  there  Avas  given  .  .  .  saints, 
rather,  And  there  was  given  unto  him 
much  incense  that  he  should  add  it  u)ito 
the  prayers  of  all  the  saints.  In  6  :  10 
we  heard  the  cries  of  the  martyred 
saints  ascending  to  God,  asking  for 
vindication  upon  the  persecutors.  Here 
the  prayers  of  all  the  saints  are  viewed 
as  upon  the  altar  waiting  to  be  heard. 
But  they  lack  one  essential  condition 
of  acceptance,  that  of  mediatorship. 
The  incense  is  added  to  the  prayers, 
thereby  making  them  acceptable,  giv- 
ing them  power.  In  vision  takes  place 
what  we  are  doing  in  asking  in  Jesus' 
name  (John  u  :  u).  Much  incense  is 
added,  showing  the  abundant  accept- 
ableness  of  the  prayers.  What  God 
does  he  does  like  a  God,  in  its  fulness 
and  largeness.  The  incense  is  given 
to  the  angel,  thereby  showing  that  the 
angel  is  not  Jesus  himself,  the  true  and 
complete  mediator.    It  is  not  a  real 


angel  that  thus  acts  as  mediator  be- 
tween the  prayers  of  saints  and  God 
the  Father.  There  is  a  figurative  rep- 
resentation of  the  power  of  saintly 
prayer  when  passing  through  the  in- 
tercession of  Jesus,  powerfully  influ- 
encing the  heavenly  agencies.  The 
prayers  are  those  of  the  sufiiering 
church — of  the  entire  church.  They 
are  prayers  for  Jesus  to  take  hold  of 
the  affairs  of  the  church,  for  its  safety, 
for  the  breaking  down  of  opposition,  so 
that  he  may  reign  whose  right  it  is 

(Ezek.  21  ;  27). 

4.  We   behold,   in    this   verse,   the 
power  of  prayer.    And  the  smoke 

.  .  .  saints,  rather.  And  the  smoke  of 
the  incense  ivith  the  prayers  of  saints. 
The  cries  of  God's  suflfering  children, 
from  many  climes,  going  up  to  God, 
through  the  merit  of  the  intercessor 
reach  God.  They  are  well-pleasing  to 
him.  God  hears  and  answers  prayer. 
This  fundamental  teaching  Jesus 
wished  to  give  to  his  sufiiering  church 
of  the  first  century,  and  of  all  the  cen- 
turies. The  prayers  are  addressed,  not 
to  a  law  or  fate,  or  to  caprice  or  acci- 
dent, but  to  the  person  on  the  throne. 
We  draw  near  to  God  through  a  me- 
diator. In  the  Old  Testament  there 
were  priests  who  stood  between  men 
and  God.  There  is  now  one  mediator 
between  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ 
Jesus  (1  Tim.  2:5).  Thcsc  prayci's, 
through  Christ,  become  accepted.  In 
Luke  1  :  10  the  people  without  were 
praying  while  the  priest  offered  in- 
cense. In  heaven,  while  the  incense, 
in  a  figurative  way,  goes  up  from  the 
altar,  the  people  are  praying  upon  the 
earth.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  think 
that  the  saints  in  heaven  join  their 
prayers  with  those  on  earth  that  the 
kingdom  may  be  widened,  and  God's 
suffering  cause  be  vindicated. 

5.  The  angel  took,  rather,  to^-e^A. 
The  fire  of  the  altar,  the  altar  of  in- 


Ch.  VIII.] 


REVELATION 


215 


of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  iuto  [or,  upoiil 
the  earth  :  and  <•  there  were  voices,  and 
thuuderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an 
earthquake. 

6  And  the  seven  augels  which  had  the 
seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to 
sound. 

7  The  first  angel  sounded,  "and  there 
followed  hail  and  tire  mingled  with 
blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the 


and  he  filled  it  out  of  the  fire  of  the 

altar,  and  cast  it  into  the  earth.  And 
there  followed  thunders,  and  voices, 
and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake. 

And  the  seven  augels  who  had  the 
seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to 
sound. 

And  the  first  sounded  ;  and  there  fol- 
lowed hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood, 
and  they  were  cast  into  the  earth  ;  and 


d  16  :  IS :  Ps.  18  :  13 ;  Isa.  30  :  SO. 


e  Exod,  9  :  23-25 ;  Ezck.  38  :  22 ;  Joel  2  :  30. 


cense,  is  placed  upon  the  incense  in  the 
censer.  In  the  Old  Testament  taber- 
nacle worship,  the  fire  from  the  altar 
of  sacrifice  was  used  to  kindle  the  in- 
cense, uttering  thereby  the  teaching  of 
the  New  Testament  that  only  through 
the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  can  prayer  and 
praise  be  acceptable.  It  is  taught  here, 
in  vi.siou,  that  the  prayers  have  reached 
God,  that  the  requests  have  been 
granted,  and  now  comes  the  outward 
answer.  The  censer,  with  the  fire  of 
coals  from  the  altar,  were  thrown 
upon  the  earth  beneath.  Here  the 
church  was  struggling ;  from  it  cries 
went  up  to  God.  Now  comes  the  an- 
swer in  penalty  upon  the  earth.'  In 
vision  were  voices  and  thunder- 
iugs  .  .  .  earthquake,  rather, 
thunder  and  voices  .  .  .  earthquake. 
The  very  prayers  oifered  have  been 
answered.  Tlie  smoke  from  the  cen.ser 
accompanied  the  prayers,  the  fire 
from  the  incense  now  brings  destruc- 
tion and  judgment  upon  the  earth. 
The  prayers,  therefore,  have  been  cries 
for  God's  holiness  to  manifest  itself, 
for  Je.sus  to  gird  on  his  sword  and 
maintain  his  cause  on  the  earth.  The 
saints  move  God,  and  God  smites  the 
earth,  (comp,  Ps.  i8  :  6-9.)  _  We  are  here 
at  the  threshold  of  this  series ;  the 
seven  angels  have  their  trumpets  ready 
to  announce  and  do  God's  will.  We 
have  seen  the  suffering  church  praying, 
the  interceding  Mediator  helping  great- 
ly, the  heavenly  Father  listening  and 
granting  their  requests.  Tlie  earth 
l>ersecuting  will  now  be  the  earth  suf- 
fering. 

6.  This  verse  shows  a  time  of  trouble. 
It  has  been  made  manifest  that  God 
intends  now  to  reveal  himself  in  judg- 
ment for  his  church.  What  this  judg- 
ment will  be  has  not  yet  been  revealed. 
We  shall  see  these  judgment*,  in  vision, 
as  the  angels   sound   their  trumpets. 


John  sees  them  preparing  themselves 
to  reveal  God's  will.  There  is  always 
a  ripening,  a  coming  to  completeness 
of  God's  plans,  an  orderly  procedure. 
The  first  four  constitute  a  group  by 
themselves.  The  same  division  into  a 
group  of  four  and  three  prevails  here 
as  in  the  seals  and  bowls.  These  four 
have  one  common  characteristic :  the 
judgments  fall  on  material  things  only, 
things  that  are  incidental  and  accessory 
to  life.  They  afiect  the  trees,  the  grass, 
the  sea,  rivers  and  fountains,  the  sun 
giving  light  to  the  earth.  It  is  only  in 
the  second  group  that  life  is  touched. 
They  are  judgments,  suggested  by  the 
prophets  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  by 
the  plagues  that  came  upon  the  people 
of  Egyjjt  wlien  Jehovah  had  a  contro- 
versy with  Pliaraoh.  We  are  not  here, 
any  more  than  in  the  seals,  to  trace  a 
history  of  distinct  events.  We  have 
rather,  in  symbols,  the  nature  of  all 
the  disturbances  through  which  na- 
tions will  pass,  the  judgments  upon 
them.  We  have  the  nature  of  God's 
dealings  with  his  foes  presented,  in- 
cluding all  that  takes  place  in  history. 
But  the  definite  persons  and  events  we 
do  not  attempt  to  delineate.  Prophecy 
is  not  simply  history  written  before- 
hand, so  that  we  can  fit  the  book  and  a 
clinrch  history  into  each  other,  finding 
distinct  ages  and  distinct  events  under 
each  trumpet. 

7.  The  FIRST  ANGEL  SOUNDS.  The 
first  angel,  rather,  And  the  first.  As 
a  direct  result  of  the  sounding  of  the 
trumpet,  there  follows  a  vision  before 
the  eyes  of  the  seer.  Hail ...  blood. 
This  finds  illustration  in  .Toel's  proph- 
ecy (2  :  28-32).  lu  describing  the  day 
of  Jehovah  Joel  mentions  the  blessed 
bestowal  of  tlie  Holy  Spirit,  fulfilled  at 
Pentecost,  and  also  the  appearance  of 
blood,  fire,  and  vapor,  meaning  thereby 
disasters  upon  those  rejecting  Jesus. 


216 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VIII. 


earth:  and  the  f third  part  Bof  trees 
was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was 
burnt  up. 

8  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  i"  and 
as  it  were  a  great  mountain  burning 

9  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea:  'and 
the  third  part  of  the  sea  ''became 
blood  ;  'and  the  third  part  of  the 
creatures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and 
had  life,  died ;  and  tlie  third  part  of 
the  ships  were  destroyed. 


the  third  part  of  the  earth  was  burnt 
up,  and  the  third  part  of  the  trees  was 
burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was  burnt 
up. 

8  And  the  second  angel  sounded  ;  and 
as  it  were  a  great  mountain  burning 
with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea  ;  and  the 
third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood ; 

9  and  the  third  part  of  the  creatures  that 
are  in  the  sea,  that  have  life,  died ; 
and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were 
destroyed. 


/  Ezek.  5  :  12. 


g9: 
i  16  :  3. 


Isa.  2:13;  10  :  19. 
k  Exod.  7  :  17-21. 


h  Jer.  51  ; 
I  16:3. 


25  ;  Amos  7  :  4. 


"Blood-red  rain  is  not  unknown  in 
nature ;  in  the  spring  of  1901  the 
daily  journals  contained  accounts  of 
this  phenomenon,  which  was  being 
witnessed  in  Italy  and  the  south  of 
Europe,  the  result  as  it  seemed,  of  the 
air  being  full  of  particles  of  fine  red 
sand  from  the  Sahara"  (SWETE).  In 
Exod.  9  :  24  we  have  hail  and  fire 
sent  as  a  plague.  Here  is  the  added 
feature  of  blood.  Some  refer  this  to 
aggressive  war  made  by  one  nation 
upon  another  as  the  result  and  penalty 
of  sin.  It  is  wise  and  more  in  accord 
with  the  spirit  of  the  book,  not  to  refer 
this  to  any  definite  plague,  pestilence, 
war,  or  judgment  upon  the  wicked. 
In  this  vision  the  land  is  visited  in 
judgment,  in  distinction  from  the  sea 
and  the  bodies  that  give  light  to  men. 
Originally  the  land,  the  trees,  the 
grass,  and  all  things  were  made  for 
man  and  his  enjoyment.  Now  it  is 
taught,  in  vision,  that  all  these  things 
made  for  man  are  blighted  by  a  curse 
on  account  of  wrong-doing.  We  are 
not  to  understand  that  the  terms  land, 
grass,  are  to  be  taken  in  a  literal 
sense.  Men  will  suffer  just  as  if  these 
were  destroyed.  Some  interpreters,  at- 
tempting to  find  a  meaning  in  every 
term  used,  regard  the  trees  as  the  lead- 
ers of  the  people,  and  the  grass  as  the 
great  mass  of  men,  the  common  people. 
We  must  not  attempt  to  find  meanings 
in  every  word.  As  in  the  parables  of 
Christ,  many  things  are  here  introduced 
simply  as  drapery  to  fill  in  the  narra- 
tive and  bring  out  the  main  thought 
the  more  effectively.  The  result  of  this 
judgment  is,  and  the  third  part  of 
the  earth  was  burnt  up,  that  is,  a 
third  part  of  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
Of  the  trees  on  this  third  part  only 
one-third  is  burned  up,   but  all    the 


green  grass.  It  is  impossible  to  tell 
why  the  fraction  one-third  is  chosen. 
Three  destructive  agencies  are  em- 
ployed, fire,  hail,  blood.  This  may 
have  suggested  the  number.  The  num- 
ber three  fills  a  large  place  in  the  struc- 
ture of  the  entire  book.  There  is  here 
portrayed  penalty,  but  not  an  utter 
destruction.  There  are  in  God's  hands 
heavier  penalties  yet  to  come. 

8,  9.  The  second  trumpet  now 
IS  SOUNDED.  In  this  vision  the  sea, 
as  distinct  from  the  land,  is  touched 
by  the  hand  of  God.  The  whole  range 
of  nature,  sea  and  land,  thus  comes 
under  God's  retributive  power.  As  it 
Avere  a  great  mountain  burning 
with  fire.  This  judgment  is  akin  to 
that  mentioned  in  Jer.  51  :  25.  Some- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  volcano  is  in- 
dicated. Such  a  scene  would  impress 
the  mind  as  a  most  fearful  judgment, 
making  great  convulsions,  destroying 
life  and  property.  The  plagues  of 
Egypt  are  again  drawn  upon  to  add 
fearfulness  to  the  scene.  The  river  of 
Egypt  was  changed  into  blood  (Exoa.  7  : 
20, 21) ;  here  the  sea  is  changed  into 
blood.  The  great  power  displayed  in 
hurling  the  mountain  into  the  sea,  a 
figure  used  by  Jesus  in  ^latt.  21  :  21, 
the  fearful  effects  produced,  deeply  im- 
press the  mind.  The  sea  became  blood  ; 
thereby  the  fish  died ;  the  ships  were 
destroyed,  perhaps,  by  the  burning 
mountain.  The  terms  sea  and  land 
are  not  used  in  a  metaphorical  sense, 
meaning  Jewish  and  Gentile  nations, 
but  rather  the  whole  range  of  human 
life,  represented  by  the  entire  world. 
Some  interpreters  who  wish  to  find 
specific  events  mentioned,  find  this 
vision  fulfilled  in  the  overthrow  of 
pagan  Rome  by  the  irruption  of  the 
barbarians,    by    the    convulsions    in 


Ch.  VIII.] 


REVELATION 


217 


10  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  °>  and 
there  fell  a  great  star  from  heaven, 
burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  "  and  it  fell 
upon  a  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and 

11  upon  the  fountains  of  waters ;  and  the 
name  of  the  star  is  called  °  Wormwood  : 
pand  the  third  part  of  the  waters  be- 
came wormwood  ;  and  many  men  died 
of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made 
bitter. 


10  And  the  third  angel  sounded ;  and 
there  fell  out  of  heaven  a  great  star, 
burning  as  a  torch,  and  it  fell  on  the 
third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  on  the 

11  fountains  of  the  waters.  And  the  name 
of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood.  And 
the  third  part  of  the  waters  became 
wormwood  ;  and  many  men  died  of 
the  waters,  because  they  were  made 
bitter. 


m  9  :  1 ;  Isa.  14  :  12. 


0  Deut.  29  :  18  i  Prov.  5:4;  Jer.  9  :  15  ;  23  :  15 ;  Lam.  3  :  15, 19. 
p  Exod.  15  :  23. 


society  brought  about  through  the 
French  Revolution  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  However  fittingly  they  may 
be  indicated  by  the  vision,  we  may  not 
regard  these  events  as  specifically  de- 
scribed. Rather  in  large  and  bold  out- 
lines is  presented  a  vision  of  judgments 
and  disasters  upon  wicked  men  and 
nations,  brought  upon  them  by  their 
own  sin.  It  is  as  if  God  punished 
them  by  these  physical  disasters.  Here 
also  the  one-third  is  made  use  of,  a 
partial  destruction  to  be  followed  by 
yet  heavier.  It  cannot  be  taken  in  a 
strict  mathematical  sense,  but  means  a 
large  destruction  but  a  merciful  re- 
straining so  that  the  one-third  has  not 
become  the  whole. 

10,  11.  The  third  angel  sounds 
HIS  TRUMPET.  There  is  a  growing  in- 
tensity in  the  visions.  In  the  first 
vision  inanimate  nature  alone  .suffered. 
In  the  second  the  living  creatures  in 
the  sea  were  brought  under  judgment. 
In  the  third  the  immediate  sources  of 
life,  the  fountains  of  water,  are  touched, 
and  men  suffer  and  die.  Great  star. 
In  Isa.  14  :  12  Babylon  is  spoken  of  as 
a  star  fallen  from  heaven.  In  Dan. 
12  :  3  tho.se  winning  men  to  righteous- 
ness .shine  as  the  stars.  In  this  book 
the  angels  of  the  churches  are  called 
stars  (1  ;  20).  Some  have  interpreted 
this  great  .star  to  mean  some  great 
heretical  teacher  like  Arius  of  the 
third  century,  who  denied  the  deity  of 
Jesus ;  or  other  false  teacher,  perverting 
the  tnith,  in  the  past  or  in  the  future. 
Others  refer  it  to  despotic  power  where- 
by the  lives  of  men  have  been  made 
bitter  in  Egypt  (Exod.  i  :  u).  As  John 
is  moving  here  in  the  domain  of  na- 
ture, on  earth  and  in  the  sky,  making 
use  of  sea,  land,  volcano,  also  of  star 
and  sun,  it  is  probable  that  there  is  no 
metaphorical  use  of  the  term.    Every 


part  of  nature,  on  earth  and  above, 
everything  that  contributes  to  man's 
life  and  enjoyment,  all  are  brought 
under  God's  ban.  -All  make  war  on 
man,  every  part  of  nature  suffers.  In 
this  symbolic  way  Jesus  shows  to  John 
that  God  touches  in  judgment  every 
surrounding  of  life.  Lamp,  rather, 
torch.  This  vision  shows  the  rivers 
and  fountains  touched  by  judgment. 
Life  itself  is  supported  by  the  foun- 
tains. The  water  used  for  sustaining 
life  becomes  a  factor  of  death.  The 
star  is  called  Wormwood,  (comp.  jer. 
23 :  15;  Deut.  24 :  18.)  In  the  wildemcss 
the  bitter  waters  of  Marah  were  made 
sweet  (Exod.  15  :  25);  here  the  sweet 
waters  are  made  bitter.  Something 
deadly  seems  here  to  be  meant,  as  in 
Jer.  9  :  15.  "  The  Hebrew  word  is  em- 
ployed in  the  Old  Testament  as  a  met- 
aphor for  (1)  the  perversion  of  justice 
(Amos  6:7;  6  :  12);  (9)  the  bitter  fruits 
of  idolatry  (ueut.  29  :  n);  (3)  Divine 
chastisements  (Jer.  9  :  15)  "  (Swete). 
Wormwood  mixed  with  water  does 
not  kill ;  but  the  rivers  and  foun- 
tains changed  into  wormwood  did  de- 
stroy many.  The  vision  describes  the 
lives  of  the  nngodly  as  made  bitter. 
The  disappointments  in  heart,  the 
failure  of  plans,  the  mutual  antago- 
nisms between  men  and  nations,  the 
direct  judgments  of  God,  these  unite 
to  make  the  life  of  the  ungodly  a 
bitter  thing.  God  makes  it  ill  for  the 
wicked  (isa.  57  :  21).  As  the  ages  go  on 
and  light  increases,  there  is  a  con- 
stantly increasing  warfare  upon  the 
ungodly.  One-third  part  is  affected 
with  the  result:  many  men  died. 
For  the  first  time  human  life  is  touched. 
Alford  gives  a  practical  illu.stration,  in 
the  material  realm,  of  poison  at  the 
fountain  of  life,  in  the  drink  traffic, 
whereby  a  large  part  of  the  human 


218 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  VIII. 


12  1  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten, 
and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the 
third  part  of  the  stars ;  so  as  the  third 
part  of  them  was  darkened,  and  the 
day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it, 
aud  the  night  likewise. 


12  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded  ;  and 
the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten, 
and  the  third  part  of  tlie  moon,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  stars,  that  the 
third  part  of  them  might  be  darkened, 
and  the  day  not  shine  for  a  third  part 
of  it,  aud  the  night  in  like  manner. 


q  16  :  8;  Isa.  13  :  10;  Joel  2  :  10;  Amos  8  :  9. 


race  is  brought  under  a  curse.  The 
Greek  word  here  rendered  loorm- 
100 od  is  "absinthe."  A  thousand 
illustrations  may  be  found  in  every 
period  that  fit  into  and  fill  out  this 
vision.  The  poisoning  of  the  waters 
in  the  domain  of  nature  is  a  picture  of 
the  poisoning  of  the  springs  of  life  in 
the  social,  intellectual,  and  spiritual 
realms  of  life.  While  nothing  definite 
is  portrayed  so  that  we  can  locate  it  in 
history  by  a  definite  event,  there  is  a 
distinct  impression  made  upon  the 
mind  of  the  beholder  of  these  dread 
convulsions  in  nature,  growing  more 
and  more  intense  as  the  trumijets  sound, 
that  everything  that  God  made  for  a 
blessing  and  a  help  becomes  a  source 
of  bitterness  and  punishment.  The 
death  seen  in  vision  reveals  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  physical 
effects  on  man.  The  death  stands  for 
the  completest  penalty  in  man — sor- 
row, wretchedness,  involving  also 
spiritual  death. 

13,  13.  The  fourth  angel 
SOUNDS.  Destruction  widens  out  as  it 
travels  on  in  the  trumpets.  Every- 
thing that  concerns  man  has  a  judg- 
ment upon  it.  Here  the  sun,  moon, 
aud  stars  suffer  a  blighting  judgment. 
They  are  touched  because  it  is  from 
them  that  light  comes  to  men.  With- 
out them  human  life  would  be  unbear- 
able and  impossible.  The  sun  gives 
brightness  to  life.  The  moon  and  stars 
add  joy  and  beauty  to  the  night-time. 
In  order  to  complete  the  visions,  to 
show  that  the  ungodly  must  suffer  on 
every  side,  around  and  above,  by  land 
and  by  sea,  in  river  and  fountain,  by 
the  cutting  off  of  life,  the  heavens 
now,  in  vision,  suffer  a  blight.  Here 
also  is  a  reminiscence  of  the  Egyptian 
plagues,  when  darkness  came,  as  a 
penalty,  over  the  land  (Exoa.  lo  :  21-23). 
The  smitten  sun  shines  for  only  a  third 
part  of  the  day  ;  the  smitten  moon  and 
stars  shine  for  only  a  part  of  the  night. 
The  third  part  holds  sway  in  the  first 


four  trumjjets.  Those  interpreters 
who  find  historical  events  alluded  to 
in  every  vision,  see  in  the  reference  to 
the  darkening  sun  and  heavens  a 
prophecy  of  the  dark  ages  that  rested 
for  centuries  upon  Europe,  a  period 
when  spiritual  and  moral  darkness 
prevailed  to  a  large  extent.  It  is 
better,  however,  to  find  no  allusion 
here  to  distinct  events  in  history,  but 
to  see  portrayed  in  an  impressive  way, 
the  misery,  the  unrest,  the  darkness 
that  must  come  upon  the  ungodly, 
whether  from  war,  from  convulsions  in 
nature,  from  oi)pression,  from  the  dark- 
ening of  the  mind,  the  shutting  out  of 
God's  light  aud  peace.  In  many  and 
manifold  ways  God  can  shut  out  peace 
and  joy  from  the  heart.  The  sun 
stands  for  peace,  light,  joy,  God's 
presence  and  blessing.  Its  darkening 
means  sorrow,  wretchedness,  calamity, 
disaster.  Such  sorrow  comes  upon  the 
ungodly,  not  in  Europe  alone,  but 
everywhere,  as  if  the  sun  in  the  firma- 
ment Avere  smitten.  God  built  up 
creation  for  man's  residence.  In  the 
creative  days  we  see  the  world  emer- 
ging in  beauty  from  chaos ;  order  holds 
rule.  The  sea,  the  grass  and  trees,  the 
rivers  and  fountains,  the  sun,  moon, 
aud  stars,  all  fill  their  places  and  serve 
man's  interests.  Here,  under  the  power 
of  sin,  we  see  the  order  reversed. 
Everything,  from  the  lowest  created 
thing  to  the  most  majestic,  refuses  to 
work  for  man.  This  is  Christ's  way  of 
saying  that  God  is  against  man  in  his 
sinning  and  guilty  state. 

13.  The  three  woes  announced. 
With  the  sounding  of  the  first  four 
trumpets,  we  naturally  look  for  a  break 
in  the  order  of  events.  The  churches 
were  divided  into  groups  of  four  and 
three,  the  seals  were  divided  in  the 
same  way.  In  the  orderly  and  meth- 
odical structure  of  the  entire  book, 
we  see  the  same  distinct  grouping  of 
the  four  trumpets  that  have  already 
sounded,  and  three  of  a  distinct  nature 


Ch.  VIII.] 


REVELATION 


219 


The  seven  trumpets— Sounding  of  the  fifth 
trumpet,  or  first  woe. 
13  AND  I  beheld,  'aud  heard  an  angel 
flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven, 
saying  with  a  loud  voice,  '  Woe,  woe, 
woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  by 
reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trum- 
pet of  the  three  angels,  which  are  yet 
to  sound  I 


13  And  I  saw,  and  heard  an  eagle  flying 
in  midheaven,  saying  with  a  great 
voice.  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  those  who 
dwell  on  the  earth,  by  reason  of  the 
remaining  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the 
three  angels  who  are  about  to  sound ! 


r  14  :  6  ;  19  :  17. 


s  9  :  12  ;  11  :  14 ;  Joel  2:1;  Matt.  24  :  21,  22. 


now  to  sound.  Heard  an  angel, 
ratlier,  an  eagle;  midst  of"  heaven, 

rather,  mid  heaven.  The  eagle  flies  in 
the  meridian  sky  where  every  eye  may 
see,  where  also  it  may  scan  the  entire 
horizon.  The  eagle  is  a  bird  of  majesty, 
also  of  plunder,  of  ferocity.  Here  it 
adds  additional  terror  to  the  scene. 
Jesus  alludes  to  the  eagle's  coming 
■when  dark  times  come  (Matt.  24 :  28). 
Its  cry  is  a  thrice  repeated  woe.  In- 
habiters of  the  earth,  rather,  that 
divell  on  the  earth.  Great  calamities 
have  been  described,  more  dread  ones 
are  yet  to  come.  The  persons  upon 
whom  they  are  to  come  are  the  ungodly 
people,  the  earthly  minded  people.  The 
church,  the  godly  party,  may  suffer, 
to  some  extent,  because  on  the  earth, 
dwelling  among  the  ungodly,  but  the 
judgments  are  designed  only  for  the 
ungodly.  By  means  of  the  four  trum- 
pets which  have  already  sounded,  no 
effectual  results  have  been  obtained. 
The  cause  of  wickedness  has  not  been 
crushed.  Although  the  world  has  been 
stricken  in  all  its  sources  of  supply, 
yet  multitudes  still  cling  to  it  as  their 
portion,  reject  Christ  the  rightful  ruler 
of  the  world,  oppose  the  gospel.  There- 
fore God  takes  now  more  effective 
measures.  They  are  seen  to  be  dis- 
tinctive because  they  bring  to  an  end 
the  opposition,  throw  the  ungodly 
world  into  confusion  that  the  cause  of 
righteousness  and  truth  may  be  es- 
tablished in  the  earth.  God  announces 
the  coming  of  heavier  judgments,  that 
through  repentance  men  may  avoid 
them.  The  threats  against  Nineveh 
made  a  repenting  Nineveh.  A  repent- 
ing Nineveh  became  a  saved  Nineveh. 
In  like  manner  God  always  loves  to 
bestow  mercy.  He  delights  not  in 
judgment;  he  does  delight  in  mercy. 
The  only  way  in  which  a  man  can 
escape  the  coming  judgment  is  by 
escaping  to  God. 


Note.  The  first  four  trumpets. 
Historical  interpreters  find,  in  the  first 
four  trumpets,  a  complete  chronological 
history  of  the  opening  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era.  Barnes,  Elliot^  and 
others  find  in  these  'trumpets  distinct 
allusions  to  the  four  invasions  of  the 
Eoman  empire  by  the  Gothic  tribes 
from  400  to  476  A.  D.  Historical  cor- 
respondences may  be  found  in  these 
events,  but  others  might  be  found  that 
would  correspond  with  equal  definite- 
ness.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that  we 
must  locate  these  judgments  in  actual 
history,  one  part  upon  the  earth,  an- 
other part  upon  the  sea.  We  may  not 
attempt  to  map  out  these  visions  upon 
the  chart  of  history.  Scarcely  any  two 
intei'preters  would  agree  as  to  the  de- 
tails. It  cannot  be  demanded  of  any 
interpreter  that  he  shall  match  these 
symbols  one  by  one  with  distinct  his- 
torical events,  places,  and  judgments. 
This  would  be  to  mistake  the  nature  of 
symbolic  teaching.  It  is  better  to  re- 
gard these  as  pointing  out,  in  a  general 
way,  the  judgments  of  God  upon  a 
wicked  world.  In  ever  new  and  re- 
curring ways  the  forces  of  the  world — 
social,  business,  intellectual,  political 
— rise  up  against  God.  Against  them 
God  sends  his  judgments.  Through 
centuries  God  deals  patiently  with  men. 
The  world  does  not  lay  down  its  arms 
of  opposition.  Whenever  the  conflict 
is  joined  anc^^a  distinct  issue  is  made, 
the  victory  is  seen  to  be  on  the  side  of 
God.  His  righteousness  and  his  al- 
mightiness  assure  this  result.  Every- 
where through  history  we  may  find 
historical  illustrations  of  the  trumpets, 
but  we  may  not  regard  them  as  other 
than  illustrations.  Israel  was  called 
out  of  Egypt  (Hosea  11  :  i).  Matthew 
makes  use  of  this  to  show  the  calling 
of  Jesus  from  Egypt  (*'*"•  2  :  is).  It 
was  more  nearly  an  illustration  of 
Uosea's  statement  than  a  fulfilment  of 


220 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


a  prediction  made  by  Hosea.  In  like 
manner  we  are  at  liberty  to  find  illus- 
trations in  history,  of  judgments  in 
manifold  ways  coming  upon  the  un- 
godly element  in  the  world,  without 
affirming,  at  the  same  time,  that  the 
event  was  definitely  predicted.  Many 
centuries  have  passed  away  since  Chris- 
tianity was  introduced  on  the  earth. 
How  many  centuries  will  yet  elapse 
before  the  ending  of  this  ei'a  no  one 
may  predict.  We  may  hold  definitely 
to  the  following  points :  the  four  trum- 
pets do  not  of  necessity  follow  each 
other  in  close  succession  in  order  of 
time ;  they  do  not  have  definite  limits 
of  time ;  the  same  judgments  may  come 
again  and  again;  the  judgments  may 
overlap  each  other  in  order  of  time; 
we  may  not  definitely  locate  the  visions 
in  order  of  time  or  place  ;  they  predict, 
in  outline,  the  manifold  ways  in  which 
God  can  change  that  which  was  meant 
to  be  a  blessing  to  life  so  that  it  may 
become  a  hindrance  and  a  curse.  God 
rules  and  overrules. 


Practical  Kemarks. 

1.  Sometimes  the  saints  of  God  can  do 
nothing  but  pray.  Through  the  power  of 
prayer  God's  cause  is  widened,  opposition 
breaks  down,  help  comes.  Real  prayers 
are  stored  up  in  heaven  (ver.  3). 

2.  We  need  a  mediator  in  drawing  near 
to  God.  One  is  furnished  us  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Not  the  mere  mention  of  his 
name  will  avail  to  bring  answer  to  prayer, 
but  a  union  with  Christ,  a  submission  to 
his  will,  a  dependence  on  him  (ver.  3). 

3.  We  need  no  angelic  mediation  when 
we  have  a  mighty  Saviour  who  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  us.  Having 
Jesus  we  need  neither  men  or  angels  to 
help  us  (ver.  3). 

4.  There  is  a  power  in  united  prayer. 
The  prayer  of  one  righteous  man  availeth 
much  (James  5  :  16).  The  prayers  of  all 
the  saints  unitedly  come  before  God. 
The  church  on  its  knees  means  a  God 
moved,  a  world  blessed,  the  counsel  of 
the  wicked  coming  to  naught  (ver.  4). 

5.  Prayers  that  reach  heaven  are  an- 
swered on  the  earth.  No  one  is  weak  or 
alone  who  has  a  prayer-hearing  God  on 
his  side.  Queen  Mary  feared  the  prayers 
of  John  Knox.    The  saint  of  God  on  his 


knees  may  do  more  than  the  soldier  with 
his  sword  (ver.  5). 

6.  God  knows  how  to  use  judgments^ 
converting  even  the  things  made  for 
blessings  into  penalties.  Even  in  his 
judgments  there  is  tenderness  involved, 
the  desire  that  they  may  turn  men  to  re- 
pentance (ver.  7). 

7.  Even  in  wrath  God  remembers  mercy. 
He  does  not  pour  out  so  much  of  penalty 
as  he  can  or  as  is  deserved  (ver.  8). 

8.  God  can  curse  our  blessings  so  that 
the  things  made  for  our  use  will  become 
our  enemies.  No  one  may  wisely  fight 
against  God.  He  can  make  even  our 
enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  us ;  he  can 
change  the  designed  blessings  of  life  into 
burdens  and  penalties  (ver.  7). 

9.  The  ways  and  wages  of  sin  are,  in 
the  end,  bitterness  to  the  soul.  Sin  brings 
disappointment,  it  gives  wormwood  to 
drink  (ver.  11). 

10.  The  Lord  is  a  sun  and  a  shield,  giv- 
ing grace,  guidance,  light,  glory.  Sin 
darkens  the  sun,  destroys  peace,  makes 
the  pathway  dark.  The  pathway  of  the 
just  grows  brighter  and  brighter.  God  is 
light.  God  makes  light  in  the  heart.  The 
man  who  is  like  God  dwells  in  the  light 
and  walks  in  the  light  (ver.  12;  IJohn 
2  :  10). 

11.  There  are  gradations  in  punishment 
as  well  as  in  blessings.  In  the  unseen 
life  there  are  differing  penalties  (Luke 
12 :  48);  as  also  differing  degrees  of  award 
(Luke  19  :  17).  God  is  just  as  well  as 
merciful  (ver.  13). 

12.  God  gives  warning  of  the  danger  of 
sin  and  of  approaching  doom.  No  one 
can  be  lost  who  does  not  sin  against  coun- 
sel, grace,  and  warning.  Sin  is  foolish- 
ness as  well  as  recklessness  and  wicked- 
ness (ver.  13). 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Sorrows  and  judgments  were  revealed 
in  the  first  four  trumpets,  but  they 
were  light  compared  with  those  about 
to  be  revealed.  A  great  break  occurs 
between  the  first  group  of  four  and  the 
last  group  of  three,  in  that  we  now 
come  into  closer  contact  with  a  Satanic 
power.  In  the  fifth  seal  we  had  a 
glimpse  into  the  abode  of  the  blessed, 
where  the  souls  of  the  martyred  called 


Ch.  IX.] 


REVELATION 


221 


9  AND  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  'and  I 
saw  a  star  full  from  heaven  unto  the 
earth:  and  to  him  was  given  the  key 

2  of  "  the  bottomless  pit.  And  he  opened 
the  bottomless  pit;  'and  there  arose  a 


9  AND  the  fifth  angel  sounded  ;  and  I 
saw  a  star  fallen  out  of  the  heaven  into 
the  earth,  and  there  was  given  to  him 

2  the  key  of  the  pit  of  the  abyss.  And 
he  opened  the  pit  of  the  abyss,  and 


(  8  :  10 ;  Luke  10  :  18. 


«  Vcr.  II;  17  :  8  ;  20  : 


X  Joel  2  :  2,  10 ;  Gen.  19  :  28. 


upon  the  holy  God  for  vengeance  upon 
tlie  wicked.  Here,  ou  the  otlier  hand, 
we  see  the  abyss,  the  abode  of  darkness, 
opened,  and  its  fearful  ettects  upon  the 
wicked  dwelling  on  the  earth.  Both 
lieaven  and  hell  are  closely  related  to 
earth.  The  saints  in  heaven  pray  that 
God's  cause  may  be  victorious  upon  the 
earth,  the  hosts  of  darknes,s  come  from 
their  abode  to  work  torments  on  men. 
Unseen  by  men,  both  spiritual  worlds 
are  real  in  nature,  and  lie  close  to  hu- 
man history  in  their  influence  upon  it. 
Three  worlds  are  concerned  in  the 
making  of  the  present :  the  world  of 
men,  the  world  of  ligbt,  the  world  of 
darkness.  There  is  a  constant  growth 
in  the  intensitj'  of  the  agencies  at  work. 
In  the  first  trumpet  the  judgment  is 
upon  vegetation,  in  tlie  second  upon 
animal  life,  in  the  third  upon  man,  in 
the  fourth  upon  the  sources  of  light 
upon  which  all  life  depends.  In  the 
fifth  the  judgment  is  upon  the  entire 
intellectual  and  moral  life  of  the  un- 
godly, whereby  life  itself  becomes  iu- 
toleral)le. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  the  sounding 
of  the  fifth  trumpet,  with  the  fallen 
star,  the  opening  of  the  aljyss,  the 
locusts  that  torment  men,  over  whom 
is  a  king,  Abaddon  (ver.  1-12);  the  sound- 
ing of  the  sixth  trumpet,  with  the  un- 
loosing of  the  angels,  the  innumerable 
host  of  horses,  frightful  in  appearance 
(ver.  13-19);  the  impenitent  world,  re- 
maining hard  under  the  severest  judg- 
ments (ver.  20,  21). 

1-12.  The  fifth  trumpet  sounds. 
This  is  the  first  woe  trumpet. 
1.  A  star  .  .  .  unto  the   earth, 

rather,  a  star  fallen  from  heaven  unto 
the  earth.  John  did  not  .see  the  star 
falling  from  heaven,  he  .saw  it  when 
fallen.  In  8  :  10  he  saw  a  star  falling, 
saw  its  de.scent.  The  time  of  the  fall 
is  not  here  indicated.  In  this  book  the 
term,  star,  stands  as  a  symbol  of  a 
potentate  or  power.  The  star  repre- 
sents the  angel  of  the  churches  (1  :  20). 
In  12  :  7-9  we  have  the  fact  of  the  ex- 
pulsion of  Satan  from  the  heavenly 


life.  In  22  :  16  Jesus  is  called  the 
Morning  Star.  The  fallen  star  is  Satan, 
the  king  of  the  opposite  and  contrasted 
kingdom  of  darkness.  In  John  8  :  44 
it  is  stated  that  Satan  stood  not  in  the 
truth,  implying  that  he  was  a  fallen 
being.  In  the  star  fallen  is  the  afiirnia- 
tion  that,  at  one  time,  Satan  was  in  a 
blessed  life,  but  by  his  own  transgres- 
sion fell.  The  fall  of  the  star  may  find 
illustration  in  Isa.  14  :  12  and  Luke 
10  :  18,  though  it  cannot  be  afiirmed 
that  this  passage  refers  to  the  same 
events.  To  him  Avas  given.  There 
is  proof  here  of  intelligence  and  per- 
sonality. The  fallen  star  is  a  person. 
Jesiis  has  the  keys  of  hades  and  the 
grave  (i :  is) ;  here  the  opposite  thought 
is  that  Satan  is  placed  in  possession  of 
the  key  of  the  pit  of  darkness.  It  is 
not  stated  by  whom  the  key  is  given, 
but  it  is  implied  that  all  created  beings, 
good  angels  and  evil  angels,  have  only 
a  limited  and  dependent  power.  Satan 
is  potent,  but  God  only  is  omnipotent. 
Ot  the  bottomless  pit,  rather,  of  the 
pit  of  the  abyss.  The  conception  of  the 
abyss  is  that  it  is  deeply  located  in  the 
earth  ;  very  deep,  but  limited  in  its  area, 
so  that  it  can  be  covered  over  with  a 
covering,  and  sealed  (20 : 3).  This  abyss 
is  the  penal  home  of  demons,  evil 
spirits.  The  same  word,  abyss,  is  used 
in  17  :  8;  20  :  3 ,  and  Luke  8  :  31.  It 
embraces  the  thought  of  what  we  mean 
by  hell,  where  lost  spirits  and  lost  men 
w  ill  find  their  abode. 

2.  Straightway  the  action  begins. 
Opened  .  .  .  pit,  rather,  the  pit  of 
the  abyss.  In  vision  John  sees  a  smoke 
out  of  the  pit.  It  is  conceived  of  as  so 
dense  and  black  as  to  fill  the  air  and 
obscure  the  sun.  God  is  light  (1  J«bn 
1:5);  sin  is  darkness  (1  Johu  1  : 8). 
Conversion  is  a  coming  out  of  dark- 
ness into  light  (I  Peter  2:9).  Satan  and 
his  angels  are  the  world  rulers  of  this 
darkness  (Kpii-  6  :  12).  Men  can  no 
longer  .see  distinctly;  everything  is 
looked  at  in  distorted  and  indistinct 
ways.  The  darkening  may  involve  the 
social,    political,    intellectual,    moral, 


222 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


smoke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a 
great  furnace  ;  and  the  sun  and  the  ait- 
were  darkened  by  reason  of  the  smoke 

3  of  the  pit.  And  tiiere  came  out  of  the 
smoke  ^  locusts  upon  the  earth :  and 
unto  them  was  given  power,  ^  as  the 
scorpions  of    the    earth    have    power. 

4  And  it  was  commanded  them  "that 
they  should  not  hurt  ^the  grass  of  the 
earth,  neither  any  green  thing,  neither 
any  tree ;  but  only  those  men  wliich 
have  not  <=  the  seal  of  God  iu  their  fore- 


there  went  up  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit, 
as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace  ;  and 
the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by 

3  reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  And 
out  of  the  smoke  came  forth  locusts 
into  the  earth  ;  and  there  was  given  to 
them  authority,  as  the  scorpions  of  the 

4  earth  have  authority.  And  it  was  said 
to  them,  that  they  should  not  hurt  the 
grass  of  the  earth,  nor  any  green  thing, 
nor  any  tree,  but  only  the  men  who 
have  not  the  seal  of  God  on  their  fore- 


y  E.xod.  10  ;  4;  Judg.  7  :  12. 
a6:6;7:3.  68:7.  c7:3; 


X  Ver.  10. 
E.tod.  12  :  23 ;  Ezek.  9  :  4. 


and  spiritual  relations  of  man.  The 
very  air  through  which  men  naturally 
see  clearly  is  obscured  and  darkened. 
Satan  is  himself  embodied  ugliness, 
malignity,  falsehood,  a  disturber  of 
moral  order  and  beauty.  He  is  him- 
self darkness,  he  makes  darkness.  He 
throws  darkness  over  tlie  Bible,  over 
God's  existence  and  nature,  over  the 
soul's  needs  and  its  highest  interests. 
Satan  may  so  intensify  the  wickedness 
of  men  that  "  darkness  shall  cover  tlie 
earth  and  gross  darkness  the  people  " 
(isa.  60  :  2).  Fumace.  In  many 
places  in  the  New  Testament  the  dwell- 
ing-place of  the  lost  is  conceived  of 
under  the  figure  of  a  fire.  There  is  the 
unquenchable  fire  (Matt.  3  :  lo,  12);  the 
tares  shall  be  burned  up  (Matt,  is :  so); 
the  wicked  shall  be  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire  (20  :  15). 

3.  And  .  .  .  earth,  rather,  ^wi  oiU 
of  the  smoke  came  forth  locusts  upon 
the  earth.  John  does  not  declare  that 
the  locusts  came  out  of  the  pit,  but  it 
cannot  be  doubted  that  he  means  so  to 
intimate.  He  sees  them  issuing  from 
the  dense  clouds.  The  locust  was  an 
object  of  terror  to  Oriental  countries. 
It  is  used  here  in  that  sense.  For  what 
or  for  whom  do  these  locusts  stand? 
Many  answers  have  been  given.  The 
historical  interpreters  find  reference 
to  the  Goths  and  Vandals  who  invaded 
Rome.  Many  find  allusions  to  the 
Mohammedans  who,  in  the  seveutli  and 
following  centuries,  made  havoc  with 
the  sword  in  spreading  their  beliefs. 
Some  find  in  the  fallen  star  allusion  to 
the  pope  and  his  .servants,  the  monks 
and  priests.  We  may  fix  in  our  minds 
this  conclusion,  that  there  is  no  refer- 
ence to  literal  locusts  such  as  came  in 
Joel's  day,  and  formed  the  foundation 
for  a  large  part  of  his  prophetic  teach- 


ings (Joel  1,  2);  nor  to  armies  repre- 
.seuted  by  locusts,  for  they  do  not  hurt 
the  godly  (ver.  4).  The  entire  scene  ia 
Satanic  in  character,  the  pit,  the  smoke, 
the  locusts.  In  the  previous  trumpets 
nature  had  been,  in  a  symbolic  way, 
warring  upon  the  imgodly;  now  the 
world  of  darkness  itself  makes  war 
upon  them.  The  natural  locust  doea 
not  hurt  men,  but  these  are  creatures  of 
the  pit  and  are  scorpionlike  in  their 
nature.  As  the  scorpions  of  the 
earth  have  poAver.  They  sting  and 
poison  men.  It  is  as  if  the  locust,  with 
a  scorpion  power,  were  everywhere 
swept  through  the  air  to  light  upon  the 
ungodly  and  sting  them,  and  make  life 
thereby  unbearable.  What  the  natural 
locust  does  in  the  vegetable  world, 
thereby  indirectly  hurting  men,  these 
locusts,  Satanic  in  origin,  do  directly 
to  men  themselves,  in  a  higher  realm, 
of  working. 

4.  It  was  commanded  them, 
rather,  saul  to  them.  It  is  not  stated 
who  spoke  the  words.  But  it  is  indi- 
cated that  everything  that  takes  place 
is  under  the  ultimate  divine  control. 
There  is  a  wide  divergence  between  the 
common  locusts  and  those  here  de- 
scribed. These  do  not  hurt  the  grass 
.  .  .  tree.  In  a  symbolic  way  these 
were  hurt  under  the  first  trumpet. 
These  locu.sts  work  on  a  higher  plane, 
hurting  men.  It  is  a  more  distressing 
plague  than  the  preceding  in  that  it 
touches,  not  the  objects  about  men,  but 
men  themselves.  The  command  not  to 
hurt  the  grass — their  natural  food — 
brings  out  very  clearly  the  scene  of 
their  work,  and  the  singleness  of  their 
work,  upon  and  among  men.  They 
are  to  hurt  only  those  .  .  .  fore- 
heads, rather,  only  such  men  a^  have 
not  the  seal  of  God  on  their  forehead. 


Ch.  IX.] 


REVELATION 


223 


5  heads.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that 
they  should  not  kill  them,  ''  but  that 
they  should  be  tormented  live  months: 
and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment 
of  a  scorpion,  when  he  striketh  a  man. 

6  And  in  those  days  ■'shall  men  seek 
death,  and  shall  not  hud  it;  and  shall 
desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee  from 
them. 

7  And  fthe  shapes  of  the  locusts  ivere 
like  unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle  ; 


.■)  heads.  And  it  was  Riven  to  them,  that 
they  should  not  kill  them,  but  tliat 
tliey  should  be  tormented  live  months. 
And  their  torment  was  as  the  torment 
of  a  scorpion,  when  it  strikes  a  man. 

6  And  in  those  days  men  will  .seek  death, 
and  shall  by  no  means  find  it ;  and 
they  will  desire  to  die,  and  death  flees 

7  from  them.  And  the  shapes  of  the 
locusts  were  like  horses  prepared  for 


d  Ver.  10 ;  11  :  7. 


e  6  :  16 ;  Job  3  :  21 :  Isa.  2  :  19 ;  Jer.  8  :  3. 


/  Joel  2  :  4,  5. 


We  have  here  a  reiuiiiiseence  of  the 
sealing  of  God's  people  in  7  :  3.  In 
that  passage  between  the  fifth  and  sixth 
seals  the  winds  were  restrained  from 
blowing  upon  the  earth  until  God's 
people  were  sealed.  The  regeneration 
in  character,  the  outward  holy  life, 
the  guidings  of  divine  providence,  were 
as  a  shield  about  God's  people ;  they 
were  as  safe  as  if  sealed  upon  the  fore- 
head. The  reference  cannot,  by  any 
possibility,  be  to  the  Mohammedan 
persecution  or  to  papal  persecutions, 
for  their  rage  Avas  spent  upon  those 
who  were  the  people  of  God.  It  was 
their  expres.sed  aim  to  extii'pate  a  pure 
Christianity  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
Jesus,  in  his  final  discourses,  spoke  of 
the  safety  of  the  sealed,  "If  it  were 
possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very 
elect"  (Matt.  24:24).  Whatever  the 
trumpet  means  it  cannot  refer  to  per- 
secutions that  fall  upon  Christians 
alone,  or  upon  saint  and  sinner  alike. 
The  operation  of  this  trumpet  is  limited 
to  the  ungodly  alone. 

5.  And  to  them  ...  them. 
There  is  to  be  for  the  ungodly,  not 
death,  but  torment.  The  death  comes 
in  the  next  trumpet.  The  reference 
cannot  be  to  any  persecution  tipon  the 
cau.se  of  Christ,  to  any  Moliammedan 
invasion  or  persecution  in  the  dark 
ages  when  death,  sudden  and  fierce, 
came  upon  the  followers  of  Christ. 
The  time  of  the  torment  is  for  five 
months.  It  is  said  that  five  months 
is  the  time  during  which  the  locust 
continues  its  ravages.  As  the  locust 
has  its  period,  so  also  have  these  Satanic 
locusts.  No  literal  period  of  time,  five 
months  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
that  is,  a  year  for  a  day,  is  here  meant 
to  be  understood.  All  that  can  be  u)i- 
derstood  is  that  all  plagues  have  their 
origin,  their  law  of  development,  go 
through  their  natural  course,  and  come 


to  an  end.  As  the  locusts  have  their 
period  of  five  months,  .so  have  these 
locusts  their  corresponding  five  months. 
All  plagues  have  their  limitations, 
under  God's  guidance.  This  locust 
plague,  in  the  domain  of  the  spiritual 
life,  is  also  limited.  As  the  natural 
locust  came  upon  the  ancient  Israel,  as 
the  manifestation  of  God's  anger,  so 
this  plague  is  the  result  of  sin — of  sin 
punishing  sin.  The  torment  is  poison- 
ous and  violent  as  when  the  scorpion 
strikes  a  man. 

6.  The  torment  will  be  feai'ful  in 
nature.  Death  will  be  regarded  as  de- 
sirable, but  it  will  not  come.  In  the 
fifth  seal  men  seek  after  death  (e  :  is). 
Death  will  be  sought  as  a  friend,  but 
death  .  .  .  them,  rather,  death  fleetli 
from  them.  In  the  case  of  Job,  Satan's 
direct  puni.shment  was  so  restrained 
that  death  did  not  come  (Job  2:6).  But 
in  his  suft'erings  he  longed  for  death 
(3 :  11, 20).  Here  the  sufferings  are  so 
intense  that  death  seems  to  be  a  deliver- 
ance, but  it  cannot  be  found.  It  is  a 
living  death  when  life  becomes  utterly 
intolerable,  when  all  joy  has  departed. 
Sin  makes  life  burdensome  ;  it  becomes 
its  own  punishment.  It  brings  positive 
injui-y  to  the  soul  of  man  ;  it  also  keeps 
away  all  the  blessed  influences  of  the 
gospel  which  would  heal  and  help 
men.  There  are  seducing  spirits  that 
lead  the  ungodly  to  .such  lies  as  will 
bring  only  wretchedness,  darkness, 
despair.  They  steal  away  faith,  they 
banish  right  conceptions  of  God,  they 
make  the  present  joyless  and  the  Aiture 
hopeless,  they  destroy  the  foundations 
of  society  and  moral  order. 

7-11.  A  description  of  the  locusts  is 
found  in  these  ver.ses.  In  general  the 
shapes  .  .  .  were  like  unto  horses 
prepared  for  battle,  rather,  war. 
The  horse  was,  in  the  Old  Testament, 
a  symbol  of  war,  hence  its  use  was  for- 


224 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX, 


Band  on  their  heads  ivere  as  it  were 
crowns  like  Kol'i,  ''  and  their  faces  were 

8  as  the  faces  of  men.  And  they  had 
hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  'their 

9  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions.  And 
they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  Vjreast- 
plaLes  of  iron  ;  and  the  sound  of  their 
wings  was  ^as  the  sound  of  chariots  of 

10  many  horses  running  to  battle.  And 
they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  and 
there  were  stings  in  their  tails  :  '  and 
their   power   was   to    hurt    men    five 


battle ;  and  on  their  heads  as  it  were 
crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  were 

8  as  the  faces  of  men.  And  they  had 
hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their 

9  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions.  And 
they  had  breastplates,  as  breastplates 
of  iron  ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings 
was  as  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many 

10  horses  running  into  battle.  And  they 
have  tails  like  scorpions,  and  stings, 
and  in  their  tails  is  their  power  to  hurt 


jr  Nahum  3  :  17. 


ft  Dan.  7  :  8. 


*  Joel  2  :  5-7. 


bidden  to  the  people  of  Israel.  The 
locusts  in  their  ravages  are  like  the 
horse  in  appearance  and  in  their  mis- 
sion. The  resemblance  of  the  locust 
to  the  horse  is  so  noticeable  that  the 
similarity  is  expressed  in  the  term  de- 
fining the  locust  in  the  German  and 
Italian  languages.  These  locusts  have 
come  to  make  war  upon  men.  In  the 
detailed  description  given  it  is  in  gen- 
eral confined  to  the  actual  description 
of  the  locust,  although  features  are 
introduced  that  show  this  to  be  an 
idealized  creature,  nowhere  existing  in 
nature.  We  have  a  sevenfold  descrip- 
tion. Their  heads  ...  gold,  rather, 
and  upon  their  heads,  as  it  were,  crowns 
like  unto  gold.  A  mark  of  gold  upon 
the  forehead  suggests  the  idea  of  a 
crown.  Ideally  it  becomes  to  the  seer 
as  it  were  a  crown  like  gold.  In  his 
sight  they  are  a  conquering  host,  king- 
like beings.  Their  faces  as  the 
faces  of  men.  There  is  a  certain 
appearance  about  the  locust's  face  that 
suggests  a  human  face.  As  war  is 
made  upon  the  ungodly  alone,  there  is 
a  certain  intelligence  displayed  which 
renders  this  reference  fitting.  They 
had  also  the  boldness  and  courage  of 
men.  Hair  as  the  hair  of  women. 
There  may  have  been  a  something  re- 
sembling the  hair  of  women  in  tlie 
natural  locust.  What  the  seer  would 
indicate  by  this  cannot  be  known.  As 
it  is  kinglike  in  conquering,  manlike 
in  intelligence,  so  also  there  may  be 
included  the  idea  of  softness,  of  seduc- 
tion, of  lasciviousness.  Teeth  .  .  . 
lions.  The  lion  and  the  locust  raven- 
ously destroy  their  prey.  Joel  makes 
the  same  comparison  (i  ^  «).  Satan  is 
also  compared  to  a  lion  (i  Peter  5:  8). 
Breastplates  of  iron.  The  seer, 
thinking  of  the  conquering  work  of 
the  messengers  of  Satan,  sees  in  the 


structure  of  the  locust  a  resemblance  ■ 
to  a  man  prepared  for  war.  It  is  not 
a  real  breastplate  of  the  soldier,  but 
something  like  it.  Sound  of  Avings 
.  .  .  battle,  rather,  war.  In  Joel's 
day  (chap.  1,  2)  the  invading  force  of 
locusts  was  as  a  mighty  army,  march- 
ing irresistibly  upon  them,  destroying 
as  they  went.  Nothing  could  with- 
stand them.  The  sound  of  their  wings, 
when  in  flight,  could  be  heard  afar. 
These  Satanic  hosts  come,  in  like  man- 
ner, upon  the  ungodly  men.  They  de- 
ceive, they  hurt,  they  torment.  How 
sad  the  condition  of  men  upon  whom 
Satan  makes  organized  war,  whose 
hearts  are  open  to  his  attacks.  Tails 
like  scorpions.  This  repeats,  in 
part,  what  is  said  in  ver.  5.  If  the 
locust  has  no  sting,  then  this  feature  is 
added  to  give  additional  terror  to  the 
scene.  It  is  something  to  which  noth- 
ing in  the  natural  locust  corresponds. 
The  sealed  man  cannot  be  really  hurt, 
though  he  may  sulFer  discipline,  and 
may  sufier  in  the  world  with  the  un- 
godly, because  bound  up  with  them 
in  social  life.  But  the  ungodly  man  is 
hurt  in  his  real  self.  The  hurt  will 
end  in  that  final  and  eternal  hurt  of 
the  entire  being  from  which  the  saved 
are  exempt  (2: 11).  And  ...  months, 
rather.  And  they  have  tails  like  tinto 
scorpions  and  stings ;  and  in  their  tails 
is  their  power  to  hart  men  five  months. 
They  are  savage  and  seize  like  lions; 
they  have  intelligence  like  men  ;  they 
have  a  certain  effeminacy  about  them  ; 
they  are  under  thorough  discipline  like 
an  army ;  they  are  conquerors ;  they 
have  a  kinglike  royalty  about  them ; 
tliey  are  armed  for  the  contest,  but 
their  chief  power  is  in  the  sting  which 
is  characteristic  of  the  scorpion.  The 
locust  and  the  scorpion  are  combined 
to  illustrate  their  malicious  hurt. 


Ch.  IX.] 


REVELATION 


225 


11  months.  ""And  they  had  a  king  over 
them,  tvhich  is  "the  angel  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  He- 
brew tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the 
Greek  tongue  hath  his  name  Apollyon. 

The  seven  trumpets — Sounding  of  the  sixth 
trumpet,  or  second  wue. 

12  » ONE  woe  is  past ;  and,  behold,  there 
come  p  two  woes  more  hereafter. 


11  men  five  months.  They  have  over 
tliem  as  king  the  angel  of  the  abyss. 
His  name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and 
in  the  Greek  he  has  a  name.  Apollyon. 


12     The  first  woe  is  past;  behold,  there 
come  yet  two  woes  hereafter. 


Eph.  2  :  2. 


n  Ver.  1. 


p  Ver.  13-21 ;  8  :  13 ;  11  :  14. 


11.  One  point  of  dissimilarity  is 
noticed.  And  .  .  .  them,  rather,  And 
they  have  a  king  over  tlieiii.  It  is  said 
in  Prov.  30  :  27,  "The  locusts  have  no 
king,  yet  they  go  forth  all  of  them  by 
bands."  The  locusts,  seen  in  vision, 
have  a  king  over  them,  controlling, 
directing  them  in  their  warfare  upon 
men.  Jesus  taught  that  the  world  of 
spiritual  darkness  is  an  organized  king- 
dom (Matt.  12 :  26).  And  they  . . .  pit, 
rather,  They  have  over  them  as  king  the 
angel  of  the  abyss.  The  angel  of  the 
abyss,  the  fallen  star,  the  one  having 
the  key  of  the  pit  are  to  be  regarded  as 
one.  Some  think  that  this  angel  is 
different  from  the  person  meant  by  the 
fallen  star.  It  is  in  entire  harmony 
with  the  spirit  of  this  book  to  speak  of 
Satan  as  an  angel,  as  having  charge  of 
a  sphere  of  work.  Everywhere  in  this 
book,  the  one  having  control  of  any- 
thing is  spoken  of  as  the  angel  of  that 
thing.  Compare  the  angels  of  the 
winds  (':!);  the  angels  of  tiie  waters 
(5 :  14).  The  angel  of  the  abyss  is  that 
one  who  represents  the  evil  agencies 
and  powers  which  dwell  there.  He  is 
the  concentrated  energy  and  meaning 
of  the  abyss,  the  guardian  of  the  low- 
est deep  of  moral  evil.  He  is  Satan 
defined  by  Paul  as  the  prince  of  the 
power  of  the  air  (Kph-  2  :  21 ).  His  name 
corresponds  to  his  nature  and  work. 
Abaddon.  This  is  an  abstract  word, 
meaning  perdition,  though  it  is  usually 
employed  for  the  place  of  destruc- 
tion    (Job    26  :  6  ;     28  :  22  ;     Ps.    88  ;  12  ;     Rev. 

IS  :  11).  Apollyon  means  destroying, 
here  a  destroyer.  The  king  and  his 
host  are  described  as  to  their  nature 
and  mission  by  the  name  of  the  king  ; 
he  is  destruction  personified,  he  makes 
a  perdition.  Jesus  came  to  save,  not 
to  destroy  (Luke  i»  :  11).  This  king 
comes  to  destroy,  not  to  save.  We 
shall  gain  nothing  by  attempting  to 


locate  this  vision  in  any  definite  his- 
torical event  or  place.  It  cannot  be 
referred,  as  by  so  manj'  interpreters,  to 
the  Mohammedan  invasion,  for  this  is 
upon  the  world  of  the  ungodly.  It 
cannot  refer  to  wars  and  outward  ca- 
lamities alone.  It  is  a  distinctly  spir- 
itual woe,  it  came  from  the  abyss,  it  is 
symbolized  by  dark  clouds,  horrible 
and  unearthly  creatures.  It  signifies 
a  great  revival  of  spiritual  wickedness, 
wherein  the  prince  of  darkness  works 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  ungodly,  making 
life  bitter  and  sorrowful,  so  that  even 
death  seems  more  to  be  desired  than 
life.  Such  times  have  been,  may  come 
again.  "  It  shall  be  ill  with  the 
wicked,"  here  and  hereafter  (isa-  s  :  u). 
This  trumpet  scene  may  find  partial 
fulfilment  in  the  fearful  scenes  of  the 
first  century,  in  the  dark  ages,  in  many 
of  the  nineteen  centuries  past,  at  many 
periods  of  human  history.  Does  this 
trumpet  scene  teach  that  Satan  perse- 
cutes his  own  people,  makes  war  upon 
his  own  kingdom?  It  teaches  that  sin 
always  brings  disaster  to  the  man  that 
sins ;  that  sin  is  its  own  worst  punish- 
ment ;  that  the  service  of  Satan  is  a 
severe  service,  bringing,  in  the  long 
run,  not  blessing  but  a  curse.  In  this 
life  sin  may  make  a  modified  hell. 

12.  One  of  the  woes  announced  in 
7  :  7  is  past.  One  %voe,  rather,  the 
first.  He  does  not  mean  that  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  woe  is  past  in  order  of 
time,  but  that  as  seen  in  vision  it  is 
past.  The  seer  has  beheld  it  in  its 
completion.  But  not  yet  is  the  end. 
Behold  .  .  .  hereafter,  rather.  Be- 
hold there  come  yet  two  woes  hereafter. 
There  is  something  more  august  and 
dreadful  about  the  trumpets  than  about 
the  seals.  There  was  no  pause  between 
the  fifth  and  sixth  seals.  But  here 
there  is  the  announcement  in  addition 
to  the  general  announcement  already 


226 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


13  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I 
heard  a  voice  'i  from  the  four  horns  of 
the  golden  altar  which  is  before  God, 

14  saying  to  the  sixth  angel  which  had 
the  trumpet,   Loose   the   four   augels 


13  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded  ;  and  I 
heard  a  voice  out  of  the  four  horns  of 
the  golden  altar  which  is  before  God, 

14  one  saying  to  the  sixtli  angel  who  had 
tlie   trumpet,  Loose   the   four   angels 


8  8  :  3  ;  Exod.  27  : 


made  (s  :  is)  that  two  woes  are  yet  to 
come.  Attention  is  called  to  it.  Be- 
hold. It  is  hard  to  fight  against  God. 
Pharaoh  was  crushed  at  last  (Exod.  12  : 
31).  So  will,  in  like  manner,  the  un- 
godly be  crushed  and  humbled.  God 
keeps  his  greatest  blessings  to  the  last 
(John  2  :  11)  ;  also  his  greatest  punish- 
ments. 

13-19.  The  SIXTH  TRUMPET.  This 
is  more  severe  than  the  fifth  in  that 
many  men  here  are  killed.  The  tor- 
ment gives  way  to  dying.  The  fifth 
trumpet  moved  in  the  region  of  the 
Satanic  influences  upon  men;  the  locusts 
were  not  natural,  but  preter-natural. 
This  is  the  second  woe  trumpet. 

13.  I  heard  a  voice  from  the 
four  horns.  Omit  four  At  each 
of  the  corners  of  the  altar  was  a  pro- 
jection, a  horn,  to  which,  on  the  altar 
of  burnt  offering,  the  sacrificial  victim 
might  be  tied,  to  which  also  a  wor- 
shiper might  cling,  inasmuch  as  the 
altar  was  a  place  of  refuge  for  a  person 
in  danger  (ps.  ns  :  27 ;  1  Kings  1 :  50).  This 
altar  is  the  one  described  in  8  :  3,  the 
altar  of  incense,  on  which  the  prayers 
of  saints  are  figuratively  said  to  be 
placed.  It  is  an  altar  before  God, 
signifying  that  God  is  concerned  about 
the  prayers  of  his  children.  They  are 
near  to  him.  All  things  are  open  to 
his  gaze,  but  the  concerns  of  God's 
people  are  especially  dear  to  him. 
They  naturally  reach  him  and  influence 
him.  The  praying  man  may  be  as- 
sured that  he  is  praying,  not  to  a  fate 
or  a  law,  but  to  a  personal  God  and  Fa- 
ther. Prayers  are,  therefore,  reason- 
able, and  because  they  reach  God  they 
are  powerful.  After  the  seventh  seal 
there  were  thunders  and  voices  when 
the  coals  from  the  censer  were  thrown 
upon  the  earth  (8:5).  In  a  figurative 
way  this  action  declared  that  prayers 
sent  to  heaven  have  an  influence  upon 
the  earth.  Here  again  it  is  implied 
that  it  is  in  answer  to  prayer  that  the 
judgments  come  upon  the  world  of  the 
ungodly.  A  voice  from  the  altar  is 
God's   answer,    in  judgment,    to   the 


prayers  upon  the  altar.  It  may,  per- 
haps, be  implied  that  all  in  the  series 
of  judgments  is  in  answer  to  the  peti- 
tions of  the  saints  on  earth.  The  saints 
may  be  helpless  in  themselves,  but 
through  their  prayers  God's  judgments 
come  to  their  help.  We  are  not  told 
who  utters  the  voice;  it  is,  in  vision, 
to  be  understood  as  meaning  the  audible 
reply  to  the  prayers  of  the  faithftil  and 
holy  on  the  earth.  In  reality,  it  is 
God's  voice. 

14.  We  have  here  the  contents  of 
the  voice.  Loose  ...  in  the  great 
river  Euphrates,  rather,  at.  Loose. 
This  term  implies  that  there  had  been 
some  restraining  power  as  in  the  case 
of  the  four  winds  which  were,  for  a 
time,  held  back  from  blowing  on  the 
earth  (7 :  1).  Blessings  are  dependent 
upon  God.  The  severity  of  trials  can 
be  mitigated  by  him.  Satan's  power 
and  ravages  are  under  God's  control. 
It  is  of  God  to  decide  whether  the  four 
angels  shall  be  loosed  and  when. 
Four.  It  is  surmised  by  some  that 
these  four  angels  are  the  same  ones 
described  in  7:1.  It  may  be  doubted, 
however,  whether  four  real  angels  are 
here  meant.  They  may  stand  merely 
for  God's  direct  control  over  the  judg- 
ments here  portrayed.  The  four  in- 
dicates the  world-wide  nature  of  this 
judgment,  inasmuch  as  there  are  four 
quarters  of  the  world.  There  is  the 
unloosing,  the  freeing,  of  some  agency 
that  will  be  world-wide  in  its  nature 
and  sweep.  In  this  book  the  angel 
of  anything  is  simply  the  thing  it- 
self in  activity,  in  the  Ailfilment  of 
its  own  mission.  The  angels  of  the 
winds  are  simply  the  winds  themselves. 
The  angels  at  the  Euphrates  are  simply 
the  Euphrates  as  under  God's  control, 
serving  his  holy  will.  The  river  is 
used  in  a  symbolic  sense,  for  John  is 
not  writing  a  book  of  actual  history  or 
geography.  As  an  actual  river  it  was 
the  boundary  line  between  the  land  of 
the  Israelites  and  the  great  nations  of 
Assj^ria,  Babylon,  Persia,  and  Damas- 
cus beyond  it.    It  was,  on  that  side, 


Ch.  IX.] 


REVELATION 


227 


which  are  bound  'in  the  great  river 
15  Euphrates.  And  the  four  angels  were 
loosed,  which  were  prepared  for  an 
hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a 
year,  for  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men. 


who  are  bound  at  the  great  river 
15  Euphrates.  And  the  four  angels  were 
loosed,  who  had  been  prepared  for  the 
hour  and  day  and  mouth  and  year, 
that  they  migtit  kill  the  third  part  of 


r  16  :  12 ;  Gen.  2  :  14. 


the  limit  of  the  land  promised  to  Abra- 
ham (3eu.  15 :  18).  It  was  also  a  defense 
of  the  Israelitish  people  agaiust  the 
powers  beyond,  constituting  ,a  natural 
bulwark.  Inasmuch  as  there  were  inva- 
sions from  beyond  this  river,  so  that 
the  ten  tribes  had  been  carried  captive 
to  Assyria  in  721  B.  C,  it  became  the 
symbol  of  great  oppression,  of  cap- 
tivity, of  national  subjugation,  of  un- 
conquerable foes,  the  enemy  of  God 
and  his  people.  In  2  Kings  18  the 
Assyrian  invader  boasted  of  the 
strength  of  his  gods  in  contrast  with 
the  insignificance  of  Jehovah.  The 
Euphrates  stood,  therefore,  for  an  or- 
ganized heathenism,  the  opposition  to 
godliness.  The  waters  of  this  river 
sometimes  overflowed  its  banks,  an 
illustration  of  the  dangers  that  came 
from  beyond  the  river.  Isaiah  speaks 
in  his  prophecy  (8:5-8)  of  the  river 
Euphrates  overflowing  the  entire  land 
of  Judea,  meaning  that  his  country 
would  come  under  the  control  of  the 
Assyrian  nation.  To  the  people  of  the 
Old  Testament  times,  prophets  and 
people,  the  river  became  a  symbol  of 
the  most  destructive  judgments  that 
could  come  upon  the  chosen  people. 
There  is  not  the  slightest  allusion  here 
to  the  literal  river ;  this  would  be  en- 
tirely out  of  place  in  a  vision.  If  the 
plague  portrayed  should  come  from 
any  quarter  of  the  compass  this  symbol 
could  appropriately  be  used.  When 
John  wrote,  Assyria,  Babylon,  Persia, 
and  Damascus,  all  the  nations  that  had 
triumphed  over  them  were  long  since 
dead.  But  the  Euphrates,  as  a  figure, 
would  always  stand  as  the  symbol  of 
danger,  captivity,  disaster,  overthrow. 
It  is  in  this  sense  that  it  is  employed 
here.  As  in  the  olden  time  God  per- 
mitted idolatry  and  disobedience  to  he 
punished  by  the  nations  beyond  tlie 
river,  so  now  God  intends  to  punish 
the  idolatry,  the  disobedience  of  the 
ungodly,  the  apostasy  of  his  people,  by 
something  akin  to  that.  Tlie  Euphrates 
is,  in  vision  and  for  moral  purposes,  a 
real  river  still.    It  is  just  as  if  from 


another  Euphrates  a  storm  of  invasion 
should  come  to  do  God's  work.  There 
must  be  dismissed  from  the  mind  all 
reference  to  a  literal  river  or  a  literal 
invasion  from  that  quarter  of  the  world. 
Moving  in  symbolic  teachings  we  must 
inquire  simply  what  that  river  meant 
to  the  Jewish  people.  Everywhere 
and  always  it  would  stand  for  an  un- 
godly and  overpowe>ing  might,  a  power 
before  which  the  nations  like  Judah 
were  utterly  powerless,  a  power  that 
could  subdue  and  take  captive  even 
the  people  of  God  when  living  in  dis- 
obedience to  the  Most  High.  The  four 
does  not  have  any  reference  to  four 
kingdoms  or  powers  that  had  or  would 
oppress  the  world,  but  serves  to  desig- 
nate the  world-wide  character  of  the 
disaster  that  would  come  upon  ungod- 
liness. 

15.  What  God  purposes  is  speedily 
done;  the  angels  were  loosed.  God's 
providences  and  punishments  occur  in 
accordance  with  forethought  and  prep- 
aration. These  angels  had  been  bound 
until  an  appointed  time.  Prepared 
.  .  .  year,  rather,  prepared  for  the 
hour  and  day  and  month  and  year. 
The  Revised  version  gives  an  altogether 
different  thought  from  that  given  in 
the  Common  version.  We  are  not  per- 
mitted to  combine  these  four  terms  as 
indicating  the  time  appointed  for  loos- 
ing them,  or  the  time  during  which 
the  visitation  is  to  last.  All  refer  to 
the  same  point  of  time.  Not  only  is 
the  year  marked  out  in  the  divine  plan, 
but  the  month,  the  day,  the  hour. 
Jesus,  in  his  earthly  ministry,  recog- 
nized the  fitting,  the  appointed  time, 
"my  hour"  (John  2  :  i).  There  is  a 
plan  of  God  in  the  world,  a  plan  em- 
bracing what  God  designs  and  what 
God  permits ;  permitting  a  Nineveh  to 
ravage  his  vineyard,  and  then  punish- 
ing Nineveh  for  its  haughtiness  and 
oppression.  Under  and  through  all 
history,  with  its  human  elements,  its 
seeming  accidents,  under  all  is  God|s 
purpose,  working  ever  to  carry  out  his 
ends.    At  the  fitting  time  comes  the 


228 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


16  And  »the  number  of  the  army  'of  the 
horsemen  were  two  liundrett  thousand 
thousand :  "and  I  heard  the  number  of 
them. 

17  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the 
vision,  and  them  that  sat  on  them, 
having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of 
jacinth,  and  brimstone :  »  and  the  heads 


16  men.  And  the  number  of  the  armies 
of  the  horsemen  was  two  hundred 
thousand  thousand  :  I  heard  the  num- 
ber of  them. 

17  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the 
vision,  and  those  who  sat  on  them, 
having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of 
hyacinth,  and  of  brimstone ;  and  the 


»  Ps.  68  :  U  ;  Dan.  7  :  10 ;  Joel  2  :  11. 


t  Ezck.  38  :  4. 


«  7:  4. 


X  1  Chron.  12  :  8  ;  Isa.  5  :  ! 


unloosing  of  great  punitive  agencies. 
The  result  of  the  loosing  and  the  pur- 
pose of  the  loosing  is  that  they  may 
kill  the  third  part  of  men.  There  is  a 
progress  in  the  severity  of  the  judg- 
ment. In  the  fourth  seal  one-fourth  of 
men  were  killed,  here  one-third.  In 
the  fifth  trumpet  the  ungodly  were  tor- 
mented, here  they  are  killed.  It  is  sin 
that  makes  wars,  the  terrible  wars  of 
ancient  times  and  the  equally  destruc- 
tive wars  of  modern  times.  It  is  sin 
that  converts  Europe  into  a  vast  camp 
of  armed  men,  over  two  millions  in 
number.  It  is  sin  that  creates  civil 
wars,  feuds,  strifes.  It  is  sin,  in  the 
form  of  selfishness,  that  creates  famines. 
In  many  and  varied  ways,  with  the 
irresistible  might  of  an  Assyrian  host 
war,  famines,  pestilences,  run  riot  in  the 
world.  In  every  age,  among  every 
people,  the  sixth  trumpet,  in  some 
form,  may  be  heard  sounding  out  its 
note  of  coming  disasters.  God  does 
not  make  sin.  It  is  sin  because  it  is 
utterly  against  his  benevolent  will  and 
plain  command.  But  being  sin,  God 
makes  sin  itself  bring  its  own  penalty 
upon  itself.  God  cannot  be  at  peace 
with  unholiness.  These  trumpets  are 
God's  protests  in  the  life  that  now  is, 
against  sin  and  sinners. 

16.  In  the  fifth  trumpet  God's  in- 
struments of  destruction  were  the 
locusts  with  preternatural  featui'es. 
God's  armies  are  here  marshaled  as 
the  means  of  the  wholesale  destruction. 
It  is  as  if  from  beyond  the  great  river 
the  mysterious  and  awe-inspiring  cav- 
alry were  to  come.  The  number  is  im- 
mense, two  hundred  thousand 
thousand,  rather,  twice  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand.  The  seer  did  not 
see  this  countless  host,  two  hundred 
million,  I  heard  the  number.  The 
meaning  is,  it  is  as  impossible  for  men 
to  defeat  God's  purpose  of  punishing 
as  it  would  be  to  resist  a  force  so  far 
passing  human  computation.    At  the 


appointed  time,  and  with  unopposable 
might,  God  will  visit  the  ungodly. 
The  immense  number  here  spoken  of 
is  a  proof  that  the  seer  does  not  intend 
that  we  are  to  find  anywhere  on  the 
pages  of  history  the  exact  counterpart 
of  this  vision.  At  a  time  when  the 
population  of  the  eartli  did  not  number 
over  five  hundred  million  people,  the 
numbers  in  this  host  are  placed  at  two 
hundred  millions.  What  he  plainly 
means  to  teach  by  these  immense  num- 
bers is  that  the  agencies  at  God's  com- 
mand to  break  down  opposition  to  his 
kingdom,  and  to  build  up  righteous- 
ness on  the  earth,  pass  all  human 
thought.  What  could  Judah,  insig- 
nificant in  size  and  power,  do  to  with- 
stand a  host  such  as  this  ?  What  can 
any  ungodly  man,  custom,  or  nation, 
do  to  withstand  God's  power  when  he 
arises  in  his  might?  If  God  be  against 
us  who  can  be  for  us  ? 

17.  The  horses  and  horsemen  are 
minutely  described,  though  far  more 
attention  is  called  to  the  horses  than 
to  their  riders.  The  riders  have  breast- 
plates of  fire,  of  jacinth,  rather,  of 
hyacinth,  and  of  brimstone.  His 
meaning  is  that  the  breastplates  re- 
sembled these  objects,  so  that  they  were 
not  simply  a  defensive  armor,  but  were 
fitted  to  inspire  alarm  in  the  minds  of 
the  beholders.  The  hyacinth  stone 
has  a  dark  blue  color,  resembling  burn- 
ing brimstone.  It  is  noticeable  that 
the  colors  on  the  breastplates  corre- 
spond to  the  colors  of  the  emanations 
from  the  mouths  of  the  liorses.  Noth- 
ing more  terrible  could  be  conceived  of 
by  a  people  not  naturally  warlike, 
than  a  countless  host  of  horses  emit- 
ting terrors  from  their  mouths.  They 
are  not  infernal  in  their  origin,  like 
the  locusts,  but  are  plainly  unnatural 
and  monstrous  creatures  of  the  im- 
agination. The  horse  was  itself  an 
ol)ject  of  terror  to  the  Jew ;  its  use  was 
forbidden  by  law,  as  it  savored  of  war 


Ch.  IX.] 


EEVELATIOX 


229 


of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions; 
aud  out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire 
aud  smoke  and  brimstone. 

18  By  these  three  was  tlie  third  part  of 
meu  killed,  by  the  Are,  and  by  the 
smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which 

19  issued  out  of  their  mouths.  For  their 
power  is  in  their  mouth,  and  in  tlieir 
tails:  J  for  their  tails  were  like  unto 
serpents,  aud  nad  heads,  and  with 
them  they  do  hurt. 

20  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were 
not  killed  by  these  plagues  'yet  re- 
pented not  of  the  works  of  their  hands, 


heads  of  the  horses  are  as  the  heads  of 
lions,  and  out  of  their  mouths  go  forth 

18  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone.  By 
these  three  plagues  was  the  third  part 
of  men  killed,  by  the  fire  and  the 
smoke  and  the  brimstone  which  went 

19  forth  out  of  their  mouths.  For  the 
power  of  the  horses  is  in  their  mouth, 
and  iu  their  tails ;  for  their  tails  are 
like  serpents,  having  heads,  and  with 

20  them  they  hurt.  And  the  rest  of  men, 
who  were  not  killed  in  these  plagues, 
repented  not  of  the  works  of  their 
hands,  that  they  should  not  worship 


y  Isa.  9  :  15. 


z  9  :  20 ;  Deut.  31  :  23  ;  2  Chron.  28  :  22  ;  Prov.  27  :  22  ;  Jer.  5  :  3  ;  8  :  6. 


and  conquest.  The  horses,  in  vision, 
were  fierce,  having  heads  as  the 
heads  of  lions.  The  countless  num- 
ber, the  savage  nature,  the  emitted 
terrors  combine  to  make  a  fearful  ob- 
ject to  contemplate.  It  is  a  description 
worthy  of  being  called  a  second  woe 
trumpet  (™r-  12).  No  such  armies  had 
ever  been  seen  among  men.  All  this 
is  of  the  drapery  of  the  vision,  serving 
to  emphasize  the  one  teaching  that 
universal  misery  will  come  upon  the 
world,  just  such  a  misery  as  would  re- 
sult from  the  invasion  of  such  an  army 
as  is  here  described. 

18.  Here  is  given  the  effect  of  the 

S^agues  that  come  from  their  mouths. 
y  .  .  .  brimstone,  rather,  By  these 
three plafjues  was  the  third  part  of  men 
killed  by  the  fire,  and  the  smoke  and  the 
brimstone.  The  number  three  has  a  large 
place  iu  the  structure  of  this  book  ;  the 
three  series  of  visions,  the  three  woes, 
the  three  plagues,  the  one-third  of  men 
killed.  This  scourge  of  unnatural  cav- 
alry covers  the  world  in  its  visitation. 
The  imagery  is  couched  in  terms  that 
would  fill  the  mind  of  an  Oriental  with 
alarm,  but  the  meaning  is  for  all  the 
ages  expressive  of  the  woes  to  come 
upon  and  among  the  world  of  the 
ungodly. 

19.  The  seer  resumes  his  description 
of  the  horses,  adding  other  features 
that  show  their  destructive  power. 
They  have  a  power  entirely  beyond 
and  unlike  that  of  the  most  savage 
horses  on  earth.  These  horses  have 
power  in  their  tails.  For  .  .  .  tails, 
rather,  For  the  poiner  of  the  horses  is  in 
their  mouth  and  in  their  tails.  Three 
characteristic  features  are  given  of  their 
tails;  they  are  like  serpents,  lotig, 
shining,  repulsive;  they  have  heads, 


instead  of  the  unthinking  hair ;  there 
is  life,  intelligence,  hate  centered  in 
living  heads  w  ith  their  eye  of  fascina- 
tion aud  their  tongue  with  its  poison  ; 
they  hurt,  with  tlieir  stings.  It  is 
noticeable  that  almost  no  stress  is  laid 
upon  the  horsemen,  their  countless 
numbers,  their  skill  or  ferocity ;  atten- 
tion is  devoted  to  the  horses  so  unlike 
the  horses  of  the  earth.  With  the 
mouth  the  horse  kills,  with  its  tail  it 
hurts.  The  cavalry  of  earth  might 
rush  upon  and  trample  down  the  foe. 
These  horses,  in  vision,  are  such  as 
might  be  seen  in  dreams  or  conceived 
of  in  imagination.  They  are  such 
horses  as  God  can  make  use  of  to  carry 
on  his  wars  and  break  dowu  all  oppo- 
sition.   It  is  hard  to  fight  against  God 

(Acts  5  :  39). 

20,  21.  The  impenitent  wokld. 
We  have  had,  in  vision,  a  fearful 
scourge  of  the  entire  world.  No  de- 
scription given  by  men  could  surpass 
the  horrors  of  these  two  woe  plagues. 
The  hurts  experienced,  the  resultant 
deaths,  ought  to  bring  the  confessing 
world  to  a  holier  life,  and  the  impeni- 
tent world  to  an  instant  and  complete 
repentance.  The  efiect  is  seen  to  be 
otherwise. 

20.  And  the  rest  .  .  .  repented 
not.  How  deep  must  that  guilt  be, 
how  obdurate  that  heart  that  will  not 
be  moved  by  such  appalling  disasters. 
The  men  spoken  of  are  evidently  the 
ungodly  part  of  the  earth,  those  not 
sealed  ( ver.  4) .  As  Pharaoh  grew  harder 
in  heart  under  the  plagues,  so  these  men 
are  modern  Pharaohs.  They  are  de- 
scribed as  idolaters  worshiping  the 
works  of  their  hands.  But  we 
mav  not  limit  the  meaning  to  actual 
idolaters,  Avho  are  comparatively  few 


230 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


that  they  should  not  worship  ^devils, 
iiaud  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and 
brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood  ;  which 
neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk : 
21  neither  repented  they  of  their  mur- 
ders, "  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their 
fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts. 


demons,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  of  sil- 
ver, and  of  brass,  and  of  stone,  and  of 
wood,  which  can  neither  see,  nor  hear, 
21  uor  walk ;  and  they  repented  not  of 
their  murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries, 
nor  of  their  forulcation,  nor  of  their 
tliefts. 


a  Lev.  17  :  7  ;  Deut.  32  :  17  ;  Ps.  106  ;  37  ;  1  Cor.  10  :  20 ;  1  Tim.  4  : 
b   Ps.  115  :  4-8 ;  135  :  15  ;  Dan.  5  :  23.     c  22  :  15. 


on  the  earth.  The  seer  is  speaking  of 
prevalent  sins  under  Old  Testament 
forms.  Spiritual  idolatry  and  spiritual 
fornication  are  more  dangerous  because 
more  insidious  and  less  noticeable  than 
open  and  outward  idolatiy.  John 
teaches  that  idolatry  may  prevail  even 
in  a  refined  civilization  (i  John  5:21). 
Idolatry  is  a  far  wider  term  than  the 
worship  of  material  idols.  Here,  as 
1  Cor.  10  :  20,  the  seer  speaks  of  a  per- 
verted worship  as  under  a  special  in- 
fluence of  demons,  evil  spirits,  who 
seduce  and  blind  the  hearts  of  men. 
Of  necessity  idolatry  is  folly,  for  idols 
are  simply  things.  Infidelity,  agnos- 
ticism, materialism,  worldly-minded- 
ness,  are  equally  foolish  when  con- 
trasted with  the  supreme  truth  of 
Christianity. 

31.  Four  distinct  species  of  wicked- 
ness they  did  not  repent  of,  all  of  them 
of  a  sensual  and  outbreaking  kind. 
These  four  sins  were  typical  sins,  es- 
pecially foreign  to  the  Jewish  teach- 
ing, condemned  by  the  Old  Testament 
prophets.  Here  they  stand  for  all  sins 
by  which  the  heart  is  hardened  and 
penalty  drawn  down.  Sorceries 
means  witchcraft,  through  the  use  of 
drugs.  This  form  of  sin  is  scarcely 
known  in  the  world.  But  all  sins,  in 
their  inner  nature,  are  one.  It  is  im- 
plied here  that  there  is  a  twofold  spirit 
in  punishment ;  the  deserved  penalty 
of  guilt  whereby  wickedne.ss  is  pun- 
ished because  it  is  wickedness  and 
ought  to  be  punished ;  also  the  mer- 
ciful purpose  whereby  the  punishment 
ought  to  elFect  a  reformation  in  char- 
acter, a  repentance  for  sin.  Under 
these  woe  trumpets  the  guilt  deepens 
as  the  penalty  grows  more  severe.  The 
heart  does  not  become  contrite,  but  be- 
comes more  fixed  in  sin.  Punishment 
does  not  in  and  through  itself  work 
out  a  changed  heart.  If  it  does  not 
produce  penitence  it  will,  of  necessity, 
produce  obduracy,  bitterness,  and  re- 


bellion. It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that 
future  punishment  or  eternal  punish- 
ment would  produce  a  penitent  heart. 
It  might,  as  here,  work  out  an  ever- 
growing hardness  and  fixedness  of 
character.  The  reproof  that  softened 
a  Moses  hardened  a  Pharaoh.  This 
passage  gives  an  insight  into  the  work- 
ings of  the  heart.  What  naturally 
ought  to  result  in  a  repentance  and 
earnest  service  of  God  produces,  under 
the  sinfulness  of  the  human  nature,  the 
I  very  reverse.  For  this  result  man  alone 
'  is  to  blame.  It  is  his  heart  that  pro- 
duces this  ugly  result.  God's  procedure 
tended,  naturally,  to  a  saved  life ; 
man's  procedure  took  God's  workings 
and  made  a  moral  death  out  of  them. 
There  is  no  power  in  outward  agencies 
of  judgments  and  mercies  to  change  a 
fixed  bad  heart.  In  the  presence  of 
the  plagues,  that  ought  to  have  con- 
vinced the  reason,  it  is  stated  seventeen 
times  that  Pharaoh's  heart  was  hard- 
ened. After  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
the  Jews  plotted  to  kill  him,  that  he 
might  not  be  a  constant  incentive  to 
men  to  follow  Jesus.  Jesus  plainly 
taught  that  miracles  alone  have  no 
power  to  soften  the  heart  or  change 
the  will  (Luke  16 : 31).  "Primitive  Chris- 
tianity was  a  protest  not  only  against 
polytheism,  but  against  the  moral  con- 
dition of  the  pagan  world.  The  seer 
voices  this  protest,  and  enforces  it  with 
a  terrific  description  of  the  vengeance 
which  threatened  the  world  unless  it 
should  repent"  (Swete).     (comp.  Eph. 

5  :  5,  6. ) 

Note  1.  The  meaning  of  Eu- 
phrates. The  Old  Testament 
prophets  give  the  key  to  the  in- 
terpretation of  this  term.  It  ought 
never  to  be  construed  literally,  but 
must  have  its  recognized  prophetic 
meaning.  As  an  actual  river  it  was 
the  source  of  the  supply  and  the  wealth 
of  Babylon,  becoming  therefore  a  sym- 


Ch.  IX.] 


EEVELATION 


231 


bol  of  that  city  and  empire.  Isaiah, 
in  8  :  5-8,  contrasts  Judah  under  the 
figure  of  the  little  brook  iShihjah  with 
the  rising  power  of  Babylon  symbolized 
bj'  its  mighty  river,  ''  the  waters  of  tlie 
river  strong  and  many."  Jeremiah, 
wliile  living  in  Jerusalem,  by  symbolic 
act  hid  a  girdle  by  the  river  Euphrates, 
indicating  thereby  the  peril  that  would 
come  to  the  covenant  peojde  from  the 
heathen  power  of  Babylon  (is  :  4). 
When  Babylun  was  doumed,  tliat  de- 
struction Avas  portrayed  by  represent- 
ing the  river  Euphrates  as  being  dried 

up  (Jer.  50  :  30;  Zech.  10  ;  U).      The  prophct 

meant  no  literal  river,  he  used  the 
term  in  a  symbolic  way.  John  sees  a 
mighty  city  of  Babylon,  implying  no 
real  city  (i«  :  2),  but  a  mystical  city,  a 
great  and  organized  power  opposing 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Such  a  mystical 
city  must  be  situated  on  a  mystical 
river  Euphrates.  In  this  book  we  have 
nothing  to  do  with  any  literal  Babylon 
or  Euphrates.  We  cannot  therefore 
think  of  Turkey  as  a  political  power 
occupying  the  country  bounding  that 
river ;  we  cannot  think  of  Mohamme- 
danism as  finding  its  home  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  nor  of  the  peoples  living 
beyond  it,  the  vast  liordes  of  China,  as 
endangering  the  civilization  of  the 
Christian  world.  In  17  :  15  John  ex- 
plains the  waters  on  which  the  unclean 
woman  Babylon  sits  as  meaning  peo- 
ples and  nations,  tongues.  In  17  :  16 
these  waters,  these  i^eoples,  turn  against 
the  unclean  woman.  Fairbairn  says: 
"  In  short  it  is  the  devil's  agents  turned 
by  the  judgment  of  heaven  against  the 
devil's  own  interest ;  a  beastlike  in- 
strument full  of  rapacity  and  violence, 
Satanic  guile  and  wickedness,  assailing 
and  subverting  that  which,  though 
chiefly  of  Satan,  had  still  too  many 
elements  in  it  of  a  better  kind  to  suit 
the  taste  of  the  more  outrageous  and 
heaven-daring  spirit  that  was  to  char- 
acterize the  last  times.  It  comprehends 
therefore  the  ultimate  proceedings  of 
the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  spoken 
of  in  17:2,  11."  Swete  thinks  "the 
idea  presented  by  the  angels  of  ven- 
geance bound  on  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates,  is  that  the  day  of  vengeance 
was  held  back  only  till  CJod's  time  has 
come.  When  at  length  they  are  loosed, 
the  flood  will  burst  its  barriers,  and 
ruin  will  follow." 


Note  2.  The  fifth  and  sixth 
trumpets. 

1.  The  wide  distinction  between  the 
first  four  trumpets  and  the  final  three, 
in  which  were  found  the  fifth  and 
sixth,  has  already  been  noticed.  All 
the  judgments  spring  from  the  founda- 
tion of  moral  evil  that  underlies  all 
the  judgments  and  calls  for  them. 
In  the  second  group  is  a  decided  ad- 
vance in  the  severity  of  the  judgments, 
an  intensification  of  intellectual  dark- 
ness and  moral  corruption,  a  recognized 
Satanic  element  also.  Everything  is 
preternatural  in  the  method  of  punish- 
ing, in  the  locusts  and  horses. 

2.  The  judgments  in  the  trumpets 
are  entirely  or  mainly  upon  the  un- 
godly. The  sealed  are  exempt  from 
direct  judgments,  though  they  may 
sufl'er  indirectly  as  bound  up  with  them 
in  one  social  system.  The  judgment 
upon  an  apostate  church  is  revealed  in 
the  next  series  of  visions,  the  bowls. 
Kougiily  speaking  the  seals  embrace 
the  liistory  of  redemption,  the  oppo- 
sition to  it,  its  final  conquest.  The 
trumpets  reveal  God's  judgments  upon 
a  wicked  world  opposing  Christ.  The 
bowls  show  God's  treatment  of  an 
apostate  and  faithless  church. 

3.  There  is  in  the  fifth  trumpet  a 
distinct  Satanic  agency,  a  mingling  of 
the  beastly  and  the  human,  of  the 
savage  and  the  feminine.  It  is  the 
representation  of  Satanic  emissaries 
who,  with  high  pretensions  and  king- 
like authority,  with  winning  gentle- 
ness and  bold  eft'routery,  teach  the  doc- 
trines of  demons,  leading  men  into 
strong  delusions  that  they  may  believe 
a  lie,  darkening  the  intellect  and  cor- 
rupting the  moral  nature.  Fairbairn, 
and  many,  find  a  forcible  illustration 
of  this  vision  in  the  dark  ages  that 
overspread  Europe.  Satan  is  always 
at  work  to  defeat  Christ's  cause  on  the 
earth,  but  there  are  times  of  special 
Satanic  earnestness. 

4.  No  attempt  is  made  to  find  a  dis- 
tinct meaning  for  each  term  in  the 
judgments  mentioned — the  grass,  the 
trees,  the  fountains,  the  sea.  It  is 
doubtful  if  the  seer  had  anything  spe- 
cific in  mind  otiier  than  giving  an  in- 
tensive account  of  the  varied  judgments 
that  would  touch  everything  that  sur- 
rounded and  pertained  to  human  life. 
As  symbols  of  an  ever-abiding  contest 


232 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  IX. 


between  sin  and  righteousness,  they  are 
most  impressive.  Coincidences  may 
be  found  in  every  age  between  the 
symbols  and  historic  incidents,  but  this 
is  vastly  diflerent  from  finding  them 
prophecies  of  distinct  events. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Satan  and  his  followers  are  now  per- 
mitted to  tempt  the  righteous  man,  as 
Peter  (Luke  22  :  31).  The  time  will  come 
when,  through  the  perfected  life,  his 
temptations  will  have  uo  power.  He  will 
also  himself  be  restrained.  There  is  a 
key  to  the  pit  of  the  abyss,  and  Jesus,  the 
Saviour,  will  hold  that  key  (ver.  1). 

2.  The  agents  of  Satan  are  always  hurt- 
ful and  harmful.  God  can  make  use  of 
the  creatures  of  earth  to  work  out  his 
will.  Satan  can  also  serve  God's  purpose 
in  acting  as  the  punisher  of  sin.  His 
motive  in  his  acting  is  to  do  evil,  not  to 
do  good  or  to  help  God  (ver.  2). 

3.  Sometimes  there  can  be  no  dividing 
line  drawn  by  men  between  the  godly 
and  the  ungodly,  so  that  the  hearts  of  the 
pious  are  confused  (Ps.  73).  But  when 
God  sends  special  judgments  on  the  world 
he  discriminates  between  those  who  are 
his  and  those  who  are  not.  Jesus  as  judge 
will  do  so  at  the  last  day  (ver.  4 ;  Matt. 
25  :  31-46). 

4.  The  seal  upon  thesaved  is  not  wealth, 
social  standing,  or  human  approval,  but 
the  heart  that  loves  God,  the  life  of  piety, 
the  pure  soul.  If  perils  come  there  will 
be  special  upholding  grace  (2  Cor.  12  :  9). 
No  pious  life  escapes  the  all-seeing  eye 
(ver.  4). 

5.  Torments  come  from  sin,  temptations 
from  Satan,  testings  from  God.  The  worst 
torments  of  the  ungodly  are  internal,  not 
physical.  The  darkened  mind,  the  ac- 
cusing conscience,  the  embittered  life, 
the  separation  from  God,  the  alienation 
from  others,  the  fears  concerning  the  be- 
yond, these  are  real  torments  (ver.  5). 

6.  The  good  man  is  ready  to  die,  but 
anxious  to  live  that  he  may  glorify  God 
and  bless  others  (Phil.  1:23).  The  un- 
godly man,  while  unprepared  for  dying, 
yet  may  find  life  so  bitter  that  he  may 
wish  for  death,  but  it  comes  not.  There 
is  a  living  death  both  here  and  hereafter 
(ver.  6). 


7.  Satan's  emissaries  have  a  union  of 
intelligence,  boldness,  wisdom,  and  al- 
lurement that  makes  them  dangerous. 
Satan  is  full  of  devices  (2  Cor.  2  :  11).  But 
his  seeming  wisdom  is  a  real  unwisdom 
(ver.  7-9). 

8.  There  is,  at  the  last,  a  sting  to  Satan's 
work.  His  creatures  may  look  like 
locusts,  but  they  are  far  worse,  they  are 
scorpions.  The  wine  cup  that  promises 
much,  at  the  last  stings  like  an  adder 
(Prov.  23  :  32).  Sin  is  always,  at  the  end, 
a  mockery,  a  delusion.  It  must  be  so,  for 
Satan  is  a  liar  (ver.  10 ;  1  John  2:4). 

9.  Satan  is  an  Apollyon.  He  never  ap- 
pears as  such,  but  always  as  au  alluring 
and  seducing  tempter.  The  one  who 
follows  him  must,  in  the  end,  be  utterly 
lost  to  the  real  ends  of  life  (ver.  11). 

10.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  think  that 
as  God  has  made  a  heaveu  for  the  clean 
soul,  so  he  has  made  a  place  for  the  un- 
clean in  heart.  This  place,  its  existence 
and  nature,  was  revealed  indistinctly 
in  the  Old  Testament,  but  plainly  in  the 
New  Testament.  No  one  will  go  into  this 
forbidding  place  without  being  distinctly 
warned.  Jesus  speaks  as  plainly  of  hell 
as  he  does  of  heaven  (ver.  11). 

11.  In  human  history  are  woes  as  well 
as  blessings.  Jesus,  who  had  a  tender 
heart,  denounced  woes  upon  the  ungodly 
(Matt.  23).  Sin  is  the  parent  of  woe 
(ver.  12). 

12.  Answers  to  prayer  may  be  long  de- 
layed, but  they  are  ever  before  God. 
Prayer  is  as  real  a  power  as  steam  or  elec- 
tricity, but  in  a  different  sphere  (ver.  13). 

13.  When  nations  are  ripe  for  punish- 
ment, the  instruments  of  God's  anger, 
before  restrained,  are  let  loose  upon  them. 
God  is  not  a  God  far-distant  from  the 
affairs  of  men.  He  has  present  bless- 
ings and  present  distresses  under  his 
control.  He  would  rather  bless  than 
curse  (ver.  14). 

14.  God  has  appointed  times  for  doing 
his  work.  He  never  makes  mistakes  in 
sending  special  judgments.  He  does  not 
hasten  in  his  work,  for  all  the  ages  are 
his.  Jesus  came  in  the  fulness  of  time 
(Gal.  4  :  4).  The  Cauaanites  were  des- 
troyed when  their  iniquities  were  full 
(ver.  15;  Gen.  15:  16). 

15.  God  has  countless  hosts  of  angels  to 


Ch.  IX.] 


REVELATION 


233 


do  his  will.  Jesus  had  more  than  twelve 
legions  at  his  command  (ver.  16 ;  Matt, 
26  :  53). 

16.  It  is  hard  to  bring  an  impenitent 
man  to  repentance.  The  loving  favor  of 
God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  presence  of 
God's  judgments  may  fall  to  turn  a  man 
to  Christ  (ver.  20). 

17.  Repentance  is  an  essential  condition 
of  forgiveness  and  salvation.  Impeni- 
tence is  a  damning  sin  (ver.  21). 

Consolatory    visions     in    the 

SERIES  OF  the  TRUMPETS,  10,  11  :  1- 
14.  Between  the  sixth  and  seventh 
seals  was  a  consolatory  episode  with  its 
two  visions  of  a  like  uatui'e,  coming 
like  a  day  of  sunshine  in  a  period  of 
storm.  There  was  given  the  assurance 
that  amid  all  the  judgments  upon  the 
world  the  church  would  be  kept  in 
safety,  and  a  countless  number  of  the 
redeemed  would  be  gathered  together. 
The  cause  of  Christ  upon  the  earth 
would  not  be  a  failure.  If  chastise- 
ments should  come  they  would  be 
changed  into  blessings.  In  like  man- 
ner here  also  we  have  an  episode  that 
is  explanatory  and  consolatory  in  its 
nature. 

We  have  as  consolatory  these 
thoughts:  (1)  The  time  of  expectancy, 
of  witnessing,  of  suffering  by  the 
church  will  not  be  extended  indefi- 
nitely; the  suffering  church  will  be 
changed  into  the  glorified  church. 
There  will  come  an  end,  time  will  be 
no  longer  in  the  sense  of  delay  (ver.  6). 
God's  delays  are  oftentimes  occasions 
of  confusion  and  disturbance  to  our 
moral  natures  (ps.  73).  Time  will,  at 
last,  bring  completeness  to  God's  plans 
and  the  glorious  end  will  be  reached. 
(2)  It  is  declared  that  God  has  purposes 
planned  for  the  world,  far-reaching, 
embracing  all  things,  announced  by 
the  prophets,  so  that  nothing  can  over- 
take God  as  a  surprise.  His  good  pur- 
poses will  ripen  in  time,  and  all  will 
see  the  unfolding  of  his  thought  ("er. 
7).     (3)  There  is  an  element  of  good 

tidings    to    be    announced     (ver.  7    Revised 

version).  This  can  be  nothing  else  than 
the  complete  breaking  down  of  all 
opposition,  and  the  upbuilding  of 
Christ's  kingdom  on  the  earth,  the 
triumph  of  righteousness.  To  those 
in  sympathy  with  God  in  his  work 


this  triumph  will  be  an  occasion  of 
rejoicing.  (4)  The  change  of  a  faith- 
ful church  into  a  church  largely  faith- 
less, as  evinced  in  chapter  11,  would 
be  most  disheartening  to  the  faithful 
element ;  it  might  beget  the  feeling  that 
a  wicked  world  and  a  disloyal  church 
would  make  it  impossible  for  Christ's 
cause  to  succeed.  Here  is  the  assur- 
ance that  the  faithful  part  of  the  church 
would  ultimately  conquer  and  be 
crowned.  The  course  of  the  church  in 
the  world  is  not  always  that  of  a  flock 
safely  folded,  feeding  in  green  pastures, 
but  oftentimes  a  church  in  the  storm 
and  stress  of  conflict,  sorely  pressed, 
assailed  from  without  and  within.  But 
when  such  times  come,  when  they  come 
to-day  to  a  limited  extent  and  in  lim- 
ited areas,  even  then  is  the  assurance 
that  the  almost  crushed  church  sliall 
be  the  completely  blessed  and  glorified 
church.  If  the  time  shall  come  in  the 
near  or  distant  future  when  the  church 
shall  be  represented  as  in  11  :  7,  when 
the  prophetic  spirit  shall  be  almost 
quenched,  there  will  yet  be  a  resurrec- 
tion and  an  ascension  in  the  sight  of 
all  the  world.  As  there  was  a  resur- 
rection of  the  dead  Christ,  so  in  like 
manner  there  will  always  be  a  resur- 
rection for  the  cause  and  truth  of  the 
living  Christ.  The  episode  in  chapter 
6  presents  the  church  as  safely  folded 
in  the  midst  of  persecutions.  The 
episode  here  presents  on  the  one  side 
a  wicked  world,  a  beastlike  power,  a 
faithless  element  in  the  church  ;  on  the 
other  side  an  all-controlling  purpose  of 
God,  long  announced  through  prophets, 
a  plan  carried  out  through  a  witness- 
ing church,  a  struggle  long  and  severe, 
but  issuing  in  the  final  triumph  of  the 
witnessing  church,  expressed  in  a  sym- 
bolic way  by  the  ascension  to  heaven 
and  the  seat  on  the  throne.  The  sym- 
bols are  prophecies  for  dark  and  strug- 
gling times  that  God's  care  and  power 
are  on  the  side  of  his  people.  We  are 
not  to  infer  that  these  periods  and  these 
triumphs  are  for  the  times  alone  that 
lie  at  the  close  of  this  era,  they  belong 
in  part  to  all  the  ages.  If  times  are 
dark,  if  there  are  declensions  from  the 
faith,  it  will  be  a  cause  for  rejoicing 
that  God  has  a  seventh  angel  to  sound 
ushering  in  a  period  of  conquest  and 
blessing.  The  entire  episode  is  one 
of  encouragement  to  the  church. 


234 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  X. 


The  seven  Irumjicis— Proclamation  by  an 
angel;  seven  thunders;  the  little  scroll. 
10  AND  I  saw  ^'another  mighty  angel 
come  down  from  heaven,  >■  clothed 
with  a  cloud:  'and  a  rainbow  was 
upon  his  head,  and  ehis  face  was  as  it 
were  the  sun,  and  '■his  feet  as  pillars 
2  of  fire :  and  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little 


10    AND  I  saw  another  strong  angel 

coming  down  out  of  heaven,  clothed 

with  a  cloud,  and  the  rainbow  was  on 

his  head,  and  his  face  was  as  the  sun, 

2  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire.    And  he 


e  1:7;  Ps.  97  :  2;  Dan.  7  :  13 
g  1  ;  16 ;  Matt.  17:2.  A  1  ; 


/  4:  3;  Ezek.  1  : 
Dan.  10  :  6. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  vision  of  the  little  book. 
If  there  were  no  break  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  thought  we  would  natu- 
rally look  at  once  for  the  third  woe 
trumpet,  the  seventh  in  the  series. 
But  a  restful  period  now  comes  into 
view  between  the  two  woes  past  and 
the  one  yet  to  come.  As  there  were 
two  visions,  consolatory  in  their  nature, 
between  the  sixth  and  seventh  seals,  in 
like  manner  are  two  explanatory  visions 
between  the  sixth  and  seventh  trum- 
pets. They  are  here  in  answer  to  ques- 
tions that  naturally  arise  in  the  mind. 
We  have  been  in  the  midst  of  blast 
after  blast  of  God's  judgments  upon 
the  world  of  the  wicked.  They  have 
grown  in  intensity  as  they  proceeded. 
During  all  these  centuries  as  they  roll 
by,  is  there  no  church  of  Christ  upon 
the  earth,  no  good  agency,  nothing  for 
God  to  bless?  If  there  is  a  church  is 
it  doing  nothing  ?  Tiiere  has  been  one 
intimation  in  the  series  that  there  are 
faithful  people  on  the  earth,  people 
who  are  kept  safe  by  God's  power 
(9  :  1).  In  this  vision  there  is  revealed 
plainly  the  existence  and  work  of 
Christ's  people,  witnessing  for  the  un- 
seen Christ,  the  ruler  of  his  people  and 
the  vanquisher  of  his  foes.  We  have 
here  revealed  tlie  agency  by  which 
Christ,  through  the  church,  effects  the 
ultimately  triumphant  work  of  bring- 
ing in  his  supremacy  (n  :  i5). 

In  this  chapter  we  have  an  angel, 
snblime  in  appearance,  having  a  little 
book  in  his  open  hand,  announcing  in 
a  loud  voice  that  no  more  delay  will 
ensue  (^er.  1-7);  -we  behold  John  taking 
the  book  and  eating  it,  tasting  sweet 
at  first,  then  bitter  (ver.  s-ii). 

1-7.  The  ANGEL  with  the  little 
book. 

1.  John's  position  here  i.«i  on  the 
earth, he  sees  another  inightyaugel, 


rather,  strong,  coming  down  from 
heaven,  rather,  out  of.  The  scene 
shifts  from  heaven  to  earth,  but  all  are 
parts  of  one  common  and  progressive 
vision.  Another.  In  reference  to 
whom?  to  the  strong  angel  spoken  of 
in  5  :  2  or  to  the  various  angels  with 
whom  we  have  met?  It  is  altogether 
probable  that  this  angel  is  contrasted 
with  the  many  angelic  representations 
that  have  met  us  (9: 15).  Five  specifica- 
tions are  given  concerning  this  strong 
angel.  (1)  He  is  a  holy  being,  carrying 
out  God's  will,  out  of  heaven  where  God 
reigns  and  dwells.  Heaven  stands  for 
holiness.  (2)  He  is  clothed  with  a 
cloud.  The  cloud  is  almost  always 
an  accompaniment  of  .Jesus.  In  his 
ascension  a  cloud  hid  him  from  the 
eyes  of  men  (Acts  1  :  9).  He  announced 
his  coming  again  on  the  clouds  (.Matt. 
24 :  30).  In  this  book  in  four  places  the 
cloud  is  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  appearance  of  Jesus  (1  =  7;  14 :  14,  15, 
16).  (3)  A  rainbowupon  hishead, 
rather,  the  rainbow.  The  rainbow  was, 
at  the  first,  God's  promise  that  no 
further  flood  should  come  upon  the 
earth ;  it  was  a  covenant  of  mercy 
(Gen.  9:13).  Here  the  reference  is  to 
that  rainbow  that  encircles  the  throne 
of  God  (1 :  »),  a  sign  of  the  mercy  that 
dwells  Avith  God,  overarching  his 
throne.  He  is  a  God  of  mercy  as  well 
as  justice.  He  delights  more  in  for- 
giveness than  in  his  omnipotence.  It 
is  especially  significant  here  when  con- 
trasted with  tlie  six  trumpet  sounds 
that  have  revealed  so  plainly  God's 
holy  power.  (4)  His  face  .  .  .  sun, 
rather,  his  face  tvas  as  the  S2m.  About 
his  person  was  a  majesty  and  sublimity 
that  no  one  could  look  upon  with  un- 
covered eyes.  His  face  blinds  the  on- 
looker. The  same  statement  is  made 
in  1  ;  6  concerning  the  glorified  Jesus. 
(5)  Feet  as  pillars  of  fire.  (comp. 
1:5.)     This  term  is  significant  of  judg- 


Ch.  X.] 


REVELATION 


235 


book  open :  '  and  he  set  his  rigiit  foot 
upon  tne  sea,  aud  his  left  foot  ou  the 
3  earth,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  '■as 
when  a  lion  roareth  :  and  when  he  had 
cried,  'seven  thunders   uttered    their 


had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  opened. 
And  he  set  his  right  foot  on  the  sea, 
3  and  his  left  on  the  land  ;  aud  he  cried 
with  a  great  voice,  as  a  lion  roars ;  and 
when   he  cried,  the   seven    thunders 


;  25  ;  Matt.  28  :  18. 


k  Jor.  25  :  30 ;  Amos  3  :  B. 


ments,  of  treading  down  the  adversary. 
It  is  also  a  comforting  expres.sion  for 
the  believer  becau.se  it  assures  him  that 
he  has  a  mighty  deliverer  in  Christ. 

To  the  question,  Who  is  this  angel? 
various  answers  have  been  given.  Some 
make  the  angel  a  created  being,  others 
the  Lord  Jesus  himself,  others  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  work  of  Jesus.  The 
many  correspondeuces  to  the  vision  of 
Jesus  in  chap.  1,  the  shining  face,  the 
fiery  feet,  the  I'ainbow,  the  cloud  asso- 
ciated with  the  divine  Being,  bear  wit- 
ness that  the  angel  is  the  Lord  Jesus 
himself.  It  is  urged,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  the  term  angel  is  never 
applied  to  the  Lord  himself  in  the  New 
Testament,  he  is  above  all  the  angels. 
It  is  better,  therefore,  to  regard  the 
angel  as  a  representative  form,  sym- 
bolizing the  person  and  work  of  the 
Lord.  As  in  so  many  passages  in  this 
book,  the  angel  of  anything  is  simply 
the  essence  of  the  thing  represented. 
The  angel  representing  the  Lord  Jesus 
has  fittingly  the  attributes  belonging 
to  him  in  his  august  person,  and  in  his 
wide  extending  work.  He  represents 
his  covenant  love  in  the  rainbow  ;  his 
power  in  the  sun  shining  in  his 
strength  ;  his  righteousness  in  the  fiery 
feet  treading  down  the  adversaries. 
Swete  takes  "an  angel"  in  the  tech- 
nical sense  here  and  throughout  the 
book. 

2.  In  his  left  hand  was  a  little  book 
open.  In  the  vision  in  chapter  V  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father  was  a 
book  sealed  securely  with  seven  seals. 
Here,  by  way  of  contrast,  there  is  in 
the  left  hand,  not  in  the  right;  in  the 
hand,  not  on  it;  a  little  book  opened, 
not  sealed.  What  is  meant  by  the  little 
book  ?  The  entire  vision  is  based  upon 
that  found  in  Ezekiel,  chapters  II,  III. 
This  is  a  reproduction  of  that.  What- 
ever that  vision  means,  we  may  natu- 
rally infer  that  this  is,  in  essence,  like 
that.  That  was  a  message  sent  to  a 
rebellious  people,  a  book  full  of  lamen- 
tations, mourning,  woe ;  a  message  from 
God  to  the  people  of  his  day.    Ezekiel 


was  given  a  roll ;  it  was  eaten  by  him, 
it  was  pleasant  to  the  taste,  it  became 
bitter  subsequently.  This  book  is  writ- 
ten in  the  Hebrew  mold,  giving  New 
Testament  teachings  in  Old  Testament 
forms.  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the 
meaning  of  Ezekiel's  vision.  John 
must  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of 
Ezekiel.  The  judgments  of  the  first 
six  trumpets  could  not  reform  and 
transform  the  world.  The  agency  is 
now  revealed  in  this  little  book,  by 
which  alone  the  work  can  be  effected. 
We  are  not  to  regard  this  vision  and 
spojien  parable  as  teaching  that  the 
gospel  now,  for  the  first  time,  begins 
to  work  among  men.  The  vision  is 
retrospective  in  character,  covering 
the  entire  Christian  era,  revealing  now 
for  the  first  time,  in  this  series,  the 
agencies  at  work  for  Christ  in  the 
world.  This  agency  is  now  revealed 
for  two  reasons,  to  explain  the  method 
by  which  the  result  at  which  Christ 
aims  can  be  brought  about,  and  to  give 
comfort  to  the  people  of  Clod  who 
might  be  oppressed  with  the  thought 
that  God  works  in  vain  in  the  world. 
The  might  and  supremacy  of  the  angel 
are  shown  in  his  attitude,  standing 
upon  the  sea  and  .  .  .  earth.  He, 
in  symbol,  makes  claim  to  headship 
over  all  things.  As  Jesus  walked  on 
the  water  (Man.  u  :  25),  so  here  one  foot 
is  placed  on  the  water.  This  is  in 
harmony  with  and  explanatory  of  the 
term,  strong  angel.  AH  the  world  is 
God's  by  creation  ;  Christ's  by  redemp- 
tion. It  must  yet  own  this  supremacy 
(Phil.  2  :  11).  It  may  also  be  declared, 
by  his  attitude,  that  his  words  concern 
all  the  earth,  a  world-wide  message. 

3.  And  cried  .  .  .  roareth,  with 
a  great  voice,  as  if  the  entire  earth 
might  hear.  It  is  not  represented  a_s  a 
distinct,  articulate  sound,  but  the  im- 
pression is  made  upon  the  mind  that 
something  fearful  in  its  nature  is  about 
to  be  unfolded.  Seven  thunders, 
rather,  the  sevoi  thwnders,  meaning  the 
well-known  thunders.  There  are  .seven 
spirits  of  God,  meaning  thereby  the 


236 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  X. 


4  voices.  And  when  the  seven  thunders 
had  uttered  their  voices,  I  was  about 
to  write :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying  unto  me,  ™Seal  up 
those  things  which  the  seven  thunders 
uttered,  and  write  them  nut. 

5  "And  the  augel  which  I  saw  stand 
upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  » lifted 

6  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by 
him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever, 
p  who  created  heaven,  and  the  things 
that  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and 
the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the 
sea,  and  the  things  which  are  therein, 


4  uttered  their  voices.  And  when  the 
seven  thunders  spolie,  I  was  about  to 
write ;  and  I  heard  a  voice  out  of 
heaven  saying,  Seal  up  the  things 
which  the  seven  thunders  spoke,  and 

5  write  them  not.  And  the  augel,  whom 
I  saw  standing  on  the  sea  and  on  the 
land,    lifted    up   his    right    hand    to 

6  heaven,  and  swore  by  him  who  lives 
forever  and  ever,  who  created  the 
heaven  and  the  tilings  that  are  there- 
in, and  the  earth  and  the  things  that 
are  therein,  and  the  sea  and  the  things 


m  Deut.  29  :  29 ;  Dan.  8  .  26 ;  12  :  4,  9.     n  Dan.  12  :  4-13.     o  Gen.  14  :  22  ;  Exod.  6:8;  Dan.  12  :  7. 
p  4  :  9-11 ;  14  :  7  ;  Nth.  9  ;  6. 


perfect  spirit  or  knowledge.  The  seven 
thunders  do  not  mean  seven  separate 
and  distinct  thunders  wliicli  John  hears, 
but  stand  for  the  complete  majestic 
utterance  of  God's  voice.  Thunder 
stands  for  alarm,  the  storm  awakening 
tlie  fear  of  the  heart.  The  voice  of 
thunder  marks  .separate  epochs  in 
history,  as  in  the  seventh  seal  (8  :  lo); 
the  seventh  trumpet  (n  =  is);  the 
seventh  bowl  (chap,  le,  it,  is)  .  God  knows 
how  to  thunder,  to  be  indignant,  to 
threaten,  to  punish,  to  overwhelm.  He 
can  send  the  deluge,  he  can  care  for  a 
■widow  in  her  distress  (i  Kings  n).  These 
thunders  were  a  distinct,  real  utter- 
ance, issuing  perhaps  from  that  cloud 
surrounding  the  angel,  heard  and  un- 
derstood by  John.  The  seven  thunders 
utter  their  voice,  apparently,  in  re- 
sponse to  the  mighty  cry  of  the  strong 
angel. 

4.  What  was  uttered  in  the  voice  of 
thunder  was  intelligible  to  John.  Obe- 
dient to  the  command  in  1  :  11  he  was 
about  to  write  it  down.  He  is  for- 
bidden to  write  the  things  heard. 
Seal  .  .  .  and  Avrite  them  not. 
In  like  manner  Daniel  is  forbidden  to 
write  what  he  had  heard  (Dau.  12  :  4). 
Why  did  God  speak  at  all  ?  He  must 
have  wished  to  inform  John  of  his 
purposes  thus  uttered,  for  his  own 
counsel,  encouragement,  and  enlighten- 
ment. He  planned  to  conceal  the 
things  uttered  from  the  people  at  large. 
Some  things  God  keeps  in  his  own 
power  (Acts  1:7).  It  is  useless  to 
speculate  on  what  was  uttered.  It  is 
irreverent  to  intrude  when  God  has 
shut  the  door  upon  our  knowledge. 
Some  interpreters  have  tliought  the 
seven  thunders  referred  to  seven  king- 


doms that  embraced  the  teachings  of 
the  Reformation  ;  others  that  they  refer 
to  the  seven-hilled  city — Rome — that 
uttered  the  decrees  of  excommunica- 
tion against  Luther ;  others  to  the  seven 
crusades  in  the  Middle  Ages.  These 
interpretations  are  foolish.  Jesus,  at 
his  departure,  had  many  teachings  to 
give,  but  his  disciples  were  not  fitted 
to  receive  them  (Jo^u  le  :  12).  These 
voices  may  have  been  the  utterance  of 
judgments  so  severe  and  overwhelming 
that  their  unfolding  to  others  might 
have  overcome  the  hearts  of  the  godly 
and  ungodly  alike.  As  a  symbolic  act, 
the  forbidding  to  write  is  in  itself  a 
very  impressive  event.  New  and  great 
changes  are  about  to  be  ushered  in. 
Great  judgments  have  come,  great 
manifestations  of  God's  power,  but 
God  can  do  greater  things.  God  is  a 
greater  being  than  he  has  ever  mani- 
fested himself  to  be.  We  do  not  know 
what  these  suppressed  voices  are,  but 
the  entire  earth  may  stand  in  fitting 
expectancy  before  the  unknown  future 
when  God  may,  in  ways  so  unknown, 
so  august,  reveal  himself.  The  godly 
world  may  see  greater  displays  of  the 
glory  of  God  than  have  yet  been  shown. 
The  ungodly  world  may  be  utterly 
prostrated  under  the  fiery  feet  of  the 
conquering  Christ. 

5,  6.  The  attitude  in  taking  the  oath 
is  to  lift  the  right  hand  toward  heaven, 
appealing  to  God's  holiness  to  attest 
the    truthfulness    of    the    statement. 

(Comp.  Gen.  14  :  22  ;    Dan.  12  :  6,  7).      God  Can 

swear  by  none  higher  than  himself; 
all  other  beings  lower  than  God  may 
appeal  to  him  (Heb.  e  :  le).  The  angel, 
in  the  most  solemn  way,  makes  appeal 
to  heaven.     God  is  described  under  the 


Ch.  X.] 


REVELATION 


237 


1  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer: 
7  but  fin  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to 
sound,  'the  mystery  of  God  should  be 
finished,  <as  he  hath  declared  to  his 
servants  the  prophets. 


that  are  therein,  that  there  shall  be  no 
7  longer  delay ;  but  in  the  days  of  the 
voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  w'hen  he  is 
about  to  sound,  then  is  the  mystery  of 
God  finished,  as  he  gave  the  joyful 
message  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 


q  16  :  17  i  Dan.  12  :  7 ;  Hab.  2:3.  r  11  :  15-18.  a  Rom.  11  :  25 ;  Eph.  3  :  9. 

t  Amos  3:7;  Luke  24  :  44-i7 ;  AcU  3  :  21. 


two  aspects  of  Lis  eternity,  dwelling 
in  the  midst  of  the  endless  ages,  and 
bis  all-powerfulness,  the  Creator  of  all 
things.  Time  uo  longer.  Time  has 
here  the  meaning  of  delay,  as  given  in 
the  Standard  and  Bible  Union  versions. 
"  There  shall  no  more  be  any  interval 
of  time,  any  furtlier  delay:  cf.  Hab. 
2:3;  Heb.  10  :  37  "  (Swete).  Much 
is  about  to  take  place  before  the  ab- 
solute end  comes.  In  6  :  11  the  mar- 
tyred souls  are  bidden  to  rest  for  a  time 
until  the  persecutions  sweep  over  them. 
Their  impatience  is  restrained  by  the 
assurance  that,  in  due  time,  God's  holi- 
ness would  manifest  itself  in  penalty 
and  in  preservation.  God  is  not  man 
that  he  should  break  his  word,  or  forget 
his  promise,  or  be  impotent  to  fulfil 
his  purposes.  It  is  the  eternal  and 
almighty  God  who  will  now  fulfil  his 
declarations  thus  made.  Holy  men 
grow  impatient,  bad  men  harden  their 
hearts,  at  the  seeming  unconcern  on 
God's  part,  but  in  due  time  God  will 
reveal  himself.  God's  delays  are  always 
for  man's  good.  They  do  not  mean  in- 
difference to  moral  distinctions  among 
men  or  weakness  in  purpose,  but  have 
the  repentance  of  men  in  view  {}  I'eter 

3  :  9). 

7.  There  will  be  no  further  delay, 
but  now  a  rapid  unfolding  of  God's 
plan,  long  since  foretold.  The  entire 
verse  appears  in  the  R.  V.,  But  in  the 
days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel, 
when  he  is  about  to  sound,  then  is 
finished  the  mystery  of  God  according 
to  the  good  tidings  which  tie  declared 
to  his  sei'vants  the  prophets.  In  the 
days  of  the  seventh  angel  the  final 
stage  appears,  then  God's  plans  will 
be  fulfilled  (ciiap.  ii).  When  he  shall 
begin  to  sound,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  era  thus  indicated.  Mystery  of 
God.  The  word  mystery  indicates 
something  that  would  be  entirely  in- 
comprehensible but  for  its  unfolding 
by  revelation.  God  has  plans  from  the 
beginning.   These  plans  become  known 


as  the  ages  throw  light  upon  them.  In 
the  Old  Testament  were  many  predic- 
tions of  the  triumph  of  God's  cause 
and  the  defeat  of  God's  enemies,  the 
putting  down  of  evil.  The  good  ti- 
dings, including  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
tlie  salvation  from  sin,  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  saints,  the  triumph  of  God's 
kingdom,  was  made  known  to  and 
through  the  prophets.  Of  the  details 
of  this  future  development  of  God's 
kingdom,  the  prophets  were  largely 
ignorant  (i  Peter  i  :  12).  The  term  good 
tidings  must  be  taken  in  a  large  sen.se, 
for  we  have  here  portrayed  the  judg- 
ments upon  a  wicked  world  and  an 
apostate  church,  not  simply  God's  care 
for  his  children  and  church.  It  is  a 
glad  message  for  his  cause,  because  it 
shows  that  he  uses  all  his  power  in  ful- 
filling his  promises  for  his  people.  All 
things  are  under  his  feet  for  the  sake 
of  his  church  (Eph.  i  :  22).  We  must 
read  11  :  1.5-18  in  connection  with  this 
verse.  Is  finished.  This  plan  of 
God  includes  thousands  of  years  in  its 
course  and  fulfilment.  Jesus,  in  God's 
mind,  was  slain  from  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  (is :  8) ;  the  conflict 
and  triumph  of  Jesus  is  announced  in 
Gen.  3  :  15  in  terms  that  in  time  became 
luminous.  The  Son  comes  into  the 
world  in  the  person  of  a  child  (isa.  9  :  e); 
he  is  invested  with  a  world-wide  sover- 
eignty (Ps.  2:8);  as  a  suflercr  he  shall 
redeem  men,  and  shall  be  satisfied  with 
the  outcome  of  his  sufieriugs  (isa-  ss). 
A  satisfied  Saviour,  a  rejoicing  church, 
a  defeated  Satan,  a  redeemed  earth,  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  victorious,  these  are 
parts  of  the  good  tidings.  The  mystery 
of  God  is  spoken  of  by  the  angel  hold- 
ing the  little  book  in  his  hand.  The 
Old  and  New  Testaments  are  both  of 
one  plan,  presenting  a  beginning,  a 
course  of  fulfilment,  and  a  final  eon- 
summation.  Christianity  is  no  after- 
tliought  of  God,  but  is,  from  the  begin- 
ning, a  part  of  his  plan.  History 
presents  instances  of  thirty  years  of 


238 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  X. 


8  And  1  the  voice  whicli  I  heard  from 
heaven  spake  unto  rae  again,  and 
said,  Go  and  take  the  little  book  which 
is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  ang^el 
which   standeth    upon    the    sea    and 

9  upon  the  earth.  And  I  went  unto  the 
angel,  and  said  unto  him,  Give  me  the 
little  book.  And  he  said  unto  me, 
^Take  it,  and  eat  it  up;  and  it  shall 
make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall 
be  in  tliy  mouth    sweet    as    honey. 


8  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  out  of 
heaven  [I  heard]  again  speaking  with 
me,  and  saying,  Go,  take  the  little  book 
which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel, 
who  stands  on  the  sea  and  on  the  land. 

9  And  I  went  to  the  angel,  telling  him 
to  give  me  the  little  book.  And  be 
said  to  me.  Take  and  eat  it  up ;  and 
it  will  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  iu  thy 
mouth  it  will  be  sweet  as  honey. 


X  Jer.  15  :  16 ;  Ezek.  2:8;  3  :  1-3. 


war  waged  for  the  preservation  of  the 
national  life.  Our  God  is  not  a  God  who 
can  be  discouraged  or  defeated.  He 
keeps  his  liand  on  the  course  of  tlie 
world's  history,  iu  suppressing  evil,  in 
developing  the  good,  in  preserving  his 
people,  in  leading  his  church,  in  grant- 
ing the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that 
in  the  end  there  will  be  a  glorious  out- 
come for  God's  plans.  Good  men  may 
patiently  wait  until  the  mystery  of 
God  is  finished.  Thousands  of  years 
passed  before  Jesus  came  in  person. 
There  may  be  ages  intervening  before 
the  end  comes,  but  Ijack  of  all  promises 
and  plans  is  the  person  of  God. 

8-11.  The  little  book  taken 
AND  eaten.  The  voice  which  had 
spoken  to  John  in  ver.  4  again  speaks 
to  him.  The  seer  is  commanded  to 
take  the  little  book  from  the  hand  of 
the  angel.  The  sealed  book  was  opened 
by  the  mighty  Son  of  God  ;  none  less 
than  he  could  open  the  book  or  look 
upon  it.  This  book,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  taken  by  a  man.  This  significant 
act  shows  that  the  message  in  the  book, 
the  commands,  the  warnings — whatever 
they  may  be — are  to  have  a  human 
mediation  ;  they  are  to  become  known 
and  effective  through  a  human  witness- 
ing ministry.  Great  purposes  are  to 
come  to  fulfilment  through  human 
agencies.  The  seer  stands,  not  for  him- 
self alone,  but  for  the  church  which  he 
represents.  The  open  book,  the  words 
to  be  spoken,  the  teachings  to  be  made 
known,  these  must  be  given  through 
men.  The  little  book  is  the  mani- 
fested will  of  God  involving  mercy 
and  judgment.  John  must  take  the 
book. 

9.  John  obeys.  I  went  unto  the 
angel.  His  position,  in  vision,  is 
shifted  to  the  earth,  holding  converse 
with  the  angel.  He  takes  the  book; 
he  is  bidden  to  eat  it.    (Comp.  Ezek.  s.) 


Eat  it.  The  contents  of  the  book  are 
to  be  devoured  by  him,  eaten,  thor- 
oughly understood,  so  that  the  teach- 
ings woukl  become  his  own.  In  vision, 
to  eat  a  book  is  to  become  identified 
with  it,  so  that  its  truths,  its  counsels, 
its  warnings,  become  one's  own.  In  the 
mouth  the  book  Avas  to  be  sweet  as 
honey.  Every  revelation  of  God  ought 
to  be  pleasant  to  the  spiritual  taste  (ps. 
19  :  10).  Ezekiel  found  his  mission 
pleasant,  because  from  God ;  but  ex- 
ceeding bitter  because  involving  the 
message  of  disaster.  It  does  not  mean 
that  any  fleshly  natural  feelings  would 
be  stirred  up  against  God  or  his  pi-o- 
posed  dealings.  It  is  a  figurative  way 
of  saying  that  the  message  would  be, 
in  one  sense,  joyous,  inasmuch  as  God 
would  be  glorified  ;  in  another  sense 
oppressive,  inasmuch  as  many  would 
not  accept  the  message,  would  incur 
lieavier  condemnation.  Paul  rejoiced 
because  he  was  a  messenger  of  Christ 
(1  Tim.  1  :  12),  but  he  had  continual  sor- 
row of  lieart  on  account  of  his  people's 
rejection  of  the  Saviour  (Rom.  lo  :  i). 
Jesus  delighted  in  doing  God's  will, 
but  he  wept  tears  of  sorrow  over  Jeru- 
.salem.  In  some  respects  the  mission 
would  be  joyous  for  Jolin,  in  other  re- 
spects it  would  be  grievous. 

10.  Tliis  verse  describes  the  efiect 
of  eating  the  roll.  It  was  devoured, 
its  contents  were  studied,  its  teachings 
made  known.  As  foretold,  it  tasted 
sweet  in  the  mouth.  David  speaks  of 
tlie  sweetness  of  God's  words.  The 
after  bitterness  does  not  reveal  a  soul 
unwilling  or  rebelling  against  God's 
plans.  It  is  a  strongly  figurative 
method  of  declaring  that,  in  some  re- 
spects, the  contents  of  the  book  were 
oppressive  and  depres.sing,  giving  an 
account  of  God's  message  rejected  with 
the  consequent  heavy  woes  resulting 
from  this   rejection.    "  Every  re  vela- 


Ch.  X.] 


REVELATION 


239 


10  Aurt  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the 
augel's  haud,  and  ate  it  up;  J'aiid  it 
was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey  :  and 
as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  it,  »my  belly 
was  bitter. 

11  And  he  said  unto  me,  "Thou  mui-t 
prophesy  again  before  many  peoples, 
and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings. 


10  And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  angel,  and  ate  it  up;  and 
it  was  in  my  mouth  as  sweet  honey ; 
and  when  I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was 

11  made  bitter.  And  they  say  to  me. 
Thou  must  again  prophesy  of  many 
peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and 
kings. 


y  Ezek.  3  :  3. 


z  Eztk.  2  ;  10. 


o  14  :  6 ;  Jer.  1  :  9, 10. 


tion  of  God's  purposes,  even  though  a 
mere    fragment,    a    little    book,    is 

'bitter-sweet,'  di.sclosing  judgment  as 
•well  as  mercy  "  (Swete).  It  is  a  bur- 
den to  Chrisfs  messengers  to  preach 
a  message  that  may  be  a  savor  of  death 
unto  death  (2  ^or.  2 .-  I6). 

11.  He  said  unto  me,  rather, 
thexj  say.  Some  refer  this  to  the  seven 
thunders,  making  tlie  substance  of  the 
message  to  consist  of  judgments  mainly. 
It  is  better  to  regard  tliis  as  a  state- 
ment, indefinite  in  its  nature,  mean- 
ing, "  It  was  .said  unto  me,"  witliout 
indicating  by  whom.  Prophesy. 
This  term  is  not  limited  to  predictions, 
foretellings.  The  general  New  Testa- 
ment sense  is  that  of  speaking  for  God, 
giving  his  messages  whatever  they  l)e, 
unfolding  his  will  ('  Thess.  5  :  20).  It  is 
a  great  mistake  to  think  that  prophecy 
is  limited  to  prediction.  There  may 
be  a  real  prophecy  without  any  fore- 
telling of  the  future.  Prediction  often 
occurs,  but  this  is  only  an  incidental 
featm-e,  it  does  not  lielong  to  the  idea 
of  prophecy  in  itself.  The  term  is 
used  in  its  large  sense  here.  Before 
many  peoples.  That  is,  in  the  pre- 
sence of,  over,  indicating  the  univer.sal, 
world-wide  character  of  the  ministry. 
The  mission  is  that  of  giving  the  con- 
tents of  tlie  little  )>ook  unto  all  nations, 
to  the  uttermo.st  (Mntt.  28 :  19).  Ezekiel's 
eating  the  roll  was  his  inauguratifni 
into  the  prophetic  office.  Isaiah's 
sight  of  the  Lord  was  his  entrance  on 
his  public  work  as  a  prophet  of  Je- 
hovah (isn.  6).  The  eating  of  the  roll, 
in  this  vision,  indicates  a  formal  intro- 
duction into  a  ministry  for  Christ. 
This  vision  is  retrospective  and  pro- 
spective in  its  nature. 

Practical  Remarks. 
1.  Mercy  and  judgment  are  united  in 
Jesus  and  his  revelation.    He  is  tender  to 
the  penitent,  not  desiring  that  any  should 


perish.  He  is,  at  the  same  time,  holy  and 
just,  not  willing  that  guilt  should  go  un- 
punished (ver.  1). 

2.  Jesus  is  the  almighty  Saviour.  He 
made  all  things,  redeemed  all  things,  will 
ultimately  control  all  things,  so  that  the 
universe  shall  find  .its  head  in  Christ 
(Eph.  1 :  10).  He  expectantly  awaits  his 
universal  sovereignty  (ver.  2,  3 ;  Heb. 
10:13). 

3.  Some  things  are  wisely  hidden  from 
us.  Secret  things  belong  to  God,  revealed 
things  are  for  us.  What  concerns  our 
spiritual  state  is  so  plain  that  no  one  may 
misunderstand.  Nothing  is  revealed  sim- 
ply to  gratify  curiosity  (ver.  4). 

4.  It  is  a  comfort  to  know  that  the 
almighty  and  everlasting  God  is  pledged 
to  stand  by  his  people  and  his  promise. 
Anything  less  than  such  a  God  might  fail 
in  his  purpose  or  be  overcome  (ver.  5). 

5.  We  must  not  mistake  God's  delay  for 
indifference.  His  delays  are  trying  to 
faith  and  patience,  and  provocative  of 
disbelief.  But  we  may  be  assured  that 
God  is  faithful,  and  has  a  book  of  remem- 
brance (Mai.  3  :  16).  He  is  a  God  of 
patience  that  the  wicked  may  thereby  be 
led  to  repentance,  and  that  his  people 
may  be  led  to  trust  him  (ver.  6). 

6.  W^e  would  naturally  expect  God  to 
have  many  thoughts  too  large  for  his 
people  to  comprehend  now.  His  hidden 
plans  he  reveals  so  far  as  his  people  are 
able  to  bear  them.  Many  things  hidden 
from  the  prophets  are  made  known  to  us 
(Matt.  13:17).  What  vie  do  not  know 
now  will  be  made  manifest  in  time,  if  it 
is  needful  for  us  to  know  (ver.  7;  John 
13:7). 

7.  God,  in  time,  will  hasten  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  plans  so  that  the  kingdom 
may  spread  rapidly,  and  wickedness  rap- 
idly break  down.  God  knows  all  the 
future,  and  he  is  great,  wise,  and  strong 


240 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


TIlc  temple  measured ;  the  two  witnesses.      i 
11     AND  there  was  given  me  ^  a  reed  like 
unto  a  rod  :  and  •=  Lhe  angel  stood,  say- 
ing, *  Rise,  and  measure  "  the  temple  of  | 


11     AND  there  was  given  me  a  reed,  like 
a  staff,  saying,  Rise,  and  measure  the 


6  21  :  15;  Ezek.  40  :  3,  etc. ;  Zech.  2  :  1,  2.  c  10  :  1-5. 

e  2  Cor.  6  :  16 ;  1  Peter  2  :  5. 


d  Num.  23  ;  18. 


enough  to  care  for  his  own,  and  overcome 
all  opposition  (ver.  7). 

8.  Salvation  is  from  God.  Jesus  is  the 
Mediator  and  procuring  cause  of  salva- 
tion. The  Holy  Spirit  is  God's  worker 
within  us,  interpreting  us  to  ourselves 
and  Christ  to  us  (ver.  8). 

9.  Every  saved  person  is  saved  to  serve. 
He  must  strive  to  know  God's  will  that  he 
may  give  it  to  others.  "  Here  am  I,  send 
me,"  is  the  Christian's  right  attitude. 
New  Testament  principles  incorporated 
in  a  holy  and  useful  life  will  transform 
the  world  (ver.  9). 

10.  No  minister  or  teacher  can  become 
an  effective  messenger  to  others  until  he 
has  made  God's  revelation  his  own.  The 
gospel  must  become  a  part  of  his  own  ex- 
perience. The  heart  must  feel,  as  well  as 
the  ear  hear,  God's  revelation  (ver.  10). 

11.  The  prophets  prophesied  to  a  diso- 
bedient people.  One  concerned  for 
others  will  find  a  joy  in  work,  but  will 
have  a  heaviness  of  heart  (ver.  10;  Rom. 
10  : 1). 

12.  It  is  God's  desire  that  all  nations 
should  know  his  will.  It  is  a  sinful  negli- 
gence to  withhold  from  any  people  the 
knowledge  of  Jesus  (ver.  11). 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  two  witnesses.  The  seventh 
TRUMPET.  We  have  now  a  second  in- 
terposed vision.  According  to  the 
general  structure  of  the  book  the  vision 
must  accord  in  nature  with  the  preced- 
ing vision.  The  idea  of  witnessing  is 
the  prominent  thought,  together  with 
the  assured  approval  of  God  and  his 
interposition  in  behalf  of  the  witness- 
ing church.  The  vision  is  one  of  the 
most  highly  figurative  in  the  entire 
book,  exceedingly  dramatic  in  char- 
acter. Seen  in  vision,  as  it  is,  it  must 
be  interpreted,  not  as  history,  not  in  a 
literal  sense,  but  as  figurative,  sym- 
bolic. To  treat  it  as  history  will  be  to 
introduce  something  out  of  liarmony 


with  the  spirit  and  structure  of  the 
entire  book. 

In  this  chapter  we  see  the  temple 
measured,  the  introduction  of  two  wit- 
nesses clothed  in  sackcloth,  having 
power  with  God  and  men,  oppressed 
and  killed.  God  gives  them  a  glorious 
resurrection,  and  sends  judgments  upon 
the  ungodly  (ver.  i-u);  at  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  trumpet  Jesus  has  a 
universal  sovereignty ;  the  redeemed 
church  sings  a  hymn  of  praise,  and 
has  intimate  fellowship  with  God  (ver. 

15-19). 

1-14.  The  two  witnesses.  We 
have,  preparatory  to  the  introduction 
of  the  two  witnesses,  an  explanatory 
and  introductory  statement.  The  de- 
scription of  the  temple  and  its  wor- 
shipers furnishes  a  reason  for  the  sub- 
sequent witnessing.  The  temple  and 
its  worshipers  measured,  in  the  two 
opening  verses. 

1.  Given  .  .  .  rod.  It  is  not  stated 
by  whom  the  rod  is  given  to  him. 
Inasmuch  as  the  term,  "my,"  occurs  in 
ver.  3,  denoting  an  ownership  of  the 
witnesses,  it  is  fair  to  infer  that  it  is 
the  angel  representing  the  Lord  him- 
self that  is  introduced  here.  The 
reed  is  for  measuring  purposes.  The 
foundation  for  this  figure  is  found  in 
Zech.  2:1,2  and  Ezek.  40  :  3.  In  these 
cases  the  sacred  buildings  and  city  were 
measured,  to  indicate  their  majesty, 
grandeur,  and  permanence.  (Compare 
the  measuring  of  the  New  Jerusalem, 
21 :  15.)  It  was  a  mark  of  God's  favor, 
an  indication  and  prophecy  of  preser- 
vation and  permanency,  not  of  de- 
struction. Peace  and  safety,  with 
God's  blessing,  were  assured  to  those 
dwelling  within  the  limits  thus  meas- 
ured. They  were  marked  out  that 
thereby,  humanly  speaking,  God 
might  the  more  eflfectively  preserve 
them.  Ang:el  stood,  saying,  rather, 
one  said.  Rise  does  not  mean  that  he 
must  rise  from  a  sitting  position,  but  it 
is  a  command  to  begin  the  work  in 
hand.    Three  things  are  to  be  meas- 


Ch.  XI.] 

REVELATION 

241 

God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  wor- 

2  ship  therein.     But  'the  court  which 

is  without  the  temple  leave  out,  and 

temple  of  God,    and   the   altar,   and 

2  those  who  worship  therein.    And  the 

court  which   is   without   the   temple 

/  Ezek. 40 

:  17,  20. 

ured:  (1)  The  temple  of  God.    The 

reference  here  is  not  to  the  temple 
buildings  as  a  whole,  embracing  the 
rooms  surrounding  the  temple  and  the 
various  enclosures,  but  to  the  inner- 
most part,  especially  the  holy  of  ho- 
lies. This  was  the  most  sacred  part 
containing  the  ark,  the  mercy  .seat, 
and  the  cloud  of  glory  where  God  re- 
vealed himself  in  an  especial  manner. 
The  seer  is  not  thinking  of  the  actual 
temple  at  Jerusalem  as  though  it  were 
yet  actually  standing,  but  of  the  ideal, 
symbolic  temple  in  the  heavens,  of 
which  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness 
was  the  counterpart.  In  ver.  19  the 
temple  is  spoken  of  as  "in  heaven," 
which  makes  it  plain  that  he  is  not 
alluding  here  to  any  actually  existing 
temple.  The  allusion  cannot  be  to 
any  actually  exi.sting  structure,  for  the 
measuring  spoken  of  is  a  mark  of  pres- 
ervation, but  the  temple  at  Jerusalem 
was  utterly  destroyed  in  A.  D.  70.  We 
must  interpret  the  term,  temple,  in 
the  light  of  that  fact.  (2)  Altar. 
This  altar  is  most  probably  the  altar  of 
incense  spoken  of  in  8  :  5,  on  which 
the  prayers  of  the  saints  rested,  and  in 
response  to  which  God  answered  by 
judgments  upon  the  wicked  by  inter- 
positions for  his  cause.  (3)  Them 
that  worship.  The  measuring  of 
the  worshipers  must  certainly  be  a 
figurative  expression.  An  actual 
measuring  is  not  in  harmony  with  the 
realities  of  life.  To  measure  the  wor- 
shiper is  to  ascertain  the  character,  its 
conformity  with  the  divine  standard, 
to  give  the  assurance  of  acceptance  and 
preservation.  It  gives,  in  another 
form,  what  has  already  been  asserted 
in  7  :  3  by  the  marking  upon  the  fore- 
head. God  knows  and  cares  for  his 
own.  The  figurative  use  of  the  term 
measure  here,  necessitates  its  figura- 
tive interpretation  in  the  other  two 
cases.  Therein  may  refer  either  to 
the  temple,  or  in  a  figurative  way  to 
the  altar,  or  to  both  combined  as  repre- 
senting the  entire  ritual  worship.  The 
outer  and  inner  rooms  with  the  altar 
were  the  means  by  which  worship  was 

Q 


rendered,  in  an  acceptable  way,  to 
God.  "  The  seer,  however,  has  in  view, 
not  the  material  sanctuary,  but  the 
spiritual  building  of  the  church  (cf.  i 

Cor.   S  :  16f;    2  Cor.   6  :  16  ;   Eph.    2  ;  21 ;   2  Theas. 

2  :  <).  The  measuring  of  the  sanctuary 
provides  for  its  preservation  from  the 
general  overthrow,  and  thus  corre- 
sponds with  the  sealing  of  the  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  thousand,  which 
preceded  the  seventh  seal  opening  as 
the  measuring  precedes  the  seventh 
trumpet  blast "  (Swete). 

2.  A  striking  contrast  is  made  be- 
tween the  sacred  shrine  itself  and  the 
courts  adjoining  the  temple.  All 
formed  parts  of  one  integral  whole,  all 
alike  were  sacred  in  the  temple  that 
stood  at  Jerusalem.  But  here,  in  a 
symbolic  way,  the  one  is  measured  and 
marked  out  for  preservation,  the  other 
is  marked  out  for  destruction.  But, 
rather,  and.  The  court .  .  .  with- 
out the  temple.  About  the  temple 
were  large  exterior  courts  for  the 
priests,  for  the  Jews  at  large,  for  the 
women,  with  the  outermost  courts  for 
the  Gentiles.  The  following  design 
will  explain  the  relation  of  the  temple 
to  the  outer  courts.  Leave  out, 
rather,  cast  out.  The  work  is  a  for- 
cible one,  implying  not  only  that  the 
outer  court  is  not  to  be  regarded  and 
honored  by  measuring  it,  but  it  is,  by 
some  positive  act,  as  it  were,  cast  out, 
dishonored,  thrown  aside  as  unclean. 
By  this  symbolic  act  there  is  portrayed 
a  vast  moral  difference  between  the 
character  of  the  two,  the  temple  and 
the  surrounding  grounds.  As  the  tem- 
ple and  its  courts  were  a  picture  of 
God's  spiritual  dwelling-place  on  the 
earth,  it  is  here  shown  that  a  part  of 
God's  professed  people,  of  God's  out- 
ward inheritance,  is  looked  upon  with 
favor,  and  another  part  with  utter  dis- 
favor and  consequent  rejection.  It  is 
a  declaration,  in  vision  and  by  parable, 
that  a  part  of  Christ's  professed  church 
is  faithfiil  to  him,  destined,  therefore, 
to  be  graciously  preserved,  and  a  part 
of  Christ's  professed  church  is  to  be 
discarded,    openly    thrown    aside. 


Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^llll^lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^llll[llllllllln^^ 


.H'.3.s.o.i^..s   mo    K   O    1    o    s 


n  o 


"••IB 


•1      B>* 


CO 


CO 

P 
O 


w 


si     §i 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


243 


measure  it  not;  efor  it  is  given  unto 
the  Gentiles:  and  the  holy  city  shall 
they  >■  tread  under  foot '  forty  and  two 
mouths. 


leave  out,  and  measure  it  not ;  because 
it  was  given  to  the  Gentiles,  and  they 
will  tread  down  the  holy  city  forty-two 


5  Ps.  79  :  1 ;  Luke  21:2-4;  2  Thess.  2  :  D-12.  h  Dan.  7  :  19  ;  8  :  10,  24,  25. 

»  13  :  5;  Dau.  7  ;  2 j ;  12  :  7,  11,  12. 


Pleasure  it  not  shows  that  that  part 
is  to  be  treated  as  an  unholy  thing, 
destined  to  suffer  indignity  and  loss. 
By  the  court  is  meant  a  part  of  the 
professed  people  of  Uod,  yet  degenerate 
in  character,  standing  to  him  in  a  re- 
lation different  from  that  maintained 
by  the  faithful  part  represented  by  the 
innermost  shrine,  diiterent  also  from 
the  relation  sustained  by  the  Gentiles 
or  the  nations  outside.  Three  kinds  of 
people  are  spoken  of,  the  faithful  part, 
the  unfaithful  part,  the  heathen  people 
on  the  outside.  In  1  Cor.  3  :  16  the 
people  of  Christ  are  spoken  of  as  a 
temple  of  the  Lord,  dedicated  to  his 
service.  It  is  given  unto  the  Gen- 
tilesy  rather,  hath  been  given.  The 
Gentiles,  rather,  nations,  were  regarded 
as  spiritually  unclean,  so  that  they 
were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  temple 
or  its  most  sacred  courts.  Paul  was 
charged  with  introducing  a  Gentile 
into  the  sacred  enclosure,  entrance  into 
which,  in  an  unlawful  way,  was  pun- 
ishable with  death  (Acts  2i :  29),  In  the 
vision  the  Gentiles  are  permitted  in 
judgment  to  have  free  entrance  into 
all  the  temple  courts.  The  nations, 
those  outside  the  sacred  enclosure, 
are  alluded  to  in  the  after  parts 
of  the  book.  In  20  :  8  we  see  them 
arrayed  against  the  people  of  God. 
The  unspiritual  part  of  the  church, 
the  outer  court,  is  dominated,  trodden 
under  foot  by  the  worldly  heathen 
power ;  thereby  we  have  a  body  that  is 
seemingly,  in  an  outward  way,  a 
church.  This  church  is  composed  of 
the  unspiritual  element,  controlled  by 
an  ungodly  power,  having  over  it  the 
name  of  Christ,  but  not  having  his  life 
within.  This  organization,  in  the  after 
part  of  this  book,  is  spoken  of  under 
the  term  of  the  unclean  woman,  a 
spiritual  Babylon  (i7:4, 5).  The  holy 
city  does  not  refer  to  any  literal  Jeru- 
salem, as  that  it  should  be  trodden  under 
foot  by  hostile  armies.  The  allusion  is 
to  Jerusalem,  but  in  a  metaphorical 
sense.  The  city  stood  as  a  symbol  of 
God'B   dwelling-place   on    the   earth; 


glorious  things  were  spoken  of  Zion 
(Ps.  87  :  3),  In  time,  the  city  became 
the  home  of  a  large  ungodly  element. 
This  was  the  case  in  the  days  of  Jesus 
and  John.  Here  it  stands  as  the  type  of 
tlie  professing  church  of  Christ,  a  holy 
Jerusalem  that  had  become,  to  a  large 
degree,  unholy.  Temple,  altar,  court, 
city  are  all  used  in  a  figurative  sense. 
The  temple  and  the  altar  represent 
God's  spii-itual  church  on  the  earth; 
the  court,  the  unspiritual  element  in 
the  professing  body  of  Christ;  the 
Gentiles,  the  outer  unspiritual  world. 
God  will  preserve  his  own ;  he  will  re- 
ject the  unworthy  and  unclean.  We 
have  already  had  allusions  to  the  in- 
troduction and  growth  of  the  unchris- 
tian element  in  the  churches  of  Christ. 
We  find  them  in  the  letters  to  the 
churches  (2  :  *.  9,  u,  20 ;  3  : 2, 15).  _  The 
heathen  worldly  power  shall  dominate 
and  control  the  unspiritual  church. 
The  time  is  spoken  of  as  forty  and 
two  months.  This  expression  is 
used  five  times  in  this  book.  In  11 :  2 ; 
13 : 5  we  have  the  expression  "forty  and 
two  months";  in  11  :  3  and  12  :  6  we 
have  the  same  time  expressed  in  terms 
of  days,  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days ;  the  same  period  is  expressed  in 
terms  of  years  in  12  :  14,  time  and 
times  and  half  a  time.  These  terms 
cannot  be  taken  in  a  literal  sense. 
Like  all  the  other  terms  employed,  this 
period  of  time  must  be  taken  in  a 
figurative  sense.  (See  note  at  the  end 
of  this  chapter.)  It  is  a  symbol  of 
incompleteness,  of  persecution,  sorrow, 
tribulation,  when  God's  cause  is  seem- 
ingly prostrate.  It  is  well  to  get  in 
mind  farmly  the  method  of  interpreta- 
tion to  be  adopted  here,  whether  literal 
or  figurative.  It  is  assumed  by  some 
writers,  Cowles  and  others,  that  the 
temple  is  standing  at  the  time  of  these 
visions,  and  this  passage  is  taken  as  a 
proof  that  the  book  was  written  prior 
to  the  destruction  of  the  temple  in  A.  D. 
70.  But  it  would  seem  that  the  allu- 
sion here  is  not  to  any  actually  existing 
temple,  but  to  the  ideal  temple  in  the 


244 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


3     And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two  |    3  months.    And  I  will  give  to  my  two 


heavens,  of  which  the  taberuacle  was 
the  earthly  reproduction.  The  meas- 
uring of  tlie  worshiper  must  be  under- 
stood in  a  figurative  way.  In  this 
vision,  in  ver.  8,  the  seer  expressly  de- 
clares that  the  term,  Jerusalem,  is  not 
to  be  taken  in  a  literal  sense.  He 
guards  us  against  taking  the  word  in  a 
boldly  literal  way.  John  intends  to 
assert  that  the  real  Israel  of  God,  faith- 
ful in  life,  represented  by  the  temple 
and  altar,  will  be  preserved  by  God, 
having  upon  it  God's  abiding  love  and 
protection.  But  the  outer  court  shall 
be  cast  aside  as  if  excommunicated 
from  God's  blessing ;  it  shall  be  as  if 
trampled  under  foot  by  heathen  people. 
By  this  tei-m,  court,  he  designates  the 
unchristian  element  in  the  outwardly 
professing  church,  a  degenerate  and 
corrupt  church,  having  the  name  of 
Christ,  but  not  his  life  and  power. 
No  definite  period  of  time  is  indicated 
by  the  three  and  a  half  years  in  its 
threefold  form.  It  also  is  a  symbol 
of  the  time  during  which  evil  shall 
have  great  power,  and  the  people  of 
Christ    shall    sufier   tribulation  (John 

16  :  83). 

The  two  witnesses  are  now  intro- 
duced. We  approach  another  vision 
that  has  caused  much  difficulty  to 
interpreters.  We  shall  find  many 
difficulties  vanishing  if  we  hold  fast 
to  the  principle  that  we  are  moving 
among  symbolic  representations,  not 
among  actual  historical  statements. 
In  10  :  11  it  had  been  stated  that  a 
witnessing  should  take  place  among 
all  nations  and  peoples.  Here  we 
have  presented  the  witnessing  itself 
in  its  method,  the  opposition  met  with, 
its  eflfectiveness,  its  seeming  temporary 
defeat,  its  approval  by  God,  and  its 
triumph  shown  in  a  most  striking 
way.  The  function  of  the  church  is  to 
be  that  of  witnessing ;  it  is  only  in  this 
way  that  God  can  secure  his  rightful 
sway  among  men.  God  will  always 
have  a  faithful  people  in  the  world, 
even  if  ungodliness  abounds  and  the 
love  of  many  waxes  cold.  Sometimes 
he  has  more  people  on  his  side  than 
even  the  faithful  estimate  (i  Kings  is :  i9). 
Five  distinct  divisions  are  marked  out 
in  the  treatment  of  this  topic :  their 
testimony   (ver.  3-6) ;    their  death    (ver. 


'-10);  their  resurrection  (ver.  ii);  their 
ascension  (ver.  12);  and  the  effect  on 
the  beholders  (ver.  is,  u). 

3.  I  will  give...  tAvo  witnesses, 
rather,  /  will  give  iinto  viy  two  wit- 
nesses. It  is  the  heavenly  voice  still 
speaking,  the  strong  angel  most  likely, 
representing  Jesus  Christ.  It  can 
scarcely  be  Christ  himself,  for  in  ver. 
8  the  voice  says,  their  Lord,  alluding 
to  Christ.  The  witnesses  are  in  reality 
Christ's,  just  as  the  church  belongs  to 
ChrLst  (Matt.  16  :  18).  Christ  is  the 
founder  of  the  church,  he  is  its  head 
and  ruler,  he  owns  its  ordinances,  he 
constantly  supplies  strength  to  his 
people  for  witnessing.  The  source  of 
authority  and  power  for  the  church  is 
Christ.  He  alone  can  give  life,  can 
direct  the  course  of  the  church,  can 
define  its  nature,  can  give  support  to  it 
in  trial.  Two  ivitnesses.  Are  we  to 
understand  two  literal  witnesses,  or  are 
they  to  be  understood  in  a  symbolic 
sense  ?  We  are  not  to  understand  any 
two  literal  witnesses,  such  as  Enoch 
and  Elijah,  or  Moses  and  Elijah,  or 
Zerubbabel  and  Joshua,  or  any  two 
who  are  yet  to  arise  in  whom,  as  in 
representatives,  the  power  of  the  church 
shall  be  concentrated.  As  these  terms 
must  be  construed  in  a  figurative  way, 
so  must  tlie  two  Avitnesses  themselves 
be  regarded  as  figurative  expressions. 
The  seer  may  have  in  mind  two 
historical  persons  who  witnessed  cour- 
ageously for  God,  but  he  passes  straight- 
way into  figurative  expressions  regard- 
ing two  witnesses  as  the  number  essen- 
tial for  Old  Testament  witnessing  (Deut. 
1' :  6).  The  two  witnesses  are  the  faith- 
ful witnessing  church  which,  in  times 
dark  and  bright,  stands  fast  in  its 
allegiance  to  God.  They  are  the  faith- 
ful remnant  within  the  professing 
church,  that  flock  which,  though  small 
in  number,  listens  to  the  voice  of  the 
shepherd  (John  lo  :  «).  The  two  wit- 
nesses represent,  therefore,  all  the 
faithful  human  Avitnesses  for  and  in 
behalf  of  Christ.  Similarly  Saa'ETE: 
"The  Avitnesses  represent  the  church 
in  her  function  of  Avitness-bearing  (Act. 
1:8)  and  her  testimony  is  symbolized 
by  two  witnesses  partly  in  reference 
to  the  well  known  Taw  of  Deut.  19  ;  15. 
.   .  The  witness  of  the  church,  borne 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


245 


witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  J  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days,  clothed  in  sackcloth. 

These  are  the  •=  two  olive  trees,  and 
the  two  candlesticks  standing  before 
'  the  God  of  the  earth. 


witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a 
thousand  two  hundred  aud  sixty  days, 
clothed  in  sackcloth. 

These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and 
the  two  lampstands,  which  stand  be- 


j  12  :  6. 


k  1  :  20:  Zech.  4  :  2,  3,  11-U. 


I  Isa.  54  :  i. 


by  her  martyrs  and  confessors,  her 
saints  and  doctors,  and  by  the  words 
and  lives  of  all  in  whom  Christ  lives 
and  speaks,  is  one  continued  prophecy 
(comp.  19  :  10)  lasting  throughout  the 
twelve  hundred  aud  sixty  days  of 
heathendom."  Prophesy.  This 
means  speaking  in  behalf  of  God,  the 
unfolding  of  his  will  for  instruction, 
for  warning  men.  It  is  something 
vastly  larger  than  prediction,  though 
this  is  one  province  of  prophesying. 
In  the  New  Testament  times  prophesy- 
ing formed  an  essential  part  of  the 
spiritual  and  church  life  (i  Thess.  5  :  20). 
Sackcloth.  The  prophets  were 
clothed  with  a  rough  cloth  of  camel's 
hair,  typifying  the  rough  work  they 
were  called  upon  to  do,  the  sufferings 
which  the  witnesses  were  called  upon  to 
endure  in  delivering  the  message,  ex- 
pressing also  the  self-denying  life  of 

the  prophets.  (compare  Elijah  and  John  the 
Baptist,    2    Kingi    1:8;    Matt.  3:4.)      It    is    a 

figurative  term  to  express  the  attitude 
and  spirit  of  the  church.  The  sack- 
cloth does  not  indicate  that  the  church 
is  to  live  a  hermit  or  retired  life,  apart 
from  men,  but  it  is  to  be  separate  from 
the  world,  that  it  may  the  more  effect- 
ively bear  witness  to  it.  One  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  threescore 
days.  This  is  equivalent  to  the  forty- 
two  months  of  ver.  2.  Why  it  is  put 
in  a  different  form  we  may  not  know. 
It  may  be  that  the  change  here  to  days 
is  to  indicate  in  an  emphatic  way  that 
the  prophesying  will  take  place  daily, 
continuously.  Here  again  is  a  broken 
period  equal  to  three  and  a  half 
years,  the  half  of  a  complete  period. 
The  witnessing  in  sorrow  and  in 
troubled  times  is  only  for  an  incom- 

flete  period,  it  will  come  to  an  end. 
t  is  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  this 
period  corresponds  precisely  with  the 
forty-two  mouths  in  limits  of  time.  It 
corresponds  precisely  with  the  limit 
assigned  to  Elijah's  power  in  shutting 
up  the  heavens  in  Ahab's  reign  (Luke 
*  :  »B),     His  faithful  and  personal  wit- 


nessing may  be  one  of  the  historical 
facts  that  lies  at  the  basis  of  the  im- 
agery here.  Seven  is  the  number  of 
the  covenant  indicating  perfection, 
completeness,  peace,  and  joy.  The 
half  of  the  seven  indicates  a  time  of 
sorrow,  of  incompleteness,  when  the 
promises  do  not  come  to  a  fulfilment ; 
when  tribulation  and  persecution  may 
arise. 

4.  The  witnesses  are  figuratively 
described  as  olive  trees  and  can- 
dlesticks, rather,  lampstands.  The 
seer  reverts  to  Zechariah  for  his  figure 
(chap.  4).  In  the  prophecy  was  a 
golden  candlestick  with  seven  lamps, 
two  olive  trees  constantly  supplying 
the  lamps  with  oil.  In  this  place  we 
have  two  candlesticks,  varying  thus 
incidentally  from  the  Old  Testament 
vision.  In  Zechariah  the  two  olive 
trees  were  perhaps  two  literal  wit- 
nesses, Zerubbabel  aud  Joshua,  or 
Zechariah  and  Haggai.  The  meaning 
here  is  evident.  The  witnesses  are  givers 
of  light ;  they  scatter  light  everywhere 
through  their  teaching.  They  reveal 
God's  will,  man's  duty,  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, the  penalty  of  sin,  tlie  ultimate 
triumph  of  God's  cause.  The  witness- 
ing is  not  a  simple  human  witnessing ; 
the  witnesses  are  constantly  supported 
by  divine  grace  and  help.  The  prophet 
said :  "  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power, 
but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord"  (zech. 
*  :  6).  Jesus  him.self  is  the  true  and 
faithful  witness  (i  :  5).  These  repre- 
sent the  teaching  borne  by  Christ's 
people  in  all  ages  everywhere.  They 
witness  by  teachings  begotten  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  God  of  the  earth, 
rather,  Lord.  Their  position  before 
the  universal  Lord  indicates  the  world- 
wide witnessing,  and  also  their  ap- 
proval by  God.  Whether  men  will 
hear  or  forbear,  they  stand  accepted 
by  their  Lord,  they  are  his  witnesses 
to  men.  There  will  be  a  constant 
readiness  on  their  part  to  do  their 
Lord's  will,  their  words  are  not  their 

own  (Malt.  10  :  20). 


246 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XL 


5  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  ">  fire 
proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and  de- 
voureth  their  enemies :  "  aud  if  any 
man  will  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this 

6  manner  be  killed.  These  » have  power 
to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy :  and  p  have 
power  over  waters  to  turn  them  to 
blood,  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  all 
plagues,  as  often  as  they  will. 


5  fore  the  Lord  of  the  earth.  And  if  any 
one  wishes  to  hurt  them,  fire  goes  forth 
out  of  their  mouth,  and  devours  their 
enemies ;  and  if  any  one  shall  wish  to 
hurt  them  he  must  in  this  manner  be 

6  killed.  These  have  authority  to  shut 
heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of 
their  prophecy ;  and  have  authority 
over  the  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood, 
aud  to  smite  the  earth  with  every 
plague,  as  often  as  they  may  wish. 


m  2  Kings  1  :  10,  12  ;  Jer.  5  :  14 ;  Ezek.  43  :  3  ;  Hosca  6  :  5. 
n  Num.  16  :  29,  35 ;  Ps.  105  :  15 ;  Isa.  27  :  3 ;  Zech.  2:8.  o  1  Kings  17:1.  p  Exod.  7  : 


_  5.  In  this  verse  we  have  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  power  dwelling  in  the  wit- 
nessing church.  The  incidents  men- 
tioned are  taken  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophets.  If  any  man  will 
hurt,  rather,  desireth  to  hurt.  There 
has  been,  in  all  the  ages,  a  mind  on  the 
part  of  the  ungodly  to  suppress  the 
faithful  teaching  and  testimony.  Some- 
times there  has  been  simply  the  averted 
ear;  sometimes,  as  in  Stephen's  case, 
the  violent  death ;  sometimes  the  In- 
quisition, as  in  Holland  and  Spain ; 
sometimes  persecution,  as  in  the  daj's 
of  Rome,  and  in  recent  times  in  Mada- 
gascar and  Armenia  ;  sometimes  ban- 
ishment and  ostracism.  Fire.  The 
allusion  liere  is  to  2  Kings  1  :  10,  12, 
where  fire  devoured  the  enemies  of 
Elijah.  The  term,  fire,  here  cannot 
be  taken  in  a  literal  sense,  but  rather 
with  the  meaning  of  the  words  of  Je- 
hovah to  Jeremiah :  "  I  will  make  thee 
fire  and  the  people  wood"  (Jer.  5  :  u). 
In  the  portrait  of  Jesus,  in  the  vision 
1  :  16,  a  sharp,  two-edged  sword  pro- 
ceeds out  of  his  mouth,  signifying  that 
his  words  would  be  like  swords  cutting 
down  all  enemies.  In  like  manner 
God  would  defend  his  witnessing 
church,  making  it  effective,  breaking 
down  opposition.  Killed.  In  Dan. 
3  :  22  we  have  perhaps  a  foundation 
for  this  imagery,  the  fire  from  the 
furnace  devouring  the  ungodly  men. 
There  is  affirmed  here  the  principle  of 
retribution  :  in  what  manner  the  wit- 
nesses are  treated,  in  like  manner  the 
enemies  of  Christ  will  be  treated.  This 
will  not  be  literally  true  at  any  par- 
ticular time  in  the  history  of  the  church; 
it  will  be  true  as  a  general  principle 
to  be  made  manifest  in  due  time.  The 
element  of  time  must  always  be  taken 
into  consideration  when  we  regard  the 
promises  and  threatenings  of  God.  The 


present  tense  of  the  verb  is  used  as  in- 
dicating that  which  is  a  settled  prin- 
ciple, even  though  the  event  be  far  in 
the  future.  Underneath  the  imagery 
of  fire  and  killing  is  contained  the 
thought  that  God  will  make  the  church 
effective,  will  defend  it,  will  cause  the 
witnessing  of  the  church  to  break 
down  all  opposition.  He  will  defend 
it  as  though  he  made  use  of  actual  fire 
and  the  destiniction  of  life. 

6.  This  verse  further  describes  the 
power  of  the  witnessing  church.  Shut 
heaven.  Elijah's  prayer  closed  the 
skies  that  it  rained  not  for  three 
and  a  half  years  (i  Kings  n  :  i ;  jamei 
5  :  17).  It  is  taught  here  in  a  general 
way,  from  this  one  historical  illustra- 
tion, that  God's  praying  people  will 
have  power  through  their  prayers. 
God  will  turn  and  overturn  in  answer 
to  prayers  of  his  suppliant  children. 
Blood.  The  seer  has  in  mind  the 
plagues  in  Egypt  when  Moses  turned 
the  waters  into  blood.  This  miracle 
was  designed  to  give  a  larger  confidence 
to  Moses,  to  show  the  Israelites  the 
leadership  of  Moses,  to  convince  and 
persuade  Pharaoh  to  permit  the  Is- 
raelites to  depart.  Under  Old  Testa- 
ment figures  Jesus  promised  to  his 
faithful  church  that  he  will  effect 
deliverance  for  his  people  as  in  the 
olden  times.  Jehovah,  who  cared  for 
Moses  and  Elijah  and  Daniel,  is  the 
same  unchanging  God,  now  manifest 
in  Christ.  God  works  through  his 
providences,  making  unjust  wars,  pes- 
tilences, civil  convulsions  work  out 
his  righteous  ends.  He  can  make  even 
persecutions  the  means  of  widening 
his  kingdom.  The  persecution  in  Je- 
rusalem scattered  the  messengers  of 
Christ  everywhere.  What  was  meant 
to  kill  the  kingdom  was  the  means  of 
widening  it   (Acts  ii  :  is).     God   works 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


247 


7  And  when  they  i  shall  have  finished 
their  testimony,  ■'the  beast  Ihatasceud- 
eth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  "shall 
make  war  against  them,  and  shall  over- 

8  come  them,  and  kill  them.    And  their 


7  And  when  they  shall  have  finished 
their  testimony,  the  beast  that  comes 
up  out  of  the  abyss  will  make  war  with 
them,  and  will  overcome  them,  and 

8  will  kill  them.    And  their  carcase  is 


q  Luke  13  :  32  ;  Acts  20  :  U. 


13  :  1,  11 ;  17:  8. 


<  Dan.  T  :  21. 


now  more  through  orderly  laws  than 
through  miracles,  but  he  can  and  does 
manifest  his  care  for  his  church.  The 
Spanish  Armada  in  1588  would,  if  suc- 
cessful, have  crushed  out  Protestantism 
in  England.  The  people  of  God  set 
apart  a  day  for  prayer.  A  mighty 
storm  struck  the  fleet  and  scattered  it, 
and  thereby  saved  the  cause  of  truth 
in  England.  At  many  critical  eras  in 
history  the  attentive  reader  may  see 
where,  seemingly,  God  has  interposed, 
through  natural  laws,  and  saved  the 
truth  that  it  perished  not  from  the 
earth.  Unlimited  power  seems  to  be 
given  to  the  church,  as  often  as  they 
will.  The  promise  is  no  more  un- 
limited than  that  of  Jesus  concerning 
prayer  (John  14  :  14,  15). 

7.  We  have  here  the  second  stage  in 
the  history  of  the  two  witnesses,  their 
death.  Shall  have  finished.  Jesus 
finished  his  work  (Jobn  17 :  4).  In  like 
manner  the  church  will  finish  its  tes- 
timony. The  same  word  for  finish  is 
used  in  2  Tim.  4 :  7  to  describe  the  con- 
clusion of  Paul's  testimony  by  a  vio- 
lent death.  The  entire  period  of  three 
and  a  half  years  is  occupied  with  bear- 
ing testimony.  All  the  time  some  of 
the  witnesses  are  completing  their  tes- 
timony, but  the  church,  as  a  whole, 
continues  to  witness.  Over  against  tlie 
reigning  Christ  and  the  two  witnesses 
is  the  beast  here  mentioned  for  the 
first  time.  The  term  signifies  a  wild 
beast,  animal,  ferocious  in  its  nature. 
It  has  not  been  spoken  of  in  this  book 
previously,  but  the  term  would  be 
familiar  to  all  readers  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. (See  Daniel.)  It  is  used  here 
by  anticipation,  the  first  appearance  of 
the  beast  is  in  13  :  1.  It  appears  as  a 
large  feature  of  this  book  in  chap.  XIII 
and  XVII.  It  represents  the  material 
and  visible  worldly  element  tliat  stands 
constituted  and  arrayed  against  the 
spiritual  and  invisible  forces  of  Chris- 
tianity. He  rises  from  the  pit,  the 
abyss.  We  have  here  a  sight  of  the 
unseen  but  real  Satanic  world  op- 
posed, in  its  essence,  to  the  spiritual 


kingdom  and  work  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Jesus  appears  in  the  heavens;  that 
which  opposes  his  work  naturally  ap- 
pears, in  symbol,  from  an  abyss.  In 
pi-evious  places  in  this  book  we  have 
had  the  open  attacks  of  Satan  (2  :  10). 
Jesus  has  risen  from  the  dead  and 
ascended  to  a  glorified  life ;  Satan,  as 
if  by  way  of  utter  contrast  to  Christ, 
has  ascended  from  ,  the  abyss.  This 
word  abyss  means  the  pit  of  darkness, 
whence  Satan  and  his  host  come  {^  '■  ^). 
Three  statements  are  made  concerning 
him :  he  makes  war  upon  the  two  wit- 
nesses, he  overcomes  them,  he  kills 
them.  Shall  make  war.  (comp. 
Dan.  7:21.)  OA'ercome.  Persecution, 
violence,  social  ostracism,  may  hush 
the  voice  of  the  church.  Isaiah  may 
be  sawn  asunder;  Stephen  may  be 
martyred ;  James  may  be  beheaded ; 
the  witnesses  maybe  silenced,  so  that 
the  true  Christianity  upon  the  earth 
may  be  found  only  in  scattered  places, 
and  hidden  from  men.  Kill.  The 
church,  in  its  outward  expression  and 
activities,  may  be  so  completely  sup- 
pressed as  to  be  seemingly  almost  ex- 
tinct. There  have  been  such  times  in 
the  past.  Blackstone  relates  that  early 
in  the  reign  of  George  III  he  went 
from  church  to  church  in  London  to 
hear  every  clergyman  of  note,  and  did 
not  hear  a  single  discourse  which  had 
more  of  Christianity  in  it  than  the 
writings  of  Cicero,  and  that  it  would 
be  impossible  for  him  to  discover  from 
what  he  heard  whether  the  preacher 
was  a  follower  of  Confucius  or  Mo- 
hammed or  Christ.  Jesus  spoke  of  a 
decaying  piety  (Matt.  24  :  12)  and  of  per- 
secutions (John  16: 33).  A  Clirist  who 
could  not  remain  dead  will  not  permit 
his  church,  represented  by  these  wit- 
nesses, to  remain  permanently  in  a 
seemingly  dead  condition. 

8.  This  verse  strengthens  the  impres- 
sion made  in  ver.  7  ;  not  only  are  they 
dead,  but  there  is  great  rejoicing  over 
their  death.  It  seems  as  though  the 
cause  of  Christ  were  utterly  doomed 
and  dead.    When  Jesus  died  it  must 


248 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of '  the 
great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt,  "where  also  our 
Lord  was  crucified. 
9  'And  they  of  the  people  and  kin- 
dreds and  tongues  and  nations  shall 
see  their  dead  lx)dies  y  three  days  and 
an  half,  »and  shall  not  suffer  their 
10  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in  graves.  « And 
they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall 
rejoice  over  them,  and  make  merry, 
band  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another; 
"  because  these  two  prophets  tormented 
them  that  dwelt  on  the  earth. 


on  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which 
spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt, 
where  their  Lord  also  was  crucified. 
9  And  some  out  of  the  peoples,  and 
tribes,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  look 
on  their  carcase  three  days  and  a  half, 
and  suffer  not  their  carcases  to  be  put 
10  into  a  tomb.  And  they  who  dwell  on 
the  earth  rejoice  over  them,  and  make 
merry  ;  and  they  will  send  gifts  to  one 
another,  because  these  two  prophets 
tormented   those   who  dwell   on  the 


«  14:8;  17  :  5;  18  :  10;  Isa.  1  :  10. 
a  John  16  :  20. 


K  18  :  24.  X  17  : 

b  Esther  9  :  19,  22. 


»  Ver.  2,  3,  11. 
e  Ver.  5,  6 ;  16  :  10. 


z  Ps.  79  :  2,  3. 


have  seemed  to  the  opposing  Jews  as 
though  any  possible  Christianity  were 
crucified  with  him  ;  men  rejoiced  over 
a  dead  Jesus.  All  possible  dishonor  is 
heaped  upon  them  when  dead.  No 
greater  indignity  could  be  shown  than 
to  ill  treat  a  dead  body.  In  the 
street.  The  bodies  lie  exposed  in  the 
broad,  open  space,  where  all  may  see 
them.  No  indignity  is  too  great  to  be 
heaped  upon  them.  It  is  a  street  of 
the  great  city.  Is  this  the  same  as 
the  holy  city  of  ver.  2?  Alford  con- 
tends that  it  is  not ;  many  suppose  the 
reference  to  be  to  Rome  or  Babylon. 
It  is  evident,  on  a  full  consideration, 
that  the  great  city  and  the  holy  city 
refer  to  the  same  place  under  differing 
aspects.  That  it  is  Jerusalem  that  is 
referred  to  is  evident  from  the  expres- 
sion where  also  their  Lord  was 
crncified.  Jerusalem  is  called  Gomor- 
rah in  Isa.  1 :  10 ;  it  is  likened  to  Sodom 
in  Ezek.  16  :  46.  God  had  spoken  of 
Jerusalem  as  the  place  of  his  abode, 
his  rest  (ps.  132  :  13,  u).  But  as  a  de- 
generate city,  standing  for  a  degen- 
erate people  and  a  degenerate  church, 
it  is  a  Sodom  and  Egypt.  The  literal 
Jerusalem  was  licentious  (Hosea  4  :  u). 
Both  the  literal  .Jerusalem  and  the  de- 
generate church  persecuted  the  work 
of  Christ,  it  is  therefore  fittingly  called 
an  Egypt.  The  great  city  is  not,  there- 
fore, any  term  for  the  disciples  of 
Christ,  nor  for  the  heathen  nations, 
but  for  the  nominal  church  of  Christ 
now  alienated  from  true  devotion  to 
Jesus.  Both  Sodom  and  Egypt  were 
sinful,  incurring  great  guilt  and  bring- 
ing doom  upon  themselves.  It  repre- 
sents, therefore,  the  professing  church 
submitting  to  the  world  and  in  alliance 


with  it.    The  fine   gold  had  become 

dross    (Ezek.  22  :  18). 

9.  This  verse  continues  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  wretched  state  of  the  dead 
witnesses.  A  fourfold  designation  of 
the  people  of  the  world  follows.  Peo- 
ple, rather,  peoples,  kindreds,  rather, 
tribes,  tongues  and  nations.  See, 
rather,  look  tipon.  Three  days  and 
an  half.  Elliot  takes  this  literally, 
making  it  refer  to  the  three  and  a 
half  years  intervening  between  the 
ninth  session  of  the  Lateran  Council 
and  the  nailing  up  of  the  ninety-five 
theses  upon  the  doors  of  the  Witten- 
burg  church  by  Luther,  Oct.  31,  1517. 
There  is  no  foundation  for  the  theory 
that  a  day  stands  for  a  year,  nor  in 
tliis  symbolical  book  do  we  look  for 
actual  dates  and  periods.  For  a  broken 
period  of  time,  the  half  of  seven,  a 
time  of  trouble,  the  church  seems  to 
be  dead  and  to  have  no  friends  at  death 
or  in  death.  Graves,  rather,  tombs. 
An  unburied  body  among  all  ancient 
peoples  would  be  a  sight  horrible  to 
look  upon.  The  seer  represents  Chri.st's 
cause  on  the  earth  as,  to  outward  eyes, 
dead,  gazed  upon  as  a  hated  thing,  and 
not  suffered  to  be  buried. 

10,  The  unseemly  treatment  of  the 
crushed  church  continues.  Dwell 
upon  the  earth.  This  refers,  not  to 
all  the  inhabitants  on  the  earth,  but  as 
elsewhere  to  earthly  minded  men.  A 
dead  church,  an  absent  Christ,  a  seem- 
ingly forgetftil  God,  are  an  occasion  of 
rejoicing  to  the  world.  It  ha.s  a  kind 
of  feast  as  a  counterpart  to  the  holy 
feasts  of  the  church  when  fhey  sent 
tokens  of  love  to  each  other  (N<;t>  8  :  lo ; 
Esther  9: 22).  Tormented.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  the  plagues  spoken  of  in  ver. 


Ch.  XL] 


REVELATION 


249 


11  And  after  three  days  and  an  half  *  the 
Spirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into 
them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet ; 
and  great  fear  fell  upfjn  them  which 

12  saw  them.  And  they  heard  a  great 
voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  them, 
Come  up  hither.  «Aud  they  ascended 
up  to  heaven  fin  a  cloud  ;  and  their 
enemies  beheld  them. 

13  And  the  same  hour  e  was  there  a  great 
earthquake,  i"  and  the  tenth  part  of  the 
city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were 
slain  of  men  seven  thousand  :  and  the 


11  earth.  And  after  the  three  days  and  a 
half,  the  breath  of  life  from  God  en- 
tered into  tliem,  and  they  stood  on 
their  feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  on  those 

12  who  beheld  them.  And  they  heard  a 
great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying  to 
them,  Come  up  hither.  And  they  went 
up  into  heaven  in  the  cloud,  and  their 

13  enemies  beheld  them.  And  in  that 
hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake, 
and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell ;  and 
in  the  earthquake  were  killed  of  men 
seven  thousand  names ;  and  the  rest 


d  Ezek.  ST  :  5-14. 


/  Acts  1  :  9. 


g  6:12. 


A  16  :  19. 


8.  The  church  true  to  Christ  is  re- 
garded as  a  source  of  blessing  to  the 
penitent,  but  a  torment  to  those  fixed 
in  wickedness.  It  was  so  in  Ephesus 
(Acu  19 :  25-29);  it  was  30  in  Thcssalonica 
(acu  17  :  6).  Jesus  himself  created  con- 
fusion because  he  bore  witness  to  tlie 
truth  (Matt  8  :  29).  The  church  must 
always  witness  for  God  in  behalf  of 
righteousness ;  it  causes  trouble  because 
it  holds  up  the  perfect  standard  of  God. 
If  the  church  were  dead  there  would 
be  nothing  in  the  world  to  protest 
against  wrong-doing  and  condemn,  in 
God's  behalf,  the  sinfulness  of  the 
world.  It  is  better  to  be  tonnented 
now  and,  as  a  result,  abandon  sin,  than 
to  continue  in  sin  and  be  tormented 
forever  (Laiie  is  :  24).  The  world  always 
rejoices  over  a  church  that  ceases  to 
torment  it,  over  a  church  that  comes 
down  to  its  level. 

11.  The  third  stage  is  portrayed  in 
this  verse,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
witnesses.  Here,  in  a  highly  symbolic 
way,  the  seer  describes  God's  thoughts 
concerning  his  church  and  the  final 
outcome.  The  cause  of  Christ  on  the 
earth  will  not  be  permitted  to  die  out, 
even  if  its  life  be  at  a  low  ebb.  It  is 
just  as  if  a  resurrection  should  come 
to  the  two  dead  witnesses.  The  slum- 
bering, persecuted  church  took  a  new 
life.  The  spirit  of  life,  rather,  (he 
breath  of  life,  came  into  them ;  they 
stood  upon  their  feet.  The  seer  has  in 
mind  the  symbolic  resurrection  in  the 
valley  of  dry  bones  (Ezeit.  37),  the  pic- 
ture of  the  resuscitation  of  the  national 
life.  A  reformation,  a  revival,  came  to 
them  so  that  now  again  the  church  has 
a  visible  life  in  the  sight  of  men.  The 
beholders  are  struck  with  terror.  God's 
cause  is  not  really  dead.  The  dead 
Christ  and  the  dead  church  come  out 


of  their  death  to  new  power.  The 
world's  triumph  speedily  ended,  and 
the  final  and  perpetual  triumph  of  the 
witnesses  begins. 

12.  Heaven  is  on  the  side  of  the 
witnesses.  The  voice  is  perhaps  that 
of  the  strong  angel  of  10  :  1.  Jesus 
went  up  into  the  heavens  in  a  cloud. 
The  ascension  was  the  sign  of  his  ap- 
proval by  God,  and  the  assurance  of  his 
elevation  to  a  place  of  greater  power. 
In  a  symbolic  way  the  witnesses  ascend 
in  a' cloud,  rather,  in  the  cloud. 
Jesus  is  on  the  side  of  the  church, 
gives  it  renewed  power,  and  glorifies  it 
as  if  it  were  publicly  taken  up  into 
the  skies,  there  to  share  in  the  glory 
of  the  ascended  Redeemer.  All  this 
is  symbolic,  not  literal.  Nothing  like 
this  has  ever  occurred  on  the  earth, 
nor  will  take  place  in  a  literal  way. 
But  it  has  taken  place  again  and  again 
in  a  thoroughly  real  way.  When  the 
church  seemed  to  be  almost  entirely 
dead,  when  all  the  forces  of  the  world 
were  arraved  against  it,  then  Jesus  has 
given  to  it,  as  it  were,  a  resurrection 
to  a  life  of  power,  and  has  glorified  it 
in  the  sight  of  its  enemies. 

13.  Here  we  have  the  effect  of  all 
these  movements  upon  the  world. 
When  God  blessed  his  witnesses,  a 
judgment  fell  upon  the  ungodly  world. 
The  earthquake  is  always  the  symbol 
of  judgment.  It  is  here  a  judgment 
restrained  by  mercy  ;  the  tenth  part  of 
the  city  fell,  not  the  entire  city.  Of 
men  seven  thoasand,  literally, 
seven  thousand  names  of  men,  perished. 
No  literal  earthquake  anywhere,  no 
literal  killing  of  men  is  meant.  It  is 
as  though  an  earthquake  destroyed 
men — men  who  were  in  revolt  against 
God.  It  may  be  that  the  historic  Jeru- 
salem contained  seventy  thousand  peo- 


250 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


remnant  were   affrighted,  »and  gave 
glory  to  the  God  of  heaven. 

The  seven  trumpets — Sounding  of  the  seventh 

trumpet,  or  third  woe ;  song  of 

praise  to  God. 

14  *THE  second  woe  is  past;  and,  be- 
hold, the  third  woe  cometh  quickly. 

15  And  1  the   seventh    angel    sounded ; 
"■  and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven. 


became  afraid,  and  gave  glory  to  the 
God  of  heaven. 


14  The  second  woe  is  past ;  behold,  the 
third  woe  comes  quiclily. 

15  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded  ;  and 
there  followed  great  voices  in  heaven. 


t  U:  7;  15  :4;  Josh.  7:  19. 


t  8  :  13;  9  :  12;  15  : 
19:6;  Isa.  27  :  13. 


i  8  :  2-6  ;  10  : 


pie ;  if  so,  then  one-tenth  of  the  popu- 
lation perished.  All  that  is  meant 
here  is  that  God,  in  some  way,  sent  his 
righteous  judgments  upon  the  world  of 
the  ungodly,  so  tliat  it  is  manifest  that 
the  church  was  his,  and  that  the  world 
was  against  him,  and  that  he  was 
against  the  world  (Mai.  3 :  18).  God  can 
make  a  judgment  day  in  this  world. 
Remuant  were  affrighted  and 
gave  glory.  The  allusion  is  not  here 
to  the  Jews  as  such,  nor  to  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Jews  or  others,  nor  to  the 
conversion  of  the  degenerate  church. 
They  glorified  God  only  as  they  saw 
his  righteous  character,  his  power,  his 
judgments.  There  is  no  recorded  re- 
pentance, no  recorded  conversion.  The 
scene  is  like  that  in  9  :  20,  where  were 
great  judgments  on  the  wicked,  but  no 
moral  change  wrought  in  them.  It  is 
acknowledged  that  God  has  triumphed. 
God  of  heaven.  In  this  way  God 
is  spoken  of  in  the  later  Old  Testament 

books  (Ezra  1:2;   Neh.  1  :  i),      TllCre   WCre 

no  two  literal  witnesses  who  had  mi- 
raculous power,  who  died  and  were  re- 
fused burial ;  there  was  no  literal  resur- 
rection and  ascension  to  heaven  ;  there 
was  no  literal  earthquake  whereby  any 
part  of  any  city  was  destroyed.  It  is 
all  symbolic  in  its  nature,  capable  of 
natural  interpretation  as  the  picture  of 
a  witnessing  church,  depressed  by  per- 
secution, into  which  new  life  came 
from  Christ  whereby  it  had,  as  it  were, 
a  resurrection  and  an  exaltation  as  if 
it  had  a.scended  into  the  skies  like  its 
personal  head  —  Christ.  Many  times 
m  the  past  the  cause  of  Christ  has 
thus  been  exalted.  In  time  to  come 
there  will  be  yet  more  splendid  exal- 
tations. 

14.  We  are  now  ready  for  the  sound- 
ing of  the  seventh  trumpet.  Before  it 
sound.s  announcement  is  made  as  before 


the  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets.  The 
words  of  this  verse  are  to  be  connected 
with  the  closing  part  of  chap.  IX.  The 
two  visions  form  no  part  of  the  sixth 
or  seventh  trumpet.  The  reason  the 
verse  does  not  occur  in  immediate  con- 
nection with  9  :  1  is  that  then  we  would 
have  looked  for  the  sounding  of  the 
trumpet  at  once,  w  hereas  it  was  need- 
ful for  the  two  visions  to  intervene. 

15-19.  The  seventh  TRrMPET 
SOUNDS.  The  seventh  and  last  trum- 
pet now  sounds.  It  is,  at  the  same 
time,  the  third  woe  trumpet.  It  is  in 
the  course  of  time  introduced  by  and 
included  in  this  trumpet  that  the  con- 
summation spoken  of  in  10  :  7  comes 
to  its  completion.  The  seventh  seal 
brought  the  course  of  events  to  a  com- 
pletion, when  all  opposition  broke 
down,  when  disturbances  had  come  to 
an  end.  This  was  indicated  by  the 
silence  in  heaven  (»  :  i).  Here,  also, 
at  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet, 
is  the  final  announcement  that  the  vic- 
tory is  assured.  The  two  series  run 
parallel  to  each  other,  covering  the 
entire  course  of  human  history,  view- 
ing it  under  different  aspects.  Seven 
stands  for  completeness.  Opposition 
breaks  down,  and  Jesus  takes  his  right- 
ful position  as  the  acknoAvledged  Lord 
of  all. 

15.  Following  the  sounding  of  the 
trumpet  were  great  voices.  These 
voices  do  not  come  from  the  elders,  for 
they  speak  in  ver.  17.  The  voices  may 
represent,  in  a  general  way,  the  feel- 
ings of  all  created  beings,  the  highest 
intelligences  in  heaven,  over  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  impending  triumpli  of  Jesus 
as  the  sovereign  of  the  earth.  The 
voices  are  in  heaven,  rejoicing  over  the 
triumph  on  the  earth.  All  parts  of 
the  moral  universe  are  one,  rejoicing 
or  disturbed  together.     The  words  ut- 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


251 


saying,  "The  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord, 
aud  of  his  Christ ;  "and  he  shall  reigu 
for  ever  and  ever. 

16  And  Pthe  four  and    twenty  elders, 
which  sat  before  God  on  their  seats, 

17  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshipped 
God,  saying. 

We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God 

Almighty, 
1  Which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come. 
Because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy 

great  power,  'and  hast  reigned. 


saying,  The  kingdom  of  the  world  is 
become  our  Lord's,  and  his  Christ's ; 
and  he  will  reign  forever  and  ever. 

16  And  the  twenty-four  elders,  who  sit 
before  God  on  their  thrones,  fell  on 

17  their  faces,  aud  worshiped  God,  say- 
ing. We  give  thanks  to  thee,  O  Lord 
God,  the  Almighty,  who  art  and  who 
wast ;   because  thou   hast   taken   thy 


n  12  :  10 ;  Fs.  22  :  27,  28 ;  Isa.  24  :  23 ;  Obad.  21. 
j>  4  :  4 ;  19  :  1.  q  I  : 


o  Ps.  146  :  10  ;  Dan.  2  :  44  ; 
4  :  8 ;  16  :  5.  r  19  :  6. 


7  :  14,  27 ;  Heb.  1  :  8. 


tered  were:  The  kingdoms  of  this 

world,  rather,  The  kingdom  of  the 
world.  It  is  here  declared  that  the 
dominiou  over  all  things  in  the  world 
has  passed  into  the  hands  of  Jehovah 
and  Jesus,  the  Lord  and  his  Christ. 
There  was  a  time  when  God  was  all  in 
all.  There  came  alienation  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  so  that  his  holy  sway  was 
not  recognized.  Organized  rebellion 
took  place ;  sometimes  impiety  seemed 
to  reign  supreme ;  great  nations  had 
false  conceptions  of  God,  and  worshiped 
impure  deities.  Persecutions  of  God's 
faithful  people  took  place  so  that  piety 
hid  in  caves  and  was  clothed  in  rags. 
Meanwhile  God  had  his  large  plans  in 
operation.  Jesus  was  slain,  in  God's 
plan,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world 
(13  : 8).  Jehovah  promised  the  Sou 
the  ultimate  triumph  of  his  kingdom 
(Ps.  2  :  7-9).  That  time  predicted  and 
prepared  for,  the  rulership  of  all  things 
by  God  through  the  Son,  had  now 
come.  As  is  evident  from  ver.  18,  the 
consummation  has  not  yet  actually 
been  achieved,  but  it  is  in  process  of 
achievement.  During  the  period  em- 
braced by  the  seventh  trumpet  and  in- 
augurated by  it,  the  glorious  end  will 
be  accomplished.  Whether  by  the 
conversion  or  the  destruction  of  the 
wicked  this  result  will  be  brought 
about,  so  that  in  the  new  heavens  and 
the  new  earth  resulting  from  this,  noth- 
ing unclean  will  be  found  (2  Peter  s :  13). 
Toward  this  end  the  church  must  work, 
for  this  our  prayers  ascend.  Jesus 
taught  his  disciples  to  pray  for  that 
time  to  come  when  earth  and  heaven 
should  be  one  (Matt.  6  :  10).  He  shall 
reign.  The  reference  is  to  Christ. 
He  will  forever  be  the  head  of  the 
church,  though  in  1  Cor.  15  :  28  we  are 


taught  that  when  Christ  shall  have 
finished  his  mediatorial  work  he  will 
himself  become  subordinate  to  the 
Father. 

16.  The  elders  represent  the  re- 
deemed church.  They  sat,  rather, 
sit,  before  God  on  their  seats,  rather, 
thrones.  Their  rulership  with  Christ 
is  plainly  taught  in  the  term,  thrones. 
They  rejoice,  as  the  angels  cannot,  over 
the  triumph  of  Christ  on  the  earth,  so 
that  now  all  will  be  his.  They  at- 
tribute all  the  glorious  result  to  God 
as  the  ultimate  source  of  power,  there- 
fore they  worshiped  him,  falling 
down  upon  their  faces.  There  will 
never  come  a  time  in  the  glorified  life 
that  the  saints  will  not  l)e  called  upon 
reverently  to  worship  God.  He  will 
always  remain  God,  and  they  will  al- 
ways remain  sinners  saved  by  the  grace 
of  God. 

17.  We  have  here  their  words  of 
praise.  We  had  in  5  :  18  a  song  of 
praise  by  them,  difl'ering  from  this  in 
that  God  has  now  revealed  himself. 
God  is  Jehovah,  the  self-existing  one; 
the  Almighty,  as  shown  in  his  over- 
coming all  things  for  and  in  behalf  of 
Christ.  He  is  one  who  is  and  who  was. 
Omit,  art  to  come.  This  is  to  be 
omitted,  as  in  Standard  revision,  be- 
cause in  the  course  of  events,  as  here 
indicated,  God  has  come  in  the  full  and 
final  revelation  of  his  plans  on  the 
earth.  It  takes  a  long  time  for  God 
to  unfold  his  plans,  to  bring  them  to 
pass,  but  there  comes  a  fulness  of  times 
(Gal.  4 : 4)  when  his  purposes  are  accom- 
plished. Great  power.  This  always 
had  been  God's,  but  in  great  patience 
he  had  permitted  men  and  nations  to 
act  as  if  he  were  a  God  who  could  not 
control  them.    There  is  now  the  open 


252 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XL 


18  '  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy 

wrath  is  come ; 
'And  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they 

should  be  judged, 
"And  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward 

unto  thy  servants  tlie  prophets. 
And  to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear 

thy  name,  small  and  great ; 
»Aud  shouldest  destroy  them  which 

destroy  the  earth. 

19  And  J  the  temple  of  God  was  opened 


18  great  power  and  didst  reign.  And  the 
nations  were  wroth,  and  thy  wrath 
came,  and  the  time  of  the  dead  to  be 
judged,  and  to  give  the  reward  to  thy 
servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the 
saints,  and  to  those  who  fear  thy 
name,  the  small  and  the  great;  and  to 
destroy  those  who  destroy  the  earth. 

19  And    the   temple  of   God   that   is   in 


a  Ver.  J,  9 ;  Pb.  2  : 1. 


t  6  :  10 ;  Isa.  26  :  19-21 ;  Dan.  7  :  9,  10. 
X  13  :  10 ;  18  :  6 ;  Jude  15.  y  15  :  5-8 


«  22  :  12  ;  Matt.  5  : 
;  Isa.  6  :  1-i. 


12  ;  2  Thess.  1  :  5-7. 


manifestation  of  this  power,  not  the 
assumption  of  it.  Men  do  not  now 
get  a  fitting  conception  of  God's  power 
on  account  of  his  patience  and  self- 
limitations.  Reigned.  God's  power 
is  manifested,  his  laws  are  obeyed. 

18.  This  verse  contains  the  words  of 
the  elders.  Four  distinct  statements 
are  made:  (1)  The  nations  were 
angry,  rather,  wroth.  This  shows  the 
restiveness  of  the  nations,  the  ungodly 
heathen  peoples  at  the  requirements 
of  God.  We  find  in  Ps.  2  the  mani- 
festation of  this  spirit.  They  rise  now 
to  a  redoubled  hatred  against  God  as 
the  energy  of  God  becomes  more  mani- 
fest. (2)  Thy  wrath.  Man's  wrath 
enkindles  God's  holy  wrath.  Under 
its  consuming  power  no  one,  man  or 
nation,  can  stand.  It  is  not  vindictive, 
but  vindicative.  Men  misconceive  God 
who  think  only  of  his  patience  and 
tenderness.  God's  anger  is  his  holi- 
ness in  active  exercise  toward  the  wil- 
fully impenitent.  A  God  who  could 
not  be  angry  would  be  a  God  who  could 
not  be  pleased.  (3)  The  time  of  the 
dead, that  they  should  be  judged, 
rather,  to  be  judged.  It  is  maintained 
by  Milligan  that  this  refers  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  unrighteous  dead  alone, 
inasmuch  as  the  word  to  judge  means, 
in  John's  writings,  to  condemn.  But 
it  is  evident  that  the  reference  is  to  a 
general  resurrection  of  the  dead,  be- 
cause while  the  wicked  dead  may  be 
judged  in  the  sense  of  being  con- 
demned, the  righteous  dead  will  be  re- 
warded. The  seventh  trumpet  brings 
us  therefore  to  the  final  ending  of  the 
dispensation.  The  resurrection  is  one 
of  the  final  things,  beyond  which  are 
the  endless  conditions  of  men.  (4) 
Give  reward,  rather,  give  their  re- 
ward. This  has  reference  to  the  right- 
eous alone.    They  are  graciou.sly  re- 


warded by  God.  Saved  for  Christ's 
sake  they  are  rewarded  for  their  works' 
sake.  The  persons  rewarded  are  de- 
signated as  prophets,  where  the  allu- 
sion may  not  be  to  any  specific  order 
of  persons,  but  to  all  Christian  people 
in  the  prophesying  work,  the  witness- 
ing work  of  the  church.  Saints  are 
the  propliets  on  the  side  of  their  holi- 
ness. Fear  God.  This  designates 
the  saints  on  the  side  of  their  relation 
to  God.  It  is  a  universal  reward  for 
the  righteous,  for  God  forgets  no  one, 
small  and  great.  A  cup  of  cold 
water  and  a  missionary  journey  of  Paul 
are  alil^e  remembered  and  rewarded. 
Destroy  .  .  .  earth.  Their  wrath 
awakened  God's  wrath.  Their  de- 
struction of  the  earth  called  for  their 
destruction  by  God.  Destroying  the 
earth  refers  to  its  destruction  as  a 
place  of  holiness  and  happiness  for 
which  it  was,  at  the  first,  intended. 
Men  are  destroyed  when  their  moral 
natures  are  corrupted.  The  earth  is 
destroyed  when  it  is  unfitted  to  be  the 
abode  of  holy  beings.  Peter  speaks 
of  the  formation  of  the  new  earth  by 
the  destruction  of  the  former  wicked 
world  (2  Peter  3).  Destruction,  either  of 
matter  or  spirit,  does  not  mean  a  blot- 
ing  out,  an  annihilation.  John  makes 
no  allusion  in  this  place  to  the  glorious 
change  to  take  place  in  the  structure 
of  the  physical  universe. 

19.  At  the  close  of  the  seventh  seal 
we  had  the  view  of  an  angel  standing 
at  the  altar  (8:3);  at  the  close  of  the 
seventh  bowl  we  have  a  glimpse  of  the 
temple  (is  :  '.  8);  in  like  manner  we 
have,  at  this  point,  the  seventh  trum- 
pet, a  disclosure  of  the  innermost  holy 
place.  This  gives  in  vision  what  has 
been  given  in  words  in  ver.  14-18. 
Temple.  The  reference  is  to  an  ideal 
place  of  worship  in  the  heavens,  corre- 


Ch.  XI.] 


KEVELATION 


253 


in  heaven  ;  and  there  was  seen  in  his 
temple  •  the  ark  of  his  testament. 

And  "there  were  lightniugs,  and 
voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earth- 
quake, i"  and  great  hail. 


heaven  was  opened,  and  the  ark  of 
his  covenant  was  seen  in  his  temple ; 
and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices, 
and  thunders,  and  an  earthquake,  and 
a  great  hail. 


z  Eiod.  25  :  21,  22. 


a  8  ;  5  ;  16  :  18. 


spending  to  the  earliest  temple  or  tab- 
ernacle on  the  earth.  It  is  maintained 
by  some  that  the  reference  in  this  place 
to  the  temple  shows  that  the  actual 
temple  in  Jerusalem  was  yet  standing 
when  this  book  was  written,  hence  that 
it  was  written  before  A.  D.  70.  The  in- 
terpretation of  the  entire  book  would 
be  greatly  affected  if  this  were  true. 
But  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  here  .seen 
in  vision,  was  not  found  in  the  temple 
built  after  the  return  from  the  cap- 
tivity. Inasmuch  as  the  ideal  in  the 
heavens  must  correspond  with  the  ac- 
tual temple  on  the  earth,  the  refei*ence 
must  be,  not  to  the  temple,  but  to  the 
tabernacle.  The  opening  of  the  tem- 
ple, the  innermost  part,  to  the  gaze  of 
men,  shows  that  God  will  now  dwell 
with  men ;  he  keeps  nothing  from 
them  ;  their  gaze  upon  the  most  sacred 
things  is  not,  in  any  way,  impeded. 
There  is  seen  the  ark  of  his  testa- 
ment, rather,  covenant,  the  symbol  of 
God's  faithfulness,  the  pledge  of  his 
love.  By  reason  of  his  faithfulness  the 
wicked  are  punished  and  the  righteous 
are  rewarded.  Five  thiug.s,  indicative 
of  his  judgments,  are  mentioned: 
lightnings,  voices,  thunderings, 
great  hail.  Similar  features  occur  in 
the  seventh  seal  (» •  3);  in  the  seventh 
bowl  (16:18).  The  earthquake  sig- 
nifies the  removal  of  the  things  that 
can  be  shaken,  that  the  things  that 
cannot  be  shaken  may  remain  (Heb.  12  : 
2").  Only  God  and  his  cause  are  abi- 
ding. No  earthquake  can  shake  the 
foundation  of  God's  purposes  or  plans. 

Note  I.  The  forty  and  two 
MONTHS.  Alford  says,  on  the  terms 
used  for  designating  time :  "  My  prin- 
ciple is  to  regard  them  as  still  among 
the  things  unknown  to  the  church 
and  awaiting  their  elucidation  by  the 
event."  In  Dan.  7  :  25  and  12  :  7  we 
have  a  basis  for  the  terms  used  in  this 
book,  a  time,  times,  and  half  a  time. 
It  is  thus  used  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  in  a  like  manner.  It  may 
be  understood,  without  any  question, 


that  it  is  not  used  in  a  literal  .sense.  In 
a  book  of  this  kind,  whei-e  everything 
is  in  vision,  where  all  terms — Jeru- 
salem, Babylon,  temple — are  used  in  a 
symbolic  sense,  terms  indicating  time 
must  be  used  in  the  same  way.  This 
book  is  neither  a  history  nor  an  arith- 
metic. It  is  often  taken  for  granted 
that  in  prophetic  books  each  day  stands 
for  a  year.  For  this  tjiere  is  no  founda- 
tion. Appeal  is  often  made  to  Num. 
14  :  33,  34 ;  Ezek.  4  :  4-16  to  substan- 
tiate this  view.  But  in  each  of  these 
cases  the  term  day  and  year  meant  a 
literal  day  and  year,  but  it  is  expressly 
stated  that  the  actual  day  is  used  as  a 
symbol  of  the  actual  year.  It  is  not  a 
principle  of  predictive  prophecy  that 
a  day  stands  for  a  year.  It  was  pre- 
dicted, in  reference  to  the  flood,  that 
the  rain  should  fall  forty  literal  days, 
not  meaning  thereby  forty  years.  In 
Isa.  7  si.xty-five  years  mean  literal 
years ;  in  Isa.  16  :  14  the  three  years 
are  literal  years ;  in  Jer.  25  :  4  the 
seventy  years  of  the  captivity  are 
seventy  literal  years.  No  one  thinks 
of  applying  this  principle  of  a  day  for 
a  year  to  the  millennium,  making  it 
extend  over  three  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  j^ears.  There  is  no  founda- 
tion whatever  in  the  Bible  for  this 
assumed  principle  introduced  by  so 
many  writers  on  this  book,  that  in  all 
cases  where  the  term  day  is  used  that  a 
year  must  be  understood.  It  is  to  in- 
troduce the  utmost  confusion  to  depend 
upon  this  principle  to  give  light  as  to 
dates.  In  Dan.  9  :  24-27  the  term  weeks 
means  literally  a  seven,  without  in- 
dicating whether  it  is  a  seven  of  days 
or  years.  When  the  reference  is  to 
days,  the  term  days  is  inserted,  as  in 
10  :  2,  3.  It  gives  no  support  to  the 
theory  that  a  day  stands  for  a  year. 
This  theory  forms  the  foundation  for 
the  interpretations  of  Bengel,  Barnes, 
and  many  others.  J.  A.  Smith  makes 
the  forty  and  two  months  mean  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years.  The  begin- 
ning of  this  period,  when  the  outer 
court   shall    be    trodden    under    foot, 


254 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


is  variously  placed  by  interpreters, 
who  adopt  tEis  theory.  Some  re- 
gard the  time  of  Cyprian,  an  African 
bishop  who  made  large  claims  for  the 
church,  the  beginning  of  this  period — 
A.  D.  248 ;  others  place  the  origin  of 
the  papacy,  a.  d.  25U,  as  the  beginning. 
Some  regard  the  beginning  of  idol- 
atrous worship  in  A.  D.  385,  as  the  be- 
ginning. Various  other  dates  have 
been  fixed  upon,  as  380,  when  Theo- 
dosius  recognized  the  validity  of  the 
j)apal  claims;  533,  in  the  days  of  Jus- 
tinian, who  formally  recognized  the 
power  of  the  pope.  By  adding  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years  to  the  year  of 
departure,  interpreters  have  assumed 
to  find  some  event  indicating  a  great 
and  blessed  era  when  the  days  of  dark- 
ness for  the  church  had  passed  away. 
All  such  calculations  in  the  past  have 
ended  only  in  disappointment  and  dis- 
aster. In  truth,  all  calculations  must 
be  utterly  wrong  that  introduce  arith- 
metical principles  here  as  though 
visions  and  symbols  and  the  most 
poetical  imagery  were  capable  of  being 
confined  by  definite  historical  state- 
ments and  arithmetical  formulas. 

The  only  correct  method  of  inter- 
preting these  terms  of  time  is  to  con- 
strue them  in  a  symbolic  way.  It 
would  be  out  of  place  to  regard  them 
as  other  than  symbolic  in  a  book  so 
full  of  symbols.  We  would  naturally 
expect  the  periods  of  time  to  be  taken 
in  a  figurative  way  when  the  great 
factors  in  the  book,  Egypt,  Babylon, 
Euphrates,  are  to  be  taken,  not  in  their 
literal  import,  but  as  symbols  of  great 
ideas.  It  is  a  trait  common  to  all  these 
periods  of  time,  that  they  present  a 
broken  and  incomplete  aspect.  They 
are  not  periods  of  completeness,  a 
seven  years,  a  rounded-out  period,  but 
a  period  broken  off  midway.  It  is  an 
unfinished  course.  This  broken  and 
abrupt  form  in  the  numbers  employed 
is,  in  itself,  a  strong  indication  that 
they  are  used  in  a  symbolic,  not  in  a 
literal,  import.  The  broken  form  in- 
dicates that  these  terms  express,  not 
absolute,  but  relative  periods  of  dura- 
tion. When  we  remember  that  John 
is  describing  there  the  course  of  the 
entire  spiritual  world,  on  the  one  side, 
and  the  entire  opposing  anti-Christian 
forces,  on  the  other,  we  may  well  re- 
gard it  as  an  impossibility  to  mark  out 


in  well-defined  limits  the  conflicts  of 
such  mighty  powers  over  so  large  a 
field.  The  trampling  under  foot  of  the 
holy  city  by  heathen  powers,  the  de- 
structive power  of  the  beast  (i3 :  6); 
the  persecution  of  Christ's  faithful  wit- 
nesses (11 ;  3);  the  hiding  of  the  church 
in  the  wilderness  (12  :  6);  all  these  as- 
saults on  God's  cause,  though  success- 
ful for  a  time,  can  end  in  only  one  way 
at  last,  a  complete  and  final  defeat. 
And,  therefore,  the  triumph  of  evil  is 
indicated,  in  a  symbolic  way,  by  its 
lasting  for  an  incomplete  and  broken 
period  only.  Three  and  a  half  sig- 
nifies the  triumph  of  evil  over  good; 
the  triumph  of  good  over  evil  is  sig- 
nified in  a  seven,  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet.  The  broken  period 
means  for  the  evil  a  failure.  So  far  as 
the  numbers  themselves  are  concerned, 
the  periods  may  be  centuries  or  mil- 
lenniums in  extent.  The  broken  period 
signifies  a  failure  in  the  end,  for  evil 
cannot  come  to  a  complete  and  final 
triumph  in  the  moral  government  of 
God.  Nor  need  we  concern  ourselves 
about  the  time  for  the  beginning  of 
this  period  of  time.  Neither  the  start- 
ing-point nor  the  termination  is  sharply 
marked  out.  It  could  not  be  other- 
wise, for  moral  agencies  do  not  have 
birth  at  a  given,  definite  point  of  time. 
Corruptions  and  reformations  are 
gradual  in  their  movements.  The  field 
is  the  world,  and  the  cause  of  Christ 
on  the  earth  is  the  great  thought  under 
consideration  through  these  symbols. 
We  must,  therefore,  utterly  reject  as 
out  of  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the 
book,  the  fixing  of  any  limits  for  be- 
ginning this  period,  or  definitely  mark- 
ing out  its  termination.  All  definite 
calculations  in  the  past  have  proved  a 
failure ;  it  must  be  so  for  all  definite 
predictions  in  time  to  come.  The 
prophecy  is  not  written  to  show  men 
distinct  times  and  seasons,  but  to  out- 
line the  dangers  confronting  the  church: 
the  perils  of  apostasy,  the  persecutions 
coming  on  the  church,  the  final  triumph 
of  God's  cause,  the  necessary  failure  of 
evil  plans ;  to  mark  out  the  essential 
function  of  the  church  as  a  witnessing 
body,  speaking  in  behalf  of  truth  to 
all  men  and  ages.  It  cannot  be  known 
why  the  term  months  is  used  in  one 
case,  days  in  another,  and  times,  mean- 
ing years,  in  another.     In  a  general 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


255 


way  these  three  correspond  with  each 
other,  though  it  is  not  possible  to  prove 
that  all  begin  ut  the  same  time,  and 
have  precisely  the  same  course  in  his- 
tory. All  alike  speak  of  a  fragmentary 
course,  broken  in  upon  so  that  failure 
comes  in  the  end.  If  the  course  of  the 
church  were  denoted  in  a  symbolic 
way,  it  would  be  by  a  complete  num- 
ber— as  seven  or  ten.  In  tne  millen- 
nium we  have  a  perfect  contrast  to  the 
comparatively  brief  time  and  broken 
periods  that  mark  the  course  of  sin. 
The  one  thousand  is  formed  from  the 
number  denoting  the  totality  of  earthly 
things — ten,  and  this  is  multiplied  by 
itself  three  times.  Here  we  cannot 
think  of  a  definite  period  of  time,  l)ut 
only  of  the  prophecy  and  symbol  of  a 
perfect  completeness,  a  rounded-out 
whole,  a  triumph  for  God's  cause. 
What  a  contrast  between  the  three  and 
a  half  days,  the  three  and  a  half  years, 
representing  the  usurped  dominion  of 
sin  and  the  perfect  triumph  of  the  Re- 
deemer and  his  cause !  In  this  way  the 
symbols  speak  words  of  comfort  and 
hope,  but  we  may  not  look  for  definite 
numbers  as  if  we  were  reading  a 
church  history.  The  outlines  are 
distinct  enough,  however,  to  enable 
us  to  see  the  struggles  ahead  of  the 
church,  the  seeming  defeat  for  a  time, 
and  the  grand  and  crowning  success 
of  Christ  and  his  cause  at  the  end. 
In  this  we  may  rest,  and  in  this  we 
may  rejoice. 

Note  II.  The  figueative  inter- 
pretation OF  Revelation  alone 
SATISFACTORY.  This  part  of  the  book 
of  Revelation  furnishes  a  touchstone 
as  to  the  method  of  interpretation  to 
be  adopted.  There  is  the  literal  method 
finding  in  the  terms  eartli,  sea,  grass, 
the  phj'sical  objects  thus  named.  The 
one-third  and  the  one-fourth  mean  these 
mathematical  parts.  When  the  term 
temple  is  used,  in  ver.  1,  it  is  declared 
that  the  temple  must  at  that  time  be 
standing,  and  that  the  actual  temple 
must  be  meant.  Alford  takes  the  large 
part  of  this  vision  in  a  literal  way  re- 
garding the  two  witnesses  as  actual 
persons  yet  to  appear,  having  mighty 
powers  dwelling  in  them.  To  regard 
these  persons  as  literal  persons  involves 
a  literalness  in  the  details  so  that  a 
fire  proceeds  out  of  their  mouths.    A 


like  literal  interpretation  would  com- 
pel us  to  conceive  a  sword  proceeding 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  Jesus  in 
the  first  chapter.  This  would  be  not 
only  grotesque  as  a  matter  of  taste,  but 
irreverent.  If  such  a  vision  were 
placed  upon  canvas  and  regarded  in  a 
literal  manner,  it  would  have  no  power 
in  teaching  noble  and  lofty  thoughts. 
It  is  only  when  we  regard  these  visions 
with  their  details  in  a  figurative  way, 
teaching  truths  symbolically  without 
any  thought  of  literalness,  it  is  only 
then  that  they  appeal  to  us,  to  our 
minds  and  imaginations.  Their  teach- 
ings are  none  the  less  real  because  re- 
garded as  figurative.  The  parables  are 
effective  teachers,  although  they  are 
in  the  domain  of  figures,  and  must  be 
interpreted  by  the  imagination. 

1.  The  temple  is  not  to  be  taken  in  a 
literal  way,  either  as  then  existing  or 
as  destroyed.  The  term  is  that  which 
is  applied  to  the  innermost  shrine,  the 
holy  of  holies.  John  is  thinking  of 
the  ideal  temple ;  his  conception  is  that 
God's  own  j)eople  constitute  the  real 
shrine  in  which  God  dwells.  In  con- 
formity with  this  conception,  the  peo- 
ple of  God  are  represented  as  measured 
with  a  rod,  that  is,  tested  as  to  their 
moral  and  spiritual  character.  John 
is  thinking  of  their  spiritual  height. 
In  the  vision  in  7  : 4,  God's  people  are 
numbered ;  here  they  are  measured. 

2.  That  Jerusalem  is  not  to  l)e  taken 
in  a  literal  way  is  evident  from  the 
term  used  ;  it  is  that  city  which,  spirit- 
ually, is  known  as  Sodom  and  Egypt. 
He  is  not  thinking  at  all  of  mere 
locality,  he  is  rather  thinking  ef  that 
spirit  of  the  old-time  Sodom  and  Egypt, 
the  corruption  and  oppression  of  the 
world  that  crucified  the  Lord.  The 
use  of  the  term  "spiritually"  by  John 
implies  that  all  the  terms  here  u.sed — 
city,  temple,  altar, court,  measure,  are  to 
be  interpreted  in  a  figurative  manner. 
It  is  a  great  mistake,  however,  to  think 
that  a  figurative  meaning  is  any  less 
real  and  instructive  than  a  literal 
meaning.  A  vision  can  teach  most 
effectively  only  through  a  figurative 
interpretation. 

3.  When  we  come  to  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  meaning  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses, it  is  evident  that  we  must  dis- 
card the  literal  meaning.  John  is 
thinking  of  Elijah  with  his  wonderful 


256 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XI. 


power  in  prayer,  of  Moses  with  his 
making  use  of  nature  to  answer  Pha- 
raoh, of  Zechariah,  of  the  witnessing 
of  the  cliurch  and  its  struggles,  of  the 
dark  times  spiritually ;  he  therefore 
pictures  the  church  under  the  aspect  of 
the  two  witnesses  giving  such  a  tes- 
timony as  would  be  taken  in  the  Jew- 
ish courts.  That  John  does  not  mean 
two  literal  persons  is  evident  from  the 
details  attending  them  and  their  work, 
also  from  the  consideration  that  their 
body  —  not  bodies  —  remains  unburied 
(ver.  8).  Understood  in  this  way  the 
two  witnesses  might  embrace  thousands 
of  witnessing  believers,  true  to  God 
and  the  truth.  To  depict  upon  canvas 
two  holy  persons  breathing  out  fire 
would  be  revolting ;  to  conceive  of  a 
witnessing  church  as  giving  testimony 
that  convicts  and  overwhelms  men, 
this  is  worthy  of  a  divine  revelation. 

4.  The  resurrection  and  the  ascen- 
sion are  also  in  accord  with  the  figura- 
tive interpretation,  bearing  witness 
that  God's  power  is  put  forth  in  behalf 
of  a  persecuted  and  witnessing  people, 
the  open  assurance  that  Christianity  is 
a  divine  revelation.  The  evidences  of 
Christianity  will  have  a  complete 
triumph  in  these  days  foretold.  As 
Elijah  overcame  the  four  hundred  and 
fifty  prophets,  as  Moses  overcame  all 
the  resistance  of  Pharaoh,  in  like  man- 
ner the  witnessing  church  will  present 
evidence  that  will  be  as  plain  and  as 
convincing  as  if  it  were  written  in  the 
sky.  There  have  been  times  when  the 
learning,  the  science,  the  philosophy 
of  the  world  seemed  to  be  against  the 
church,  the  Book,  the  teachings  of  the 
gospel.  Christianity  is  so  intrinsically 
reasonable,  so  worthy  of  the  intellec- 
tual and  spiritual  apprehension  by  all 
men,  its  evidences  so  growingly  mani- 
fest—  all  this  is  depicted  before  the 
mental  vision  by  the  lifting  up  of  the 
witnessing  church,  in  the  presence  of 
all  men,  into  the  sky  and  seated  on 
the  throne  of  the  almighty  God.  The 
vision  is  prophetic,  consolatory;  its 
meaning  plain  to  all. 

Note  III.  The  second  vision  of 
CHAPTER  XI.  The  temple  stands  for 
the  pure  and  faithful  church  ;  the  outer 
court  stands  for  the  unfaithful  pro- 
fessing church ;  the  Gentiles  represent 
the  non-confessing  world.  Three  classes 


of  persons  are  here  portrayed.  The 
treading  down  of  the  holy  city  means 
the  domination  of  the  pure  church  by 
the  alliance  of  the  unfaithful  church 
and  the  world.  This  falling  away,  the 
change  of  the  holy  city  (ver.  s)  into  a 
merely  great  city  (ver.  s),  is  spoken  of 
elsewhere.     Paul  speaks  of  an  apostasy 

(2  Thess.  2  ;  U);  John  SpCaks  of  anti- 
christ (1  John  2  :  18).  lu  this  book  we 
find  the  beginnings  of  a  falling  away, 
corruption  coming  into  the  church. 
In  the  letters  to  the  churches  of  Ephe- 
sus,  Sardis,  Pergamos,  Thyatira  (ciinp. 
2,  s)  are  signs  of  declension  in  piety  of 
life  and  purity  of  teaching.  It  needs 
but  an  enlargement  of  these  to  conform 
to  the  teaching  of  this  vision.  The 
church,  in  the  end,  must  conquer,  but 
before  the  end  is  reached  much  dark- 
ness and  corruption  will  interfere  with 
her  work,  and  will  mar  her  beauty. 
The  period  of  this  depressed  state  of 
the  church  is  of  indefinite  duration, 
but  embracing  doubtless  long  ages.  It 
is  indicated  by  the  broken  number  three 
years  and  a  half.  During  this  time  the 
real  church,  though  not  a  reigning 
church,  is  a  witnessing  church,  hold- 
ing up  and  representing  Christ.  It 
has  power  in  and  through  prayer,  it 
works  vast  changes  in  society  equiva- 
lent to  the  shutting  up  of  the  heavens 
and  bringing  plagues  on  men.  It  is, 
therefore,  hated  by  the  world,  perse- 
cuted. There  come  times  when  it  is 
seemingly  suppressed.  Voltaire  boasted 
that  he,  unaided,  would  destroy  what  it 
took  twelve  men  to  build  up.  The 
dark  times  are  described  by  the  rejoic- 
ing of  the  nations  over  its  fall.  But 
because  it  is  Christ's  church  it  cannot 
be  utterly  and  finally  prostrated.  As 
the  dead  and  seemingly  vanquished 
Christ  came  to  be  the  risen  and  glorified 
Christ,  in  like  manner  the  church  will 
be  as  its  head.  It,  therefore,  gains 
renewed  power.  It  becomes  a  triumph- 
ant church,  just  as  though  it  were 
taken  up  into  the  skies  to  be  with  its 
risen  Lord  and  Redeemer.  Blessings 
on  the  church,  and  judgments  on  the 
world  accompany  each  other.  The 
church  is  the  one  great  agency  of  Christ 
in  the  world  for  bearing  testimony,  for 
convicting  the  wicked,  for  bringing 
about  the  final  conquest.  Jesus  is  a 
living  Christ  working  through  his 
church,  having  in  mind  a  plan  for  the 


Ch.  XI.] 


REVELATION 


257 


final  triumph  of  his  church,  and  the 
final  downfall  of  the  wicked.  Only 
by  regarding  all  these  terms  and  num- 
bers in  a  symbolic  way  can  we  get  a 
consistent  idea  of  the  teachings  here 
intended  to  be  portrayed. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  God  has  a  perfect  estimate  of  the 
ch.aracter  of  all  worship  on  the  earth  and 
of  all  worshipers.  Jesus  measured  the 
Pharisee  and  rejected  him  ;  he  measured 
the  publican  and  accepted  him.  He  re- 
gards especially  the  heart.  The  fitting 
sacrifices  are  given  in  Ps.  51  :  17  (ver.  1). 

2.  All  formal  and  corrupt  worship  God 
rejects.  God's  people  on  the  earth  con- 
stitute the  real  temple  of  God;;  prayer 
and  praise  offered  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
are  the  real  offerings.  Great  organiza- 
tions and  splendid  outward  worship  may 
avail  nothing  (ver.  2). 

3.  The  church  may  not  be  able  to  work 
miracles,  but  it  may  be  a  faithful  wit- 
ness. In  proportion  as  times  grow  harder 
and  darker,  the  witnessing  must  increase. 
Every  Christian  must  be  a  John  the  Bap- 
tist pointing  to  Jesus,  who  alone  is  able  to 
save  (ver.  3). 

4.  Christians  are  to  give  light  in  a  dark 
world,  to  be  a  light  shining  in  a  dark 
place  (2  Peter  1  :  19).  The  Christian  is 
that  one  through  whom  Christ  shines  on 
men  (ver.  4). 

5.  God  notices  all  injury  done  to  his 
people.  He  ministers  grace  for  support, 
he  makes  their  courage  inspire  others. 
Persecutions  are  not  blessings  in  them- 
selves, but  they  minister  to  the  good  of 
the  church  and  the  widening  of  the 
kingdom  (ver.  8). 

G.  Prayer  still  has  power.  God  still 
rules  in  nature  for  the  sake  of  his  cause 
and  hLs  people.  The  God  of  Moses  and 
Elijah  is  not  dead.  Under  like  circum- 
stances God  may  yet  work  like  wonders 
(ver.  6). 

7.  Jesus  and  his  church  always  have 
enemies.  All  sin,  in  its  essence,  is  from 
Satan.  It  comes  from  the  pit  and  leads 
to  the  pit.  Sometimes  sin  comes  as  a 
beast,  sometimes  as  a  lamb  (ver.  7). 

8.  Backsliding  and  apostasy  bring  great 
ills.  A  holy  city  may  become  a  Sodom  ; 
a  professed  disciple  may  become  an  out- 


cast; an  apostle  may  be  lost.  Constant 
watchfulness  and  growth  in  grace  are 
ever  needful  to  prevent  a  falling  away 
(ver.  8). 

9.  God's  people  and  cause  may  suffer 
indignities,  but  God's  love  will  rest  upon 
them.  Persecution  may  kill  the  body  and 
destroy  outward  things.  It  cannot  hurt 
the  inner  life. 

10.  God  has  a  re.surrection  for  every  good 
cause.  Defeat  may  come  for  a  time,  but 
God  will  ultimately  give  a  triumph.  Ref- 
ormations and  revivals  have  given  new 
life  to  a  slumbering  church  (ver.  11). 

11.  God  will  honor  his  people  in  the 
presence  of  the  ungodly.  The  poor  in 
spirit  will  sit  on  his  right  hand ;  the 
beggar  Lazarus  will  lie  in  Abraham's 
bosom.  The  enemies  of  Christ  will  be 
placed  under  his  feet  (ver.  12). 

12.  The  effect  of  God's  providences 
should  be  to  lead  men  to  repentance. 
His  judgments  should  alarm  men;  his 
love  should  melt  men.  God  seeks  to  get 
to  man  through  every  avenue  of  his 
nature  (ver.  13). 

13.  Jesus  died  that  all  things  might  be 
his.  The  work  of  getting  hold  of  the 
world  has  been  a  slow  process.  In  time, 
all  in  the  world  will  be  holy.  The  secu- 
lar and  the  sacred  will  have  the  same 
meaning  (ver.  15,  16). 

14.  There  are  gradual  and  blessed  un- 
foldings  of  God's  revelations  to  man.  To 
us  he  is  a  God  to  be  manifested.  In  time 
he  will  be  a  God  manifested.  Blessed  are 
those  who  help  God  in  his  work,  and 
blessed  are  those  who  rejoice  with  God  in 
his  accomplished  work  (ver.  17). 

15.  God  is  always  the  almighty.  But  he 
is  so  patient  and  forbearing  that  men 
mistake  his  almightiness  for  impotence 
(ver.  17). 

16.  Man's  wrath  may  be  sinful  and  re- 
bellious. God's  wrath  is  holy.  He  must 
be  indignant  at  wrong-doing.  The  domi- 
nant element  in  God  now  is  mercy  to- 
ward the  penitent.  In  time  his  just  and 
holy  nature  will  shine  out  in  reward- 
ing the  good  and  punishing  the  unholy 
(ver.  18). 

17.  A  present  Redeemer,  an  opened 
temple,  an  indwelling  Holy  Spirit,  a  holy 
fellowship,  a  cleansed  nature— these  will 
be  the  Christian's  heritage  (ver.  19). 


258 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
Section  VI.     The  church  and 

HEE  THREE  ENEMIES.  Having  CODie 
to  the  end  of  the  series  of  the  seals  and 
the  trumpets,  we  might  naturally  ex- 
pect to  enter  at  once  upon  a  vision  of 
the  bowls,  the  concluding  series.  Three 
chapters  intervene  before  we  come  to 
the  final  series.  It  is  generally  agreed 
that  in  the  twelfth  chapter  we  have  a 
vision  that  portrays  the  introduction 
of  Christianity  into  the  earth.  Some 
have  contended  that  the  preceding  vi- 
sions concern  themselves  with  glimpses 
of  the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  and 
that  the  visions  from  this  point  onward 
represent  the  issues  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment kingdom  of  God.  Against  this 
view  is  the  fact  that  it  is  the  Redeemer 
of  men  who  opens  the  seals  in  the  first 
series  of  visions.  This  entire  book  is 
the  development  of  God's  plans  on  the 
earth  under  the  leadership  and  control 
of  the  Redeemer  as  such.  The  rather 
we  have  here  a  summary  of  the  forces 
at  work  in  the  world,  the  contending 
powers  of  light  and  darkness,  with  a 
view  of  the  enemies  of  the  church  for 
the  first  time  portrayed  in  a  definite 
way.  This  vision,  in  so  far  as  it  refers 
to  a  historical  event,  can  refer  only  to 
the  birth  of  Christ  and  the  introduc- 
tion of  Christianity,  and  yet  it  comes 
in  after  the  visions  of  the  seals  and  of 
the  trumpets  have  both  Ijeen  closed,  a 
clear  proof  that  the  seer  is  not  guided 
by  the  thought  of  a  historical  succes- 
sion. As  the  visions  of  the  seals  and 
the  trurnpets  cover  the  entire  period  of 
the  Christian  era,  in  like  manner  this 
vision  portrays  a  conflict  that  extends 
over  the  same  period  and  furnishes 
also  a  natural  foundation  for  the  fol- 
lowing visions.  The  last  series,  that 
of  the  bowls,  portrays,  in  the  main,  a 
judgment,  not  upon  the  ungodly  world, 
but  upon  a  degenerate  church,  as  dis- 
tinct from  the  faithful  element  in  the 
church._  It  is  essential,  therefore,  at 
this  point,  before  we  see  the  vision  of 
the  bowls,  clearly  to  perceive  the  ene- 
mies by  which  the  church  became  faith- 
less, and  at  the  same  time  to  see  the 
enemies  overcome  by  the  faithful  peo- 
ple of  God. 

In  this  spiritual  drama  set  before  Tis 
there  are  in  reality  but  two  persons,  the 
Redeemer  and  Satan.    They  are  utterly 


diverse  in  nature,  the  one  heaven-born, 
redeeming  men,  in  tlie  form  of  man, 
lifted  up  to  heaven  ;  tlie  other,  hostile 
to  God  and  his  cause,  destructive  in  his 
activities.  Both  of  these,  unseen  by 
men,  continue  their  leadership  among 
men,  acting  through  human  agencies. 
Jesus  works  through  his  church,  his 
body.  Satan  works  through  his  agen- 
cies, the  great  beast  that  springs  from 
the  turbulent  sea,  representing  the 
political  forces  of  the  world  arrayed 
against  Christ.  By  persecutions,  force, 
the  prison,  and  the  stake  ;  by  fines  and 
penalties;  by  banishments  and  re- 
straints, the  truth  has  been  banished, 
outlawed,  limited  in  its  operations. 
Every  age  has  known  the  meaning  of 
the  hostile  attitude  of  the  great  world 
powers.  Satan  calls  to  his  aid  another 
agency — a  beast  with  the  appearance 
of  a  lamb  (i3:i),  less  dangerous  in 
form,  but  the  more  easily  doing  its  in- 
jurious work  because  not  ferocious  in 
appearance. 

These  two  agents  of  Satan  continue 
to  figure  on  the  stage  until  their  final 
overthrow  in  the  vision  of  19  :  20.  As 
the  enemies  of  Christ  assume  a  two- 
fold form,  in  like  manner  the  church 
presents  a  divided  form,  the  true  church 
and  the  degenerate  chui-ch,  on  which 
heavy  judgments  fall.  In  reality,  from 
this  time  on  in  this  book  there  are  but 
two  contestants  for  supremacy,  the  Re- 
deemer and  Satan,  though  both  of  them 
make  use  of  human  agencies.  In  the 
later  visions  we  see  the  conquering 
Christ  and  his  cause  winning  a  mighty 
triumph  ( i9 ;  n ) .  During  all  this  period 
there  is  antagonism  between  the  church 
and  her  foes.  She,  persecuted,  hidden 
from  view  at  times,  is  preserved  by 
the  loving  care  of  God.  Not  always 
does  the  opposition  to  Christianity  as- 
sume revolting  forms  as  represented  by 
a  dragon  with  its  Gorgonlike  shapes, 
but  always  it  is  dragonlike  in  nature 
in  that  it  is  hostile  to  God.  Sometimes 
the  opposition  to  Christ  will  assume 
the  shape  of  science,  sometimes  of  lit- 
erature, sometimes  of  art,  of  the  drama, 
of  political  policies,  of  business  suc- 
cess, but  always  at  heart  is  a  dislike  of 
God.  This  vision  does  not  present  to 
us  the  downfall  of  these  enemies  of 
Christ,  but  we  may  know  that  some- 
where before  the  visions  end  there  will 
be  a  revelation  of  the  triumph  of  Him 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


259 


whose  right  it  is  to  reigu.  We  see 
this  glorious  issue  in  chap.  XIX,  XX. 
Fairbairn  writes  thus  on  this  section: 
"  This  vision  embraces  au  extensive 
range  ;  it  points  back  to  the  past  as  well 
as  onward  to  the  future  in  order  to 
show  how  the  evil  originally  sprung 
up,  and  how  it  was  to  develop  itself 
till  it  reached  the  gigantic  magnitude 
and  formidable  character  it  afterward 
assumed.  This  matter  is  represented 
both  with  the  personal  spite  and  malice 
of  the  tempter  on  account  of  the  vic- 
tory gained  over  him  by  Christ,  and 
with  the  beast  or  worldly  iiower  in  its 
varied  forms  and  manifestations,  more 
especially  in  the  times  following  the 
general  spread  of  Christianity  after  the 
deadly  wound  caused  by  the  gospel 
had  been  healed.  Out  of  the  healing 
of  the  wound  came  Babylon,  which 
consists  in  an  unnatural  conjunction 
of  the  church  and  the  world,  the  church 
thereby  becoming  essentially  anti- 
christian ;  and  because  of  the  great- 
ness of  the  doom  incurred  by  such  a 
degeneracy  it  has  a  very  large  and 
prominent  place  given  to  it  in  prophecy. 
In  chap.  XIII  we  are  told  how  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  led  the 
worldly  power  to  assume  a  form  cor- 
responding to  the  altered  state  of 
affairs;  and  the  success  following  its 
altered  policy  implied  that  the  church, 
to  a  large  extent,  had  sacrificed  its 
character  and  joined  hands  with  the 
world."  We  have  nothing  to  do  in 
this  section  with  the  origin  of  evil ; 
nor  are  we  concerned  with  any  scenes 
that  took  place  before  the  beginnings 
of  human  history.  We  have  before  us 
the  domain  of  the  Christian  era  and 
the  persons  and  the  agencies  tliat  make 
for  righteousness  and  for  unrighteous- 
ness. Because  Clirist  is  in  his  church 
it  remains  true  and  holy;  because  Christ 
is  for  his  church  it  will  be  triumphant 
in  the  end. 

The  first  great  enemy  op  the 
CHURCH.  This  chapter  occupies  a 
central  position  in  the  order  of  thought 
in  this  book,  beginning  the  presenta- 
tion of  some  new  teachings.  It  has 
come  out,  in  the  visions,  that  not  only 
the  world  in  its  essentially  heathenish 
character  is  to  be  subdued,  l)ut  also  a 
professedly  religious,  though  a  really 
worldly  and  antichristian  domination. 


has  appeared.  It  is  with  this  last 
that  the  final  struggle  occurs.  This 
chapter  is  concerned  with  the  ques- 
tion how  this  antichristian  domination 
appeared.  We  have  revealed,  in  clear 
outline,  the  three  great  foes  who  are 
steadfastly  resisted  by  the  church.  In 
the  succeeding  parts  of  the  book  we 
have  these  enemies,  one  by  one,  over- 
come. It  is  a  great  comfort  for  God's 
people  to  remember  that  aU  the  foes  of 
the  truth  are  manifest  in  God's  sight. 
They  are  revealed  to  the  eyes  of  the 
church,  not  that  they  may  terrify  her, 
but  that  they  may  put  her  on  her  guard 
and  that,  at  the  sight  of  their  final  and 
utter  downfall,  she  may  find  cause  of 
rejoicing.  In  the  early  parts  of  the 
book  we  had  glimpses  of  Satan  and  his 
work  in  the  persecution  coming  on  the 
churcli  (2 :  10) ;  in  his  temptation  to 
uncleauness  (2  :  u).  In  this  chapter 
we  have  a  vision  of  the  person  of  Satan 
himself  in  his  power  and  malignity, 
the  one  great  spirit  enemy  of  God,  of 
Christ,  of  the  church,  of  all  good  things. 
As  is  so  often  the  case  in  this  book, 
we  have,  at  the  first,  intimations  and 
glimpses  of  some  great  power  or  teach- 
ing, and  afterward  the  power  or  teach- 
ing fully  unfolded.  We  have  Satan 
fully  revealed  in  his  person  and  nature, 
the  result  of  his  seductions,  his  two 
allies  and  servants  (chap,  xiii)^  and  then 
his  final  downfall  (chap.  xx). 

This  chapter  divides  itself  naturally 
into  three  parts  :  The  woman  and  the 
dragon  (^er.  i-e) ;  the  warfare  in  heaven 
(ver.  7-12) ;  the  flight  of  the  woman  into 
the  wilderness  (ver.  is-n). 

1-6.  The  woman  and  the 
DRAGON.  Two  persons,  utterly  unlike 
each  other,  appear  in  this  section  in 
vision  :  the  woman  pure,  white,  clothed 
in  light,  representing  God's  cause  ;  and 
a  fiery,  red,  vicious  dragon,  horrible 
in  appearance,  representing  the  devil's 
cause.  What  takes  place  in  reality  in 
all  human  history,  and  in  the  Bible 
from  the  beginning  to  the  closing,  the 
irrepressible  conflict  between  the  good 
and  the  evil,  is  here  personified.  How 
evil  came  into  the  moral  universe, 
why  God  permits  Satan  to  exist,  are 
unanswered  problems.  The  Bible  re- 
veals God  as  opposing  sin,  punishing 
and  restraining  it,  and  ultimately  sub- 
duing it. 


260 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


The  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  persecuted 

by  the  dragon. 
13  AND  there  appeared  a  great  wouder 
[or,  sign]  iu  heaveu ;  a  womau  clothed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her 
feet,  and  upon  her  liead  a  crown  of 
2  twelve  stars :  and  she  being  with  child 
cried, « travailing  in  birth,  and  pained 
to  be  delivered. 


12  AND  a  great  sign  was  seen  in  heaven  ; 
a  womau  clothed  with  the  sun,  and 
the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  on  her 
2  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars,  and 
heavy  with  child,  and  she  cries  out, 
travailing  in  birth,  and  in  pain  to 
bring  forth. 


c  Isa.  66  :  6-8 ;  Micah  1  :  10 ;  5  :  3. 


1.  And  .  .  .  heaven,  rather,  And 
a  great  sign  was  seen  in  heaven.  It  was 
a  sight  that  was  in  reality  a  sign,  in- 
dicative of  some  great  spiritual  move- 
ment impending.  It  is  the  same  word 
found  in  1  :  1,  there  rendered  signified. 
We  have  arrived  at  an  important  point 
in  the  book,  and  as  showing  this 
there  appears  a  great  sigyi,  symbolic  of 
some  great  teaching  to  be  presented. 
Miracles  are  often  spoken  of  as  signs, 
thereby  calling  attention,  not  to  the 
power  displayed  in  them,  but  to  their 
moral  significance.  Heaven.  We  are 
not  to  understand  this  term,  when 
used  in  this  book,  as  meaning,  in  its 
strict  sense,  the  abode  of  God  and  the 
blessed  ones.  It  means,  here,  that  great 
theater  where  the  visions  pass  before 
us,  embracing,  in  their  full  meaning, 
heaveu  and  earth.  We  are  forced  to 
this  view  for  we  cannot,  in  any  literal 
way,  regard  the  dragon  as  really  dwell- 
ing in  heaven  where  the  holy  God  is. 
J.  A.  Smith  well  says :  "_We  may  con- 
ceive of  the  scene  of  the  vision  as  being 
itself  a  vision  taking  in  the  earth  and 
the  firmament  with  its  stars."_  The 
entire  book,  with  its  visions,  significant 
of  mighty  changes,  embracing  thou- 
sands of  years,  portraying  great  op- 
posing forces,  with  the  Redeemer,  the 
church,  the  powers  of  nature  and  Satan 
as  actors  comes  before  us  as  on  a  stage. 
The  place  where  they  are  portrayed  is 
the  heaven  spoken  of,  where  the  spir- 
itual element  appears  in  a  predominant 
way,  but  where  also  the  dragon  and 
the  wilderness  are  also  portrayed  to- 
gether with  God  and  his  throne.  The 
sign  is  a  woman  clothed,  rather, 
arrayed,  with  all  the  heavenly  bodies. 
The  woman  and  tlie  dragon  form  the 
same  contrast  here  that  the  Sonof  man 
and  the  beasts  form  in  Daniel,  the 
imagery  of  which  so  much  influences 
the  mind  of  John.  The  sun,  moon, 
and  stars  include  all  the   heavenly 


bodies  mentioned  in  Gen.  1  :  16.    The 

sun,  the  source  of  all  light  to  us,  con- 
stitutes her  luminous  garment.  Noth- 
ing can  be  more  striking  or  brilliant. 
In  1  :  16  the  face  of  the  glorified  Jesus 
is  like  the  sun  shining  in  his  strength. 
The  moon  is  under  her  feet.  Thi.s  does 
not  mean  that  it  is  in  subjection  to  her, 
nor  does  it  have  any  hidden  or  meta- 
phorical meaning.  It  does  not  mean 
that  the  Jewish  dispensation  was  under 
the  feet  of  Christ,  or  that  heathenism 
was  to  be  overcome.  The  meaning  is 
that  she  is  completely  invested  with 
light  from  head  to  foot;  she  is  all 
glorious  in  light.  Every  conceivable 
object  in  the  skies  that  gives  light  is 
called  in  to  aid  in  describing  her  moral 
beauty.  The  term,  twelve,  has  doubt- 
less some  allusion  to  the  twelve  tribes 
representing  God's  collective  people  in 
the  Old  Testament  times.  In  the  New 
Testament  we  have  the  same  number 
retained  in  the  twelve  apostles;  the 
new  Jerusalem  has  twelve  gates  (21 :  12). 
The  crown  worn  by  the  woman  is  not 
one  of  sovereignty,  such  as  is  worn  by 
kings,  but  is  the  garland  of  victory 
given  to  the  conqueror.  In  this  in- 
cidental way  it  is  announced  that  the 
church  and  the  cause  of  Christ  are  not 
destined  to  defeat  but  to  conquest. 

2.  A  second  feature  of  the  sign  is 
here  given.  And  .  .  .  child,  rather, 
A7id  she  was  with  child.  Cried,  rather, 
Crieth  out.  All  the  Old  Testament  is 
the  pi'ophecy  of  the  coming  Redeemer. 
In  Gen.  3  :  15  is  the  promise  of  one  who 
shall  crush  the  head  of  the  serpent. 
To  Abraham  is  the  promise  that  through 
his  posterity  all  nations  should  be 
blessed  (oen.  is :  3).  Isaiah  speaks  of  a 
coming  child  whose  advent  should 
usher  in  a  reign  of  righteousness  (is*- 
9  :  6, 7).  This  sign  is  simply  the  entire 
Old  Testament  jirophecy  coming  to  its 
fulfilment,  the  birth  of  one  who  should 
manifest  God  to  men.  In  the  seals  there 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


261 


3  And  there  appeared  another  wonder 
[or,  sign]  in  heaven ;  and  behold  ^  a 
great  red  dragon,  •h-^viug  seven  heads 


3     And  another  sign  was  seen  in  heaven ; 
and  behold  a  great  red  dragon,  having 


d  IT  :  3 ;  12  :  9 ;  Joha  3  :  U. 


e  17:9,  10;  Dan.  T  :  7. 


was  seen  the  beginning  of  Christianity 
on  the  earth  and  its  spread  among  men, 
the  conqueror  on  the  white  horse  (6  : 
11).  We  come  now  again  to  the  same 
historic  starting-point,  the  coming  of 
the  divine  one  into  a  human  life.  Jesus 
is  portrayed  in  this  book  as  the  Lamb, 
the  Redeemer;  but  to  be  tliis  among 
men  he  must  be,  in  a  human  life,  in- 
carnate. We  must  look  upon  Jesus  in 
a  twofold  way.  As  divine,  he  is  the 
head  of  the  church  above  all  things, 
the  Lord  of  David  (Matt.  22 :  43) ;  in  his 
human  nature  he  is  the  son  of  David, 
born  of  a  woman,  born  under  the  law 
(Gal.  4:4),  subject  to  all  God's  laws, 
submitting  to  baptism  as  an  ordinance 
of  God,  a  Jew,  a  member  of  God's  out- 
ward kingdom,  born  as  to  the  iiesh  of 
the  stock  of  Abraham.  Jesus  was, 
therefore,  while  the  only  begotten  Son 
of  God,  also  a  descendant  of  David,  a 
member  of  God's  Old  Testament  peo- 
ple. Jesus  occupies  varied  relations  to 
men  and  God.  He  is  Son  of  man,  Son 
of  God,  brother  in  the  human  race  and 
sovereign  Lord,  the  head  of  the  church, 
the  husband  of  the  church  which  is 
his  bride,  the  manifested  God,  an  elder 
brother,  subject  to  human  temptations 
and  weaknesses. 

Who  is  meant  by  the  woman  ?  She 
cannot  be  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  mother 
of  our  Lord.  Nowhere  does  she  ap- 
pear in  the  New  Testament  in  this  sub- 
lime way.  She  is  blessed  among  women 
(Luke  1  :  28),  but  nowhcrc  appears  as 
aught  else  than  a  worishiper  of  Jesus 
(Acta  1  :  14).  A  few  Romanists  who 
dwell  more  on  Mary  than  on  Jesus  in- 
terpret this  of  Mary.  The  woman  can 
represent  only  the  ideal  cause  of  God, 
as  represented  by  the  church.  Never 
has  the  church  actually  been  such  a 
glorious  organization.  It  was  not  such 
in  the  Old  Testament  times,  where  it  so 
often  appears  as  a  faithless  servant  of 

God     (l»a-  1  :  10;    Mai.  3  :  8).        It    waS    not 

such  in  the  New  Testament  times  when 
in  all  the  local  churches  it  was  defective 
and  sometimes  glaringly  corrupt  (i  cor. 
8:1-4).  The  woman  represents  the 
church  in  a  large,  spiritual  sense,  God's 
real  body  on  the   earth.     The   New 


Testament  church  is  a  distinct  creation 
by  Christ  on  a  new  basis,  not  that  of 
blood  descent,  but  of  a  distinct  per- 
sonal birth  through  the  Spirit  as  the 
essential  prerequisite  for  admission  into 
the  outward  kingdom  of  God.  But  in 
a  very  real  sense  God's  kingdom  from 
the  beginning,  embracing  both  the  Old 
and  New  Testament  times,  is  one.  In 
the  beginning  of  the  vision  the  refer- 
ence is  mainly  to  the  church  in  its  Old 
Testament  form,  subsequently  to  the 
church  in  its  New  Testament  aspect. 
Swete  regards  the  "woman"  as  the 
Jewish  church.  "The  ancient  expos- 
itors in  general,  beginning  with  Hip- 
polytus  and  Methodius,  understood 
the  woman  with  child  to  represent  the 
church,  though  some  identified  her 
with  the  blessed  Virgin."  "The  ideal 
mother  of  the  Lord  is  not  the  Virgin, 
but  the  Jewish  church.  Jerusalem  is 
described  in  the  prophets  as  a  travail- 
ing woman."  (Comp.  Micali4:10.  )  "  Doubt- 
less  the  church  of  the  Old  Testament 
was  the  mother  of  whom  Christ  came 
after  the  flesh.  But  here,  as  every- 
where in  the  book,  no  sharp  dividing 
line  is  drawn  between  the  church  of 
the  Old  Testament  and  the  Christian 
society;  the  latter  is  viewed  as  the 
Jewish  church  come  to  maturity.  Thus 
the  woman  who  gave  birth  to  the  Christ 
is  identical  with  her  who,  after  his  de- 
parture, suffered  for  her  faith  in  him 
(vi;r.  13),  and  who  is  the  mother  of  be- 
lievers ('•er.  17  :  comp.  Gal.  4  :  27)."    SWETE 

on  12  :  4. 

3.  The  contrast  to  the  woman,  in 
appearance  and  character,  is  now  seen. 
The  term,  heaven,  is  used  here  in 
the  same  sense  as  in  ver.  1,  as  meaning 
the  sphere  of  action.  Wonder,  rather, 
sign.  A  great  red  dragon.  In  its 
nature  it  is  a  dragon,  ugly,  bestial, 
malicious,  horrible,  and  repulsive  in 
disposition.  It  is  great,  implying 
great  power  in  destructiveness.  Its 
mission  is  not  that  of  giving  life  and 
nourishing  it,  hut  the  opposite,  that  of 
destruction.  It  is  red,  significant  of 
its  cruel  and    murderous  disposition. 

(Comp.   John  8  :  44  ;     1  John  3  :  12  ;    Rev.  17  :  6.) 

The  seven  heads  denote  the  com- 


262 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


and  teu  horns,  'and  seven  crowns  upon 
4  his  heads.    And  his  tail  drew  the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  eand  did 
cast  them  to  the  earth. 

And  the  dragon  stood  before  the 
woman  which  was  ready  to  be  de- 
livered, ""for  to  devour  her  child  as 


seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  on  his 
4  heads  seven  diadems.  And  his  tail 
drags  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of 
heaven ;  and  it  cast  them  to  the  earth. 
And  the  dragon  stood  before  the 
woman  who  was  about  to  bring  forth, 
that  when  she  brought  forth,  he  might 


/13:1. 


g  Dan.  8  :  9-12. 


A  Ezod.  1 :  16;  Matt.  2  :  3-16. 


pleteness  of  intelligence  and  power  for 
carrying  out  its  purposes.  As  a  dragon 
he  is  perfect.  His  power  and  intelli- 
gence correspond  with  his  nature  and 
aims.  The  Lamb  had  seven  horns,  sig- 
nifying the  perfect  power  vested  in 
him  as  Redeemer  (s  ■•  6).  The  ten 
horns  here  symbolize  the  complete 
world-power  dwelling  in  the  dragon. 
Crowns,  rather,  diadems.  Thi^  term 
denotes  sovereignty ;  the  dragon  rules 
as  king.  This  same  person  has  already 
been  introduced  as  king  in  9  :  11.  He 
was  there  known  as  Abaddon  or  Apol- 
lyon  ;  he  is  here  revealed  as  the  dragon, 
a  horrible  serpentlike  thing,  soon  to 
be  made  known  as  the  devil  (^er.  9).  It 
is  noticeable  that  the  crown  of  the 
woman  (ver.  i)  denotes  victory ;  the 
dragon,  the  king  of  the  hosts  of  dark- 
ness, will  be  defeated.  There  is  a  great 
world  of  dark  and  unseen  forces  of 
whose  existence  we  become  aware  only 
through  revelation.  The  infernal  world 
comes  to  a  headship  in  Satan. 

4.  This  verse  shows  his  destructive 
power,  his  tail  drew,  rather,  dratv- 
eth.  The  magnitude  of  the  dragon 
and  his  power  and  fury  are  shown  in 
this  that  he,  with  his  tail,  lashes  the 
skies  and  throws  down  the  stars.  The 
present  t«nse  shows  that  this  is  his 
nature ;  he  perpetually,  or  as  long  as  he 
has  opportunity,  wars  against  the  things 
of  beauty  and  order.  The  one-third 
has  frequently  been  noticed  in  this 
book,  indicating  an  indefinite  frac- 
tional part.  His  power  is  restrained  ; 
there  are  limits  beyond  which  he  can- 
not go.  He  cannot  rob  the  entire  sky 
of  its  stars  (s  :  7-12 ,-  9  :  15,  is).  The  pro- 
portion cannot  be  literally  interpreted. 
Stars  of  heaven.  Some  think  that 
the  reference  is  to  the  fall  of  the  angels, 
those  who  kept  not  their  first  estate 
(jude,  Ter.  6).  This  is  very  doubtful. 
Some  refer  it  to  an  apostasy  among 
those  who  were  teachers  and  leaders  in 
the  church,  occupying  a  position  of 
prominence,  stars  as  it  were  in    the 


church,  symbolized  by  the  stars  in  the 
sky.  It  is  best  to  give  it  an  indefinite 
reference.  The  throwing  down  of  the 
stars  to  the  earth  would,  in  the  physical 
world,  be  an  occasion  of  darkness,  dis- 
order, lawlessness,  destruction.  He 
takes  position  before  the  woman. 
Dragon  .  .  .  woman,  rather,  dragon 
stands  before  the  u*oman  which  was 
about  to  be  delivered,  that  when  she  was 
delivered  he  might  destroy  her  child. 
This  expi'esses  the  attitude  of  Satan 
toward  God's  cause  in  all  the  ages. 
Pharaoh,  several  times  called  a  dragon 
because  of  his  ferocity,  tried  to  crush 
the  cause  of  God  by  destroying  the 
first-born  (Ezek.  29  :  8).  His  power, 
cruelty,  and  craftiness  united  to  check 
God's  cause.  The  New  Testament 
Pharaoh  is  Herod.  Both  were  men  of 
evil  heart ;  both  made  war  upon  Je- 
hovah ;  both  were  defeated  in  their 
purposes.  While  the  reference  may 
find  its  clearest  illustration  in  the  at- 
tempt made  at  the  birth  of  Christ  to 
destroy  God's  cause  on  the  eai-th  by  de- 
stroying him,  yet  it  is  true  that  during 
the  entire  ministry  of  Christ,  Satan 
was  his  opponent  and  tempter  (Luke  4  : 
13;  John  13:2).  Whercvcr  the  woman 
is,  wherever  Christ's  work  is  done  and 
good  lives  are  lived,  there  will  be  the 
dragon  with  intent  to  destroy.  The 
dragon  standing  before  the  woman  is  a 
pictorial  representation  of  the  spirit  of 
Satan  in  all  his  plannings  and  agencies 
toward  Christ,  Christ's  cause  on  the 
earth,  and  the  individual  Christian. 
Every  good  cause  encounters  the  hatred 
and  opposition  of  Satan.  There  is 
never  a  good  deed  planned,  or  good 
work  begun,  or  a  good  life  undertaken, 
but  the  dragon  is  waiting  to  devour  the 
ofispring.  It  is  the  most  dangerous 
assault  when  the  dragon  assumes  the 
shape  of  a  tempter  or  danger  dressed 
in  white  (2  cor.  11  ;  u).  The  dragon 
always  remains  a  dragon,  whether  he 
appears  in  a  violent  persecution  or  in 
a  seductive  worldliness. 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


2G3 


5  soon  as  it  was  born.  '  And  she  brought 
forth  a  man  child, ''who  was  to  rule 
all  natious  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  her 
child  was  '  caught  up  unto  God,  and  to 
his  throne. 

6  And  "the  woman  fled  into  the  wil- 
derness, where  she  hath  a  place  pre- 
pared of  God,  "  that  they  should  feed 


5  devour  her  child.  And  she  brought 
forth  a  man-child,  who  is  to  shepherd 
all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  and  her 
child  was  caught  up  to  God,  and  to  his 

6  throne.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the 
wilderness,  where  she  has  a  place  pre- 
pared by  God,  that  they  may  nourish 


i  Matt.  1  :  25 ;  Gal.  4:4.  t  2  ;  26,  27  ;  19  :  15 ;  Pa.  2  :  9.  I  U  :  12  ;  Acts  2  :  33  ;  Eph.  1  :  20. 

m  Ps.  91  :  1 ;  Song  of  Sol.  2:14;  8:5;  Ezek.  20  ;  35.  ?»  1  Kings  17  :  3-6. 


5.  The  child  is  born  and  his  nature 
is  portrayed.    And  she  ...  child, 

rather,  And  she  ivas  delivered  of  a  son, 
a  man  child.  Who  ...  uatious, 
rather,  Who  is  to  rule  all  the  nations  f 
The  ruling  spoken  of  is  that  of  acting 
as  a  shepherd.  This  one,  so  born, 
shall,  as  the  essential  part  of  Ills  min- 
istry, he  a  universal  ruler.  Over  his 
own  people  and  over  the  nations  he 
shall  exercise  sway.  The  sway  would 
begin  to  be  exercised  in  his  personal 
ministry  and  be  continued  so  that,  in 
time,  his  sway  would  everywhere  be 
recognized.  His  method  of  ruling  is 
indicated,  with  a  rod  of  iron.  The 
figure  is  talien  from  Ps.  2.  The  se- 
verer aspect  of  Christ's  work  is  alluded 
to  through  this  figure.  He  appears, 
not  with  the  shepherd's  peaceful  crook, 
but  with  the  iron  rod  to  beat  down,  to 
break  down  all  opposition.  In  the 
Gospels  he  appears  mainly  as  a  tender 
shepherd,  but  in  the  Psalms  and  in  this 
book  he  appears  as  a  conqueror,  with 
many  adversaries  appearing,  but  all  of 
them  finally  cruslied  by  defeat.  The 
prominent  thought  is  that  of  opposi- 
tion to  Christ,  but  final  victory  on  the 
part  of  Christ.  In  his  ministry  on  the 
earth  Jesus  could  utter  woes  (Matt.  24) ; 
could  speak  of  a  judgment  day  when 
the  issues  should  be  eternal  life  and 
eternal  death.  And  the  child  was 
caught  up  unto  God  and  to  his 
throne.  This  means  the  exaltation 
and  glorification  of  Jesus,  not  only  in 
his  own  person,  but  in  that  of  his 
people  and  church  through  him.  There 
was  an  ascension  to  God's  right  hand. 
The  ascen-sion  was  God's  testimony  to 
his  Sonship,  was  the  assurance  of  safety 
to  him  from  all  perils,  was  the  entrance 
into  a  personal  fellowship  with  the 
Father  in  all  his  power  whereby  lie 
might  carry  on  his  work  on  the  eartli 
more  efiectively.  That  interpretation 
whereby  the  reference  is  to  the  baptism 


of  the  Emperor  Constantine  through 
which  the  Roman  empire  became 
nominally  Christian,  must  be  rejected. 
Part  of  Christ's  a.scension  power  was 
his  bestowal  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (John 
16).  No  allusion  is  Jiere  made  to  the 
fundamental  teaching  concerning  the 
suflferings  and  death  of  Jesus.  These 
are  presupposed  in  allu.sious  elsewhere, 
when  the  efficacy  of  his  death  is  spoken 
of  as  the  source  of  his  people's  victory 
(vcr.  11).  The  issue  between  Christ  and 
the  dragon  cannot  be  doubtful,  for  the 
one  is  the  assured  Son  of  God,  seated 
on  his  throne.  The  allusion  is  not  sim- 
ply to  the  one  historical  fact  of  his  as- 
cension, but  to  the  continuous  victory 
of  Christ,  liis  perpetual  conquering 
reign.  The  incarnation  and  the  ascen- 
sion are  the  terminal  points  of  our 
Saviour's  earthly  ministry.  All  the 
glory  that  Christ  gets  through  his 
ascension  is  shared  in  by  his  people 

(Heb.  2  :  17). 

6.  Having  learned  the  fate  of  the 
woman's  child,  we  now  turn  to  the 
course  of  the  woman's  history.  Wil- 
derness. It  is  probable  that  Elijah's 
flight  into  the  wilderness,  and  his  sup- 
port there  (i  Kings  17 :  s;  19  : 5),  together 
with  the  wanderings  in  the  wilderness 
for  forty  years  by  the  children  of  Israel, 
may  have  laid  the  historical  foundation 
for  this  picture.  Jesus  also  found  a 
home  in  the  wilderness  for  forty  days, 
and  a  heavenly  miui.stration  there  (Matt. 
4  :  11  )•  This  woman,  the  church,  finds 
persecution,  but  finds  a  refuge  in  a 
wilderness.  The  term  presupposes  a 
time  of  darkness  and  depression ;  it 
also  asserts  a  place  of  security  and 
refuge.  The  night  is  in  accordance 
with  God's  plan  and  provision.  Pre- 
pared of  God.  God  will  care  for 
the  things  of  Christ.  They  may 
feed,  nourish.  It  is  not  stated  by 
whom  the  church  will  be  preserved, 
the  indefinite  theij  referring,  in  an  in- 


264 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


her  there  "a  thousand  two  hundred 
and  threescore  days. 
7      And    there    was    war    in    heaven : 
p  Michael     and     his     angels     fought 
4  against  the  dragon ;  and  the  dragon 


her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty  days. 
7      And    there    was    war    in     heaven, 
Michael  and  his  angels  to  war  with 
the  dragon.    And  the  dragon  warred, 


0  11  :  3  ;  13  ;  5. 


p  Dan.  10  :  13,  21 ;  12  :  1 ;  Jude  9. 


q  Ver.  3  ;   20  :  2. 


definite  way,  to  God's  providential  ar- 
rangements. A  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  threescore  days.  This 
is  the  indefinite  period  of  time  alluded 
to  heretofore  (n  ;  2, 3),  This  period  of 
time,  iu  whatever  form  given,  is  the 
half  of  seven  years,  the  mark  of  com- 
pleteness. It  is  indicative  always  of  a 
broken  and  incomplete  era,  the  expres- 
sion of  darkness,  of  suffering  for  the 
church.  The  same  thought  is  presented 
again  more  fully  in  ver.  14.  Whatever 
dark  times  come,  the  church  is  al- 
ways safe  because  Christ  is  always 
on  high,  the  reigning  Christ ;  and  the 
church  is  his  own  body.  God  saved 
Sodom  so  long  as  he  had  good  people 
in  it.  Their  departure  meant  its  de- 
struction. Jesus  will  always  have  a 
church  on  the  earth,  even  though  it  be 
small  in  numbers,  and  hidden  almost 
from  the  sight  of  men,  and  clothed  in 
sackcloth.  A  churchless  world  would 
be  a  destroyed  world. 

7-12.  The  warfare  in  heaven. 
This  section  follows  naturally  upon  the 
first,  in  order  of  thought.  In  the  first 
section  the  two  contestants,  the  Son  and 
the  dragon,  have  been  presented  in  their 
essential  natures  of  light  and  darkness. 
There  is  now  placed  before  us,  in  a 
poetical  way,  the  contest  in  which  they 
are  engaged,  designated  as  a  war. 

7.  War  in  heaven.  All  that  fol- 
lows takes  place  in  vision.  It  is  not 
literal  war,  but  the  contest  of  opposing 
moral  influences.  To  what  time  does 
this  refer?  Some  refer  it  to  some  con- 
test in  the  spiritual  world,  prior  to 
human  history,  when  Satan,  by  trans- 
gression, fell  from  his  first  estate.  Mil- 
ton, in  his  "Paradise  Lost,"  so  treats 
the  passage.  Alford  finds  in  this  pas- 
sage "a  mysterious  series  of  events  in 
the  world  of  spirits  in  regard  to  which 
only  fragmentary  hints  are  given  to  us 
in  the  Scriptures."  It  is  in  order  of 
time  subsequent  to  the  incarnation  of 
Christ,  which  is  represented  in  the  first 
section  of  this  chapter.  It,  therefore, 
does  not  refer  to  any  event  long  prior 
to  that  time,  events  in  the  spiritual 


world  alone.  The  heaven  spoken  of  is 
not  the  literal  heaven,  the  place  of 
holiness,  where  holy  beings  alone  dwell. 
It  is  inconceivable  in  thought  that 
Satan  should  be  there  in  person,  and 
that  a  war,  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
should  be  waged  there.  When  Satan 
is  represented  as  in  heaven  (Job  \  ■■  6; 
zech.  3),  these  are  highly  figurative  pas- 
sages, not  implying  that  Satan  in  per- 
son is  there.  It  would  not  be  a  heaven 
where  Satan,  in  his  utter  malignancy, 
walked  unhindered  among  God's  peo- 
ple, and  threw  at  them  his  false  accu- 
sations. The  heaven  alluded  to  is  that 
which  so  often  appears  in  this  book, 
the  theater  upon  which  the  sacred 
drama  is  represented.  The  war  repre- 
sents the  contest  between  the  good  and 
the  bad  forces.  It  embraces  many 
agencies,  many  opposing  forces,  but  all 
centering  about  the  two  persons,  Jesus 
and  Satan.  Michael  ...  dragon, 
rather,  Michael  and  his  angels  going 
forth  to  ivar  with  the  dragon.  Michael 
is  spoken  of  as  the  aggressor  in  the 
contest,  beginning  the  hostilities.  Who 
is  meant  by  Michael  ?  Some  refer  it  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  himself.  The  name, 
Michael,  meaning  "who  is  like  God," 
is  held  to  lead  to  this  belief.  In  Jude 
(ver.  9)  we  read  of  Michael,  the  arch- 
angel, of  whom  but  one  is  mentioned. 
In  1  "riiess.  4  :  13  the  archangel  is  as- 
sociated with  the  return  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  In  Dan.  10 :  21  Michael  appears 
as  the  protector  of  the  chosen  people 
in  their  contest  with  foreign  powers. 
But  Michael  cannot  be  regarded  as  the 
Lord  himself.  In  the  Old  Testament 
the  angel  of  Jehovah  is  the  designation 
of  the  Old  Testament  appearance  of 
Jesus  before  his  incarnation.  Michael, 
standing  in  the  Old  Testament  as  the 
leader  of  the  Lord's  hosts,  may  be  fit- 
tingly regarded  in  this  book,  which 
reproduces  so  much  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, as  the  leader  of  God's  holy 
forces.  He  is  not  Jesus  himself,  but 
stands  as  the  representative  of  Jesus, 
just  as  the  strong  angel  Mas  a  figu- 
rative representation  of  Jesus  (10  =  !)• 


Ch.  XIL] 


REVELATION 


265 


8  fought  and  his  angels,  and  prevailed 
not;   'neither  was  their  place  found 

9  any  more  in  heaven.    And  'the  great 
dragon  was  cast  out,  'that  old  serpent. 


8  and  his  angels,  and  they  prevailed  not, 
nor  was  their  place  found  any  more  in 

9  heaven.     And  the  great  dragon  was 
cast  down,  the  old  serpent,  he  that  is 


r  P3.  37  :  10. 


<  Luk*  10  :  18 ;  Joba  Vi  :  31. 


t  20  :  2  ;  Gen.  3  :  1,  4. 


The  passage  does  not  mean  that  Jesus 
is  that  Michael  spoken  of  in  Dan.  10 : 
21  or  in  .Jude  9,  but  that  lie  occu- 
pies here,  as  the  leader  of  the  spir- 
itual forces,  the  same  position  that 
Michael  there  does.  In  other  words, 
the  term  Michael  is  a  representative 
one,  Jesus  is  a  spiritual  Michael  filling 
his  place.  Angels.  The  reference  is 
not  to  angels  iji  the  literal  sense  of  the 
word,  but  in  a  representative  sense. 
Just  as  the  historic  Michael  had  his 
angels,  so  the  spiritual  Michael  has  his 
followers  corresponding  to  angels,  and 
here  denominated  angels.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  the  consideration  of  the  terms 
used  in  ver.  11.  The  holy  contestants 
of  this  passage  are  there  described  as 
conquerors.  The  agency  used  by  them 
ill  their  victorious  conflict  is  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  But  as  angels  do  not 
overcome  by  or  through  the  blood,  this 
can  refer  to  men  alone  who  are  saved 
through  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus,  (comp. 
17  :  u.)  Angels  do  not  need  the  for- 
giveness, the  regeneration,  the  help 
that  comes  through  the  blood.  The 
warfare  here  described  is  that  of  Jesus 
through  his  witnessing  and  conquering 
church.  Dragon  fought,  rather, 
warred.  There  is  a  personal  agency  of 
Satan  manifest  in  all  human  history, 
but  appearing  in  a  redoubled  form  since 
the  advent  oi^  the  Saviour.  The  dragon 
carries  on  his  war  through  the  perver- 
sion of  doctrine,  the  seduction  of  lead- 
ers, the  temptations  of  worldliness,  the 
mixture  of  error  with  the  truth,  the 
stirring-up  of  persecution,  the  begetting 
of  divisions.  Through  the  slave  trade, 
the  rum  traffic,  the  spirit  of  conquest 
on  the  part  of  nations,  the  oppressive 
use  of  power,  through  these  agencies 
he  to-day  makes  war  among  men,  en- 
tailing large  curses  and  bringing  speedy 
ruin  upon  millions.  He  is  a  god  of 
this  world,  so  potential  is  his  agency 
direct  and  indirect  (2  cor.  4  :  «).  An- 
gels. Satan  has  many  helpers,  led  by 
him  at  his  will,  moved  thereto  by 
pleasure  and  profit. 

8.  The  result  of  the  contest  is  here 
given,    Jesus  speaks  of  Satan's  defeat, 


of  his  falling  from  heaven  (r.uke  10  :  18). 
He  also  speaks  of  Satan  being  judged, 
in  the  sense  of  being  condemned  and 
cast  out  as  the  result  of  his  sacrificial 
death  (Johu  j2 :  ai ;  16  :  11).  Not  only 
was  there  defeat  for  the  dragon,  but 
there  was  no  place  for  him  in  heaven 
on  the  scene  of  the  heavenly  drama. 
All  of  this  takes  place  in  vision.  In 
time  it  is  after  the  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity upon  the  earth.  The  result  of 
Christ's  work  is  ultimately  to  defeat 
Satan,  to  crush  him  under  foot  so  that 
on  the  theater  of  the  vision  Sat.an  is 
not  beheld  at  all.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Satan  is,  in  a  figurative  and 
poetical  way,  spoken  of  as  accusing, 
in  person,  the  godly  in  heaven.  Jesus, 
in  liis  own  person,  brought  defeat  for 
Satan,  making  the  demons  subject  to 
his  disciples  (Luke  10  :  20).  In  time 
Satan  will  be  bound,  his  influence  will 
be  largely  limited,  even  as  it  now  is 
judicially  limited.  And  finally  he  will 
be  shut  up  in  the  bottomless  pit,  so 
that  the  godly  shall  forever  be  freed 
from  his  power  (chap.  20). 

9.  This  verse  more  fully  explains 
and  illustrates  ver.  8.  No  place  was 
found  in  heaven  for  the  dragon  and  his 
angels,  for  he  was  cast  out.  Adam  was 
cast  out  of  Eden;  in  like  manner  Satan 
was  cast  out  of  the  holy  heaven  as  soon 
as  he  became  a  Satan.  This  came,  not 
from  God's  almightiness  alone,  for  there 
is  always  a  deep  gulf  between  the  holy 
God  and  unholiness.  He  is  now,  in 
vision,  cast  out  of  that  theater  upon 
which  this  vision  is  presented.  This 
casting  out  came  coincident,  in  time, 
with  the  suff'erings  and  ascension  of 
Christ,  and  as  their  direct  resultant. 
Tlie  dragon  is  defined  in  a  threefold 
way,  that  old  serpent.  The  allu- 
sion is  to  Gen.  3  :  1,  4.  Satan  is  ma- 
licious, crafty,  full  of  wileSj  having 
those  qualities  commonly  attributed  to 
the  serpent.  In  the  Babylonian  records 
the  picture  of  the  temptation  is  pre- 
sented under  the  form  of  the  serpent 
tempting  the  man  to  eat  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit.  Among  many  ancient 
peoples  the  serpent  was  looked  upon 


266 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


"called  the  devil,  ^and  Sutau,  y  which 
deceiveth  the  whole  world:  ^he  was 
cast  out  into  the  earth,  aud  his  angels 
10  were  cast  out  with  him.  Aud  I  heard 
a  loud  voice  saying  iu  heaven. 

»  Now  is  come  salvation,  aud  strength, 
'"and  the  kingdom  of  our  God, 
« And  the  power  of  his  Christ. 
For  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast 

down, 
d  Which  accused  them  before  our  God 

day  aud  uight. 


called  the  Devil  and  Satan,  who  leads 
astray  the  whole  habitable  earth ;  he 
was  cast  down  to  the  earth,  and  his 
10  angels  were  cast  down  with  him.  Aud 
I  heard  a  great  voice  iu  heaven,  say- 
ing, Now  is  come  the  salvation,  and 
the  power,  and  tlie  kingdom  of  our 
God,  and  the  authority  of  his  Christ ; 
because  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is 
cast  down,  who  accused  them  before 


u  Matt.  13  :  39 ;  John  8  :  44 ;  1  Peter  5:8.        x  Job  1  ; 
J  Dan.  2  :  44.  c  Ps.  2  :  8-12  ;  110  :  5,  6. 


y  20:3;  2  Cor.  11:3.        2  9:1.        a  11: 15;  19:1. 
d  1  Ohron.  21  :  1 ;  Job  1  :  9 ;  2:5;  Zech.  3  :  1. 


as  the  embodiment  of  wisdom,  and, 
therefore,  associated  with  their  wor- 
ship. Its  power  to  attract,  to  bewitch, 
to  harm  makes  the  serpent  a  fitting 
representation  of  Satan.  Satan  is  a 
serpent  in  his  malignity;  an  old  ser- 
pent by  reason  of  his  centuries  of 
wicked  activity.  Devil.  This  means 
a  slanderer.  He  slanders  God  to  men. 
He  presented  to  the  minds  of  the  first 
parents  a  meau  and  little  conception 
of  God  (Gen.  3 : 5).  Any  wroug  concep- 
tion of  God  will  make  a  corrupted  re- 
ligion, inasmuch  as  God  himself  is  the 
center  of  all  worship  and  all  religion. 
He  is  also  described  in  ver.  10  as  a 
slanderer  of  Cliristian  people.  Satan 
means  an  enemy.  He  is  the  one  pre- 
eminent enemy  of  God,  of  man,  of  all 
good  things.  His  work  is  that  of  de- 
ceiving men.  Deceiveth.  If  Satan 
came  openly  as  Satan,  avowing  his 
purpose  and  nature,  he  could  work  no 
ill.  His  power  lies  in  his  deceptive- 
iiess ;  he  is  a  liar  from  the  beginning 
(John  8 :  44).  The  whole  Avorid  means 
the  habital)le  world.  All,  so  long  as 
men  abide  on  the  earth,  are  exposed  to 
his  temptations  by  reason  of  their  hu- 
man nature  and  their  limitations.  Even 
Jesus  was  tempted  during  all  his  earthly 
ministry.  The  saints  can  escape  only 
by  constant  watchfulness  (i  Peter  6:8). 
Cast  ...  earth,  rather,  cast  doirn 
to  the  earth.  This  is  a  figurative  way 
of  saying  that  Satan  has  been  defeated 
in  his  warfare.  He  is  as  thoroughly 
defeated  as  if  he  were  cast  down  to  tlie 
earth.  In  no  way  could  this  be  more 
forcibly  shown.  His  sphere  of  in- 
fluence, his  power  to  do  evil,  are  limited 
and  restrained.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
guard  our  thoughts  against  believing 
that  this  is  an  actual  expulsion  from 
the  holy  heaven  itself,  as  though  he 


had  mingled  with  the  godly  and  car- 
ried on  a  warfare  therein.  It  is  en- 
tirely a  vision  in  which  is  shown  the 
conquest  of  Satan  by  the  conquering 
Christ,  the  fruit  of  his  sacrificial  work. 
His  angels  naturally  followed  with 
him.  In  the  three  following  verses  is 
given  a  song  of  praise  for  the  victory 
thus  gained.  The  triumph  over  Satan 
involves  a  complete  salvation  and  the 
widening  of  God's  kingdom.  The 
agency  by  which  Christianity  wins  its 
way  in  the  world  is  made  known,  the 
power  of  Christ  and  his  cross.  The 
rage  of  Satan  is  thereby  enkindled. 

10.  Loud  voice.  It  is  not  stated 
by  whom  the  voice  is  uttered  ;  it  is  left 
in  an  indefinite  way.  It  may  fittingly 
be  the  expression  of  the  elders,  stand- 
ing for  those  redeemed  from  the  earth. 
The  voice  identifies  the  kinship  of 
those  yet  struggling  on  the  earth, 
our  brethren.  Salvation,  lather, 
the  salvation.  The  salvation  is  that 
full  and  final  salvation  the  result  of 
Christ's  death  and  work  (Heb.  9  :  27). 
Power.  Jesus,  at  his  exaltation,  came 
into  the  possession  of  a  universal  sov- 
ereignty (Matt-  28  :  18).  Christ's  sov- 
ereignty is  secured  through  his  resur- 
rection and  the  events  subsequent  to  it. 
Jesus  alludes  to  the  casting  out  of  the 
prince  of  this  world,  the  stripping  him 
of  his  power  through  his  own  death 

(John    12  :  31  ;    16  :  8,  ll).       ACCUSCr.      Jc- 

sus  is  our  advocate  before  God,  as  in 
the  Old  Testament  Michael  stands  for 
the  interests  of  the  chosen  people 
against  foreign  foes. _  Satan  is  an 
enemy,  doing  the  opposite  of  that  which 
Jesus"  does.  He  is  figuratively  repre- 
sented as  slandering  men  to  God  con- 
tinually. Accused,  rather,  acciiseth. 
It  is  not  meant  that  Satan  is  actually 
before   God,    bringing   lying   charges 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


267 


11  And  •  they  overcame  him  '  by  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb, 
And  by  the  word  of  their  testimony  : 
eAnd  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto 
the  death. 


11  our  God  day  and  night.  And  they 
overcame  him,  because  of  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb,  and  because  of  the  word  of 
their  testimony;   and  they  loved  not 


e  Rom.  8  :  33-39 ;  16  :  20 ;  1  John  2  :  13,  14.  /  7  :  10-14. 

2  :  10,  13 ;  20  :  4 ;   Luke  14  :  26  ;  Acts  20  :  24  ;   Heb.  11  :  35-38. 


against  the  believer.  This  would  be  i 
entirely  too  realistic  a  conception  of 
heaven  viewed  as  the  dwelling-place 
of  the  holy.  It  is  as  if  Satan  presented 
before  God  false  .statements  concerning 
believers,  misjudging  their  motives, 
misstating  their  lives,  holding  up  their 
mistakes,  magnifying  their  wrongs. 
Often  the  heart  of  the  believer  is 
troubled  at  the  remembrance  of  wrongs 
done;  the  suggestion  arises  that  the 
forgiveness  of  the  sins  may  be  impossi- 
ble ;  it  is  just  as  though  Satan  were  an 
advocate  against  us  before  God.  Satan 
lies  to  men  about  God  ;  he  would,  if  it 
were  possible,  lie  to  God  about  men. 
But  his  power  in  all  directions  is  limited 
through  that  Christ  who  is  at  God's 
right  hand,  carrying  even  yet  a  human 
nature  that  is  akin  to  that  of  the  re- 
deemed on  the  earth.  Our.  This 
marks  the  relationship  between  the  re- 
deemed above  and  the  redeemed  on  the 
earth.  They  are  parts  of  one  indivis- 
ible church. 

Doctor  Hovey  suggests  that  the  ac- 
cusations made  against  Christians, 
charging  them  with  licentious  practices 
at  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  bringing  per- 
secutions upon  them  through  false 
statements,  as  that  they  were  pervert- 
ing the  truth,  all  this  done  from  a  seem- 
ingly great  love  for  the  truth,  made,  as 
it  were,  before  God^  may  explain  the 
meaning  here  of  bringing  the  accusa- 
tion before  God.  It  is  certain,  as  Meyer 
says,  that  the  Scriptures  do  not  give  us 
the  doctrinal  belief  of  a  personal  accu- 
sation of  Satan  before  God,  a  belief 
just  as  incomprehensible  to  Christian 
thought  as  the  idea  of  an  actual  abode 
of  the  devil  and  his  angels  in  heaven. 

11.  The  means  by  which  the  over- 
coming of  Satan  takes  place  are  here 
portrayed.  They.  This  refers  to 
Michael  and  his  angels,  the  forces  of 
the  redeemed  on  the  earth  who  over- 
come Satan.  They  are  accused  by  him, 
but  they  overcome  him.  The  conflict 
takes  place,  therefore,  not  in  some 
supernatural  sphere,  but  on  the  earth, 


among  men.  This  is  evident  from  the 
expression,    blood    of  the    Lamb. 

Jesus  overcame  Satan  through  his 
death,  a  seemingly  utter  defeat;  but  it 
was  through  his  resurrection  that 
Satan's  power  was  brought  to  naught 
(Heb.  2:14).  On account of  Jesus'  death, 
its  removal  of  condemnation,  its  ma- 
king a  free  access  to  God,  the  interces- 
sion above,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  ordering  of  life  through  God'.s 
guidance,  all  these  are  included  in  the 
statement.  The  Lamb  won  his  victory 
over  the  dragon  through  the  shedding 
of  his  blood.  This  is,  at  once,  the 
prophecy,  the  symbol,  and  the  cause 
of  tiie  like  conquest  over  Satan  by  all 
believers.  Faith  in  the  Lamb  makes 
one  with  the  Lamb  (i  John  5:4).  The 
word  of  their  testimony  alludes 
to  the  witnessing  on  the  part  of  the 
church.  They  openly  witnessed  for 
him,  what  he  is,  and  what  he  had  done 
for  them.  The  gospel  made  known  is 
the  power  of  God  to  save  men,  to  trans- 
form peoples,  to  regenerate  society. 
The  islands  of  the  South  Sea  were  full 
of  cannibals,  where  truth  was  unknown, 
where  savagery  prevailed.  In  twenty 
years,  in  some  islands,  every  family 
had  household  prayer,  and  the  spirit 
of  peace  had  come.  The  scattered 
church  became  a  witnessing  church. 
Christianity  spread  far  and  wide  when 
believers  gave  their  testimony  for  him 
(Acts  8:4).  The  Lamb  and  the  witness- 
ing church  united  can  win  a  world 
from  Satan,  thereby  overcoming  him. 
The  overcoming  refers  not  only  to  tlie 
personal  salvation  of  the  believer,  but 
to  the  organized  triumph  of  Christ's 
cause  on  the  earth.  Christianity,  as  a 
whole,  defeats  the  organization  and 
agencies  of  evil.  Overcame  is  in  the 
past  tense.  The  victory  is  looked  upon 
as  so  assured  that  it  is  spoken  of  as 
already  won,  though  the  warfare  may 
continue  through  centuries  to  come. 
The  believer's  conquest  is  as.sured, 
through  the  one  conquest  of  Christ. 
Loved  .  .  .  death,  rather,  they  loved 


268 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


12  Therefore  ^  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye 

that  dwell  in  them. 
'  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and 

of  the  sea ! 
For  ^  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you, 

having  great  wrath, 
1  Because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but 

a  short  time. 


12  their  life,  even  to  death.  For  this 
cause  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  they 
who  dwell  in  them.  Woe  to  the  earth 
and  the  sea!  Because  the  Devil  is 
gone  down  to  you,  having  great 
wrath,  knowing  that  he  has  but  a 
little  season. 


A  18  :  20 ;  Ps.  96  :  11-13  ;  Isa.  49  :  13. 


i  8  :  13 ;  9  :  12  ;  11  :  10. 


ft  1  Peter  5  :  8. 


not  their  life,  even  unto  death.  This 
describes  the  character  of  those  over- 
coming ;  it  was  not  a  calculating  life, 
seeing  how  much  might  be  safely  haz- 
arded for  Christ.  As  Christ  gave  himself 
unreservedly  to  them,  they,  in  turn, 
gave  themselves  to  the  uttermost  to 
him.  The  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the 
seed  of  the  church.  In  Madagascar, 
when  the  missionaries  had  been  driven 
away,  and  persecution  raged,  the 
churches  increased  in  numbers  and 
spirituality.  It  is  more  difficult  for 
the  church  to  maintain  its  power  and 
spirituality  in  times  when  wealth  and 
fashion  and  outward  splendor  influence 
it  than  when  the  jail  and  loss  of 
property  and  torture  confront  it.  It 
requires  the  spirit  of  martyrdom  to 
witness  for  Christ,  in  a  clear  way,  in 
times  when  the  church  is  dressed  in 
purple  and  fine  linen. 

12.  This  verse  continues  the  words 
of  the  great  voice  (ver.  lo).  A  twofold 
distinction  is  made — a  rejoicing  for  a 
certain  class,  a  woe  for  another  class. 
Rejoice  ...  in  them.  Satan  is 
impotent  as  regards  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  who  are  faithful  unto  death. 
Over  them  Satan  has  no  power;  they 
are  already  dwelling,  in  spirit,  with 
the  ascended  Christ,  their  head,  in 
the  heavens.  They  dwell  already  in 
heaven ;  their  citizenship  is  there  (P^iii- 
3  :  20).  It  has  been  said  that  Satan  was 
cast  out  of  heaven  (ver.  a),  meaning 
thereby  that  Satan  has  suffered  defeat 
at  the  hands  of  Christ.  It  is  as  though 
he  had  fallen  down  to  the  earth.  He 
is  a  defeated  Satan,  whose  defeat  is 
shown  in  this  drama  by  a  fall  from 
heaven  to  earth.  Therefore  Christ,  in 
heaven,  is  exempt  from  his  assaults. 
Therefore  his  people,  who  ai-e  looked 
upon  as  in  Christ,  are  regarded  as  ex- 
empt from  his  power,  though  they  are 
exposedj  while  on  the  earth,  to  his 
temptations.  The  mastery  of  Satan  is 
exercised  over  the  ungodly.    Woe... 


sea,  rather,  woe  for  the  earth  and  the 
sea.  There  is  a  contrast  here  between 
the  heavens  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
earth  and  the  sea  on  the  other.  By 
the  one  is  meant  the  redeemed,  by  the 
other  the  ungodly.  Over  them  Satan 
exercises  his  control.  In  ver.  9  Satan 
is  called  the  deceiver  of  the  inhabited 
world ;  here,  where  another  term  is 
used,  he  is  represented  as  having  power 
over  the  world  of  the  ungodly.  Earth 
and  sea  together  make  up  the  one  en- 
tire world.  Satan,  taking  possession  of 
things  earthly,  will  make  use  of  the 
world-power  thus  gained  to  oppose  and, 
if  possible,  overcome  the  kingdom  of 
truth  and  righteousness.  In  ver.  9  it 
is  said  that  Satan  was  cast  out  of  heaven. 
In  this  passage  his  voluntariness  of  ac- 
tion is  looked  at,  he  is  come  down, 
rather,  is  gone  down.  John  stands  on 
the  upper  place,  the  stage  on  which  the 
drama  takes  place.  The  great  wratli 
arises  from  nis  defeat  at  the  hands  of 
Christ  by  means  of  his  resurrection, 
ascension,  and  the  carrying  on  of  his 
work  even  more  efi'ectively  in  the 
heavens.  Defeated  in  one  attempt,  he 
transfers  his  energies  to  new  methods 
of  work.  If  he  could  not  defeat  Christ, 
perhaps  he  may  defeat  Christ's  people. 
He  is  always  full  of  wrath  against  Jesus 
and  his  people  (ver.  7).  In  the  ministry 
of  Jesus  we  see  Satan's  renewed  per- 
sonal energy  in  the  work  of  the  demons 
of  the  New  Testament.  In  the  per- 
sonal ministry  of  Christ  this  casting- 
down  took  place.  Satan  fell  as  from 
heaven  to  earth ;  the  final  downfall  of 
his  kingdom  was  assured.  A  casting- 
down  takes  place,  in  reality,  all  through 
the  course  of  redemption.  Every  new 
triumph  of  Christ's  cause,  every  new 
agency  discovered,  every  new  source  of 
power  used  by  the  church,  each  of  these 
is  a  casting-down  of  Satan  from  heaven 
to  earth.  Short  time.  The  reason 
for  the  great  wrath  is  intensified  by 
this,  his  time  is  short.    The  short  time 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


269 


13  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he 
was  cast  unto  the  earth,  he  persecuted 
"  the  woman  which  brought  forth  the 

14  man  child.  "And  to  the  woman  were 
given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  'that 


13  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he 
was  cast  down  to  the  earth,  he  per- 
secuted the  woman  who  brought  forth 

14  the  man-cliild.  And  there  were  given 
t<)  the  woman  the  two  wings  of  the 
great  eagle,  that  she  might  tiy  into  the 


n  Exod.  19  :  i. 


may  not  be  limited  to  an  absolutely 
short  time  just  before  the  final  advent 
of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Those  who  find  the 
whole  book  coming  to  a  close  with  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  70, 
find,  of  course,  a  really  limited  time. 
But  as  this  theory  is  to  be  entirely  dis- 
carded it  is  best  to  regard  it  as  meaning 
a  limited  time.  Even  Satan  realizes 
that  his  power  is  not  boundless.  He  is 
limited  on  every  side  by  God's  restrain- 
ing grace.  The  expression  may  also 
find  a  meaning  in  the  relative  shortness 
of  all  times  in  the  earthly  history  even 
if  centuries  are  embraced.  A  thousand 
years  God  looks  upon  as  we  look  upon 
a  day  (2  Peter  3:9),  The  vast  periods  of 
the  creative  week  are  spoken  of  as  days. 
Satan  knows  that  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  will  mean  the  downfall  of  his 
kingdom.  His  power  and  malice  are 
permitted  for  a  time.  Satan  Morks 
through  perversions  of  the  truth,  bod- 
ily passions,  national  pride,  the  love  of 
things  seen,  the  persecutions  of  the 
saints.  He  is  in  fearful  earnestness. 
The  same  spirit  should  characterize  the 
chui-ch  in  its  resistance  of  Satan,  in  its 
defense  and  support  of  Christ's  cause. 

13-17.  The  flight  op  the 
woman  into  the  wilderness.  in 
this  passage  we  have  the  woman  al- 
luded to  in  ver,  1  fleeing  into  the 
wilderness,  where  God  supports  her. 
Satan  pursues  her  with  his  malice, 
trying  in  vain  to  destroy  her,  God 
surrounds  her  with  his  care,  aiding 
her  in  Jier  flight  and  protecting  her. 

13.  Dragon  .  .  .  earth.  This 
statement  binds  this  passage  with  ver. 
9.  The  New  Testament  describes  Satan 
as  full  of  wiles,  planSj  methods.  The 
man-child,  Jesus,  is  in  the  heavens, 
at  God's  right  hand.  He  cannot, 
therefore,  try  to  seduce  or  persecute 
him.  But  he  may  tempt  his  people, 
and  thereby  hurt  his  cause.  Satan 
realized  the  hurt  to  his  own  cause  from 
the  resurrection  and  ascension  of  Jesus, 
the  final  destruction  of  death  and  the 
putting  down  of  sin,  the  ultimate  cmsh- 


ing  of  himself;  a  veritable  casting- 
down  of  himself  from  the  heaven  to 
the  earth.  Persecuted.  John  the 
Baptist  was  beheaded;  Stephen  was 
stoned  ;  the  church  was  scattered  ; 
James  was  put  to  death  with  the  sword ; 
the  course  of  the  early  church  was 
marked  by  blood.  Persecutions  raged 
everywhere  until  A.,D.  324,  when  the 
Roman  empire  became  nominally 
Christian.  All  through  the  centuries 
the  truth  has  been  held  down  by  vio- 
lence. In  Holland,  in  Switzerland,  in 
Italy,  in  France  and  Spain,  in  England, 
God's  saints  have  been  hunted  down 
and  destroyed.  The  closing  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century  witnessed  persecu- 
tions from  the  Turk  in  Armenia,  in 
Europe  the  savage  treatment  of  the 
Stundists  from  Russia,  in  South  Amer- 
ica from  the  Romish  Church,  in  Eng- 
land the  social  ostracism  from  the  Es- 
tablished Church.  Woman.  This 
represents  the  church  in  its  New  Testa- 
ment form,  open  to  the  gaze  of  men. 
When  used  at  the  first  (ver.  1)  the  refer- 
ence was  mainly  to  the  ideal  church, 
the  people  of  God  in  its  Old  Testament 
shape.  Satan  thought  to  crush  it  out 
in  blood.  Many  distinct  persecutions 
are  marked  out  on  the  pages  of  church 
history.  Satan's  unwisdom  is  revealed 
in  this,  that  persecutions  can  never  kill 
the  truth.  It  may  separate  the  weak 
from  the  strong,  it  may  cripple  the 
power  of  the  church,  but  it  can  never 
permanently  injure  tlie  cause  of  Christ. 
14.  This  verse  presents  the  help 
given  to  the  church  by  God.  The 
woman  is  persecuted,  but  she  is  also 
protected.  We  learned  in  ver.  6  of  the 
llight  of  the  woman;  here  we  learn  of 
the  fate  of  the  woman .  That  she  might 
Hee  quickly  there  Avere  given  unto 
her  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle, 
rather,  the  great  eagle.  The  wings  in- 
dicate the  swiftness  of  escape.  The 
eagle's  wings  indicate  great  strength 
and  rapidity  of  flight.  Allusion  is 
made  to  the  eagle's  wings  in  19  :  3,  4; 
Deut.  32  :  11,  12;    to   the   protection 


270 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


she  might  fly  f  into  the  wilderness,  into 
her  place,  where  she  is  nourished  i  for 
a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time, 
15  from  the  face  of  the  serpent.  And  the 
serpent  '■cast  out  of  his  mouth  water 
as  a  flood  after  the  woman,  that  lie 
might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of 


wilderness,  unto  her  place,  where  she 
is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and 
half  a  time,  from  tlie  face  of  the  ser- 
15  pent.  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his 
mouth  water  as  a  river  after  the  wom- 
an, that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  car- 


p  n  :  3 ;  1  Sam.  23  :  14,  15 ;  1  Kings  19  :  4. 


q   11  :  2 ;  Dan.  7  :  25 ;  12  :  7. 


r  Isa.  59  :  19 ;  Acts  8  : 1. 


afforded  by  the  wings  in  Ps.  36  :  7;  Isa. 
40  :  31.  As  a  real  work  of  art  it  would 
be  grotesque  to  think  of  a  woman  sup- 
plied with  an  eagle's  wings.  But  the 
Hebrew  mind  did  not  regard  at  all  the 
artistic  representation,  but  dwelt  on  the 
moral  teaching  involved,  that  God  is 
granting  to  his  people  the  means  of 
rapid  flight  to  a  place  or  condition  of 
safety.  It  is  God  who  gave  the  wings. 
Wilderness.  The  ancient  people  of 
God  found  a  refuge,  a  place  of  safety 
in  the  wilderne.ss  after  leaving  the  land 
of  oppression.  The  term  wilderness 
stands  for  the  opposite  of  home,  the 
settled  life,  comfort.  It  stands  for  an 
unsettled  condition,  discomfort,  for  suf- 
fering, a  life  burdensome,  perhaps  op- 
pressed. The  place  of  the  church  is 
not  apart  from  men,  Jesus  forbids  this 
(John  17  ;  15).  The  monk  and  the  nun 
are  not  the  types  of  saint  that  Jesus 
makes  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 
The  church  is  to  be  in  the  world,  but 
not  of  it.  It  is  to  be  in  the  world,  an 
unworldly  church.  Even  while  among 
men,  dwelling  in  the  crowded  city,  the 
church  may  be  in  the  wilderness  state, 
protected  from  being  overthrown,  yet 
suffering  ills  and  persecutions.  God 
keeps  the  dragon  from  crushing  her. 
She  is  saved  just  as  if  she  had  fled 
into  a  wilderness  from  the  dragon's 
power.  Her  place.  This  is  a  place 
appointed  by  God,  arranged  in  his 
providence  for  her.  God  does  not  cause 
persecutions,  but  he  can  overrule  them 
for  good,  and  can  provide  safety  during 
their  continuance.  The  church  is  safe, 
for  her  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God, 
but  she  is  exposed  to  many  ills  before 
the  life  crowned  with  glory  shall  come. 
Canaan  lies  beyond  the  wilderness  and 
Egypt.  The  church  is  nourished  in 
the  wilderness  in  like  manner  as  the 
Israelites  were  fed  with  manna  from 
heaven.  That  same  God  is  the  God  of 
the  church  to-day.  He  nourishes  by 
supplying  inner  grace,  giving  new 
power  to  the  truth,  guarding  by  his 


providences  against  too  great  severities, 
raising  up  friends,  making  even  seem- 
ing ills  work  out  eventual  good.  In 
the  "Pilgrim's  Progress"  the  fire  is 
sustained  by  the  oil  poured  in  secretly, 
so  that  the  water  poured  on  cannot 
extinguish  it ;  a  symbol  of  God's 
strengthening  help  (isa.  «  :  lo).  Time 
.  .  .  time.  We  have  again  the  fre- 
quently recurring  number ;  twelve  hun- 
dred and  sixty  days  (n  =  3);  forty -two 
months  (n  =  2).  This  period  of  time, 
in  a  book  of  symbols,  cannot  be  taken 
literally,  nor  can  it  be  construed  to 
mean  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
or  any  definite  time.  Ever-recurring 
attempts  have  been  made  to  fix  the 
limit  from  which  this  is  to  be  reckoned, 
and  the  limit  at  which  it  terminates. 
All  attempts  to  do  this  have  proved  ac- 
knowledged failures.  The  expression 
is  symbolic  of  the  broken  time  of  the 
persecution  of  God's  people.  All  that 
is  meant  to  be  taught  is  that  it  is  a 
period  of  tribulation  indicated  there- 
fore, not  by  seven,  the  perfect  number, 
but  by  half  of  that  number.  It  is  a 
prediction,  not  of  a  definite  historical 
period,  but  it  gives  a  general  outline. 
They  might  know  that,  in  a  general 
way,  the  future  for  a  long  time  to  come 
would  be  one  of  tribulation,  fulfilling 
the  Saviour's  words  (John  16  :  33). 

15.  This  verse  has  highly  figurative 
expressions  showing  the  hatred  and 
wiles  of  Satan.  Serpent  .  .  .  wo- 
man, rather,  serpent  cast  out  of  his 
mouth  after  the  woman  water  as  a  river. 
Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  find 
a  literal  historical  meaning  for  this 
expression.  Fifteen  of  these  attempted 
solutions  will  be  found  in  Meyer's  com- 
mentary, such  as  that  the  reference  is 
to  the  danger  from  the  Turks,  from  the 
Saracens,  the  Arian  heretics  of  the 
early  centuries,  from  the  irruption  of 
the  horde  from  the  North  at  the  fall  of 
the  Roman  empire.  It  is  not  in  accord 
with  the  spirit  of  the  book  to  find  such 
details  portrayed.    It  is  misleading,  a 


Ch.  XII.] 


REVELATION 


271 


16  the  flood.  "And  tlie  earth  helped  the 
woman,  and  the  earth  opened  her 
mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood 
which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his 
mouth. 

17  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the 
woman,  'and  went  to  make  war  with 


16  ried  away  by  the  river.  And  the  earth 
helped  the  woman ;  and  the  earth 
opened  its  mouth,  and  swallowed  up 
the  river  which  the  dragon  cast  out  of 

17  his  mouth.  And  the  dragon  grew 
angry  at  the  woman  ;  and  he  went 


«  2  Tim.  i  :  18. 


<  H  :  7  ;  13  :  7  ;  Gen.  3  :  15 ;  Dan.  7  :  23-26. 


perversion  of  tlie  aim  of  tlie  book,  to 
find  minute  details  of  church  history 
recorded  beforehand.  Tlie  stream  of 
water  from  the  serpent's  mouth  no 
more  designates  anything  actually  oc- 
curring in  the  present  or  the  future 
than  the  two  wings  given  to  the  woman 
with  which  to  escape  indicate  actual 
wings.  John  describes  the  danger  from 
Satan  to  the  woman  under  the  highly 
figurative  description  of  a  river  of 
water  about  to  engulf  her.  The  same 
poetical  thought  is  contained  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  would  be  readily 

Tinderstood    (P^.    is   :   5-n;     S2   :   6;     42:8; 

124 :  4).  Pressing  dangers  are  here  de- 
scribed under  the  figure  of  a  flood  of 
waters.  It  is  not  indicated  under  what 
form  these  perils  would  arise.  The 
assaults  of  the  ungodly,  with  their  se- 
ductions, are  often  compared  to  a  flood 
(isa.  59  :  19).  Joliii  sces  In  a  vision  a 
serpent  casting  a  stream  of  water  out 
of  his  mouth,  pursuing  the  woman. 
To  John  it  would  be  the  acted  teaching 
of  Satan's  every  eifort  to  crush  and 
ruin  the  church.  This  teaching  is  ex- 
emplified in  every  age  of  the  world, 
under  changing  forms. 

16.  This  verse  describes  the  aid  ren- 
dered to  the  church,  the  earth  .  .  . 
mouth.  J.  A.  Smith  holds  the  mean- 
ing to  be  that  Christianity  receives  the 
benefit  that  comes  from  a  settled  order, 
the  civilizations  that  ensue  in  time,  so 
that  the  cour.se  of  Christianity  in  the 
world  is  helped  thereby;  the  earth, 
with  its  wealth,  its  power,  becomes  an 
ally  of  the  cause  of  Christ.  Milligan 
thinks  that  the  term  earth  is  used  in  a 
bad  sense,  meaning  the  world  of  the 
ungodly  that  favors  a  church  that  is 
conformed  to  it  in  nature.  Swete  says, 
"  It  is  not  easy  to  conjecture  the  exact 
meaning  of  the  symbol  here.  But  tlie 
general  sense  is  clear.  .  .  Help  would 
arise  from  unexpected  quarters."  It 
is  doubtful  if  any  metaphorical  mean- 
ing can  be  given  to  the  term.  If  the 
danger  to    the  woman  were    from 


flood  of  waters,  the  only  way  in 
which  safety  could  come  would  be 
from  the  disappearance  of  the  water, 
its  being  swallowed  up  by  the  earth. 
In  this  way  John  sees  the  teaching 
in  the  sacred  drama,  the  river  dis- 
appears. In  this  way,  l)y  the  earth 
opening  its  mouth,  God  vindicated 
his  cause  on  the  earth,  swallow- 
ing the  adversaries  of  Moses  (Num.  le  : 
30-32).  Satan  proposes,  God  disposes. 
Satan  attacks  in  a  way  that  seemingly 
will  overwhelm  the  church  ;  at  that 
critical  time  God  interposes  his  power. 
Sennacherib  encamped  about  Jeru- 
salem ;  in  the  morning  one  hundred 
and  eighty-five  thousand  dead  men 
were  there.  Here,  in  a  figurative  way, 
God  opened  the  mouth  of  the  earth, 
and  the  pursuing  river  was  swallowed 
up.  In  1588  tlie  Spanish  Armada  came 
against  England ;  the  success  of  this 
meant  for  England  the  crushing  out  of 
Protestantism  from  the  entire  world.  A 
storm  came  at  an  opportune  time ;  the 
earth,  in  a  figurative  way,  opened  her 
mouth,  and  the  waters  disappeared. 
Every  century  will  present  illustra- 
tions of  this  truth. 

17.  The  eflect  upon  the  dragon  is 
noted.  Was  wroth,  rather,  waxed 
wroth.  He  had  great  wrath  in  ver.  12,  he 
now  waxes  wroth  with  increasing  bitter- 
ness. Satan  is  not  so  full  of  wicked- 
ness but  that  he  may  grow  more  wicked. 
There  are  almost  no  limits  to  the 
growth  of  both  badness  and  goodness. 
Each  new  defeat  angers  him  tlie  more. 
Though  the  woman  is  represented  as  in 
the  wilderness,  and  though  the  waters 
are  kept  from  destroying  her,  yet  she 
is  exposed  to  Satan's  persecutions.  No 
figure  of  speech  can  be  unduly  pressed. 
The  church  J  so  far  as  her  existence  is 
concerned,  is  safe  as  if  in  a  wilderness. 
But  she  is  always  in  the  world  deliver- 
ing her  message,  and  hence  is  exposed 
to  perils.  The  wilderness  is  not  so 
much  a  place  as  a  condition  in  which 
the  church  exists.    Went,  rather,  went 


272 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XII. 


the  remnant  of  her  seed,  "  which  keep  1 
the  commandments  of  God,  and  have 
» the  testimony  of  Jesus  Clirist.  | 


away  to  make  war  with  the  rest  of  her 
seed,  who  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  have  tlie  testimony  of  Jesus. 


1  :  2,  9  ;  6  ;  9  ;  20  :  4  ;  1  Cor.  2  :  1  j  1  John  5  :  10. 


away.  The  members  of  the  church  are 
regarded  as  the  seed,  the  offspring  of 
the  church  begotten  by  it.  Two  kinds 
of  members  are  recognized.  The  rem- 
uaut,  rather,  the  rest,  of  her  seed  are 
those  who  stand  faithful  to  Christ  and 
his  truth  in  the  integrity  of  their  life 
and  iDclief.  These  are  further  defined 
as  those  who  keep  the  commaud- 
inents  of  God  and  have,  rather, 
hold,  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ,  rather,  Jesus.  The  sad  truth, 
brought  out  incidentally  before,  of  a 
division  in  the  church,  a  faithful  and 
a  faithless  element,  is  here  plainly  noted 
(3  :  4).  To  this  verse  belongs  the  first 
clause  of  chap.  XIII,  which  both  the 
Revised  version  and  all  the  best  MSS 
favor.  And  .  .  .sea,  rather,  and  he 
stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea.  The  ref- 
erence is  to  the  dragon.  We  have  the 
dragon  already  described  as  to  its  form, 
its  nature,  and  its  purpose.  We  now 
have  his  position  identified.  He  stands 
on  the  seashore,  where  the  land  and 
the  sea  meet,  that  he  may  bring  upon 
both  the  woe  announced  in  ver.  12.  In 
Dan.  7  :  2  the  sea  is  declared  to  be  full 
of  tempests  making  its  waters  rage. 
Many  interpreters  take  the  sea  to  mean 
the  restless  mass  of  nations.  It  may 
have  no  special  meaning,  but  may 
stand  simply  for  one  of  the  elements  of 
which  the  earth  is  composed — land  and 
sea.  The  dragon  makes  war,  instiga- 
ting it  from  his  own  malicious  nature. 
How  he  excites  the  war,  with  what  agen- 
cies he  carries  it  on,  this  is  revealed  to 
us  in  the  next  chapter.  This  chapter 
opens  with  a  resplendent  vision  of 
God's  cause ;  it  closes  with  the  sight  of 
the  great  and  primal  foe  of  God's  cause, 
the  dragon,  clothed  with  great  might, 
intelligence,  and  malice. 

Varying  INTERPRETATIONS.  Those 
who  accept  the  early  date  of  this  book 
regard  this  chapter  as  fulfilled  before 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
flight  of  the  Christians  beyond  the 
Jordan.  Barnes  and  others  regard  it 
as  fulfilled  in  the  triumph  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  Roman  empire,  making 


of  the  dragon  the  persecuting  empire. 
For  a  detailed  list  of  the  various  mean- 
ings assigned  to  the  dragon,  the  man- 
child,  the  woman's  flight,  the  war  in 
heaven,  the  two  wings  of  the  great 
eagle,  the  flood  of  water,  the  rest  of 
her  seed,  see  Weidner,  p.  168. 

Peactical  Remarks. 

1.  The  church  is  a  glorious  body,  the 
bride  of  Christ,  clothed  with  light.  What 
the  church  is  in  God's  sight,  and  in  God's 
plan,  it  must  strive  to  be  in  the  actual  life 
(ver.  1). 

2.  Bad  men  exist  on  the  earth  by  suffer- 
ance. Back  of  bad  men  and  bad  influ- 
ences is  the  personal  presence  and  work 
of  Satan.  He  has  great  power,  but  not  un- 
limited power.  One  praying  man,  with 
God's  help,  can  overcome  him  (ver.  3). 

3.  It  requires  a  great  struggle  to  live  the 
Christian  life  aright.  An  evil  heart  with- 
in, the  seductions  of  the  world,  a  wily 
and  powerful  Satan  are  against  the  soul. 
Satan  has  a  wonderful  power,  but  Jesus  is 
an  almighty  Saviour.  The  Lamb  can 
overcome  the  dragon  (ver.  3). 

4.  Sin  and  Satan  are  vile  in  their  nature. 
A  dragon,  a  fearful  monster,  fittingly 
represents  them.  All  sin,  when  revealed 
to  itself  in  the  light  of  God's  word,  is  an 
ugly  thing  (ver.  3). 

5.  Sin  and  Satan  are  destructive  in  their 
nature.  They  tear  down,  while  God 
builds  up.  Satan  destroyed  Eden ;  he 
works  disobedience  in  the  heart,  wretch- 
edness in  the  world,  fills  up  perdition 
(ver.  4). 

6.  Jesus  is  a  tender  shepherd  for  the 
penitent  in  spirit.  He  calls  his  sheep  by 
name  ;  he  carries  the  lambs  in  his  bosom. 
He  lays  down  his  life  for  the  sheep.  He 
will  not  suffer  one  to  perish  (ver.  5 ;  Matt. 
11  :  27-31). 

7.  Jesus  is  a  ruling  Saviour.  He  can 
denounce  woes  upon  the  ungodly.  He 
will  destroy  his  enemies,  and  consign  to 
everlasting    punishment   his   inveterate 

,  foes  (ver.  5). 


Ch.  XIII.] 


REVELATION 


273 


8.  Elijah  and  Jesus  were  cared  for  iu 
their  wilderness  hours.  God  uever  loses 
sight  of  his  people,  lie  can  nourish  in 
all  ages  by  directing  the  outward  life  and 
by  giving  strength  within  (ver.  6). 

9.  There  can  be  no  concord  between  the 
good  and  the  evil,  between  Christ  and 
Satan,  between  the  church  and  the  world. 
Every  Christian  is  the  sworn  foe  of  Satan, 
and  all  evil  in  thought,  iu  word,  in  deed 
(ver.  7). 

10.  Jesus  cast  Satan  out.  His  fall  in- 
volves the  fall  of  his  followers  and  agen- 
cies. Every  Christian  must  strive  to 
make  real,  in  his  own  life  and  age,  that 
which  was  done  in  essence  by  Christ,  the 
dethroning  of  Satan  (ver.  9). 

11.  Heaven  rejoices  when  Christ's  cause 
is  prospered.  Every  Christian  should  so 
help  Christ,  and  so  widen  the  kingdom 
that  he  may  add  to  that  joy  (ver.  10). 

12.  Jesus  needs  the  help  of  his  people 
to  make  Christianity  a  conquering  power 
on  the  earth.  Their  testimony  must  be 
added  to  the  power  of  the  cross.  The 
church  is  to  be,  as  it  were,  a  present  Christ 
in  the  world  (ver.  11, 12). 

13.  God  has  not  exempted  his  people 
from  persecution,  but  he  sustains  them  in 
it.  The  dragon  seems,  at  times,  to  be 
stronger  than  God's  cause.  But  as  the 
dead  Jesus  ascended  to  the  right  hand  of 
God,  in  like  manner  the  cause  of  Jesus 
will  triumph  on  the  earth  (ver.  13). 

14.  God  preserved  Noah  when  the  flood 
came,  he  delivered  Lot  from  Sodom,  he 
fed  Elijah  in  the  wilderness.  In  like 
manner  he  sustains  or  delivers  his  people. 
God  will  keep  his  people,  they  must  keep 
themselves  (ver.  11). 

15.  In  unthought-of  ways  Satan  attacks 
God's  people.  But  man's  extremities  are 
God's  opportunities.  God  can  make  the 
Red  Sea  open,  can  interpose  so  that  his 
own  name  shall  be  glorified.  If  the  Lord 
were  not  our  helper,  we  should  utterly 
fail  (ver.  15,  16). 

16.  Satan  works  through  others,  through 
men,  books,  pictures,  customs,  society, 
fashions,  amusements,  business.  He  is  a 
master-mind  in  making  war  and  utilizing 
agencies  for  his  own  purpose.  But  Je- 
hovah reigns ;  he  will  laugh  at  his  dis- 
comfited enemies  (Ps.  2).  Every  Christian 
may  say,  "The  Lord  is  my  helper  "(ver.  17). 

B 


CIIAPTEli  XIII 

The  second  and  thikd  enemies 
OF  THE  CHUKCH.  We  have,  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  the  first  great  foe  of 
the  church,  the  personal  Satan.  He  is 
not  simply  the  foe  of  the  church,  but 
he  is  the  in.spirer  of  other  foes.  He  is 
a  creator  of  evil  and  evil  agencies. 
The  dragon  standing  on  the  seashore 
may  be  considered  as  calling  forth 
these  two  great  enemies  portrayed  in 
this  chapter.  We  have  in  this  chapter 
the  agencies  by  which  Satan  carries  on 
his  warfare  against  the  truth.  The 
great  secular  world-powers,  the  force 
of  persecution  that  has  sometimes 
caused  the  church  almost  entirely  to 
disappear  from  the  sight  of  men,  the  se- 
duction of  worldliness  more  potent 
tlian  the  fierceness  of  persecution,  these 
are  symbolized  under  the  form  of  the 
second  beast.  There  is  in  the  Godhead 
a  trinity — Father,  Son,  and  Spirit. 
Each  one  works  through  another,  the 
Father  through  the  Son,  the  Son 
through  the  Spirit.  There  is  revealed 
iu  these  two  chapters  an  anti-trinity, 
Satan,  the  first  beast,  the  second  beast. 
These  help  each  other  and  work 
through  each  other. 

The  first  beast  is  described  as  com- 
posite in  nature,  satanic,  with  world- 
wide power,  making  war  upon  God's 
saints  (ver.  1-10);  the  second  beast  ap- 
pears, dragonlike  in  nature,  serving 
the  beast,  working  wonders,  controlling 
business,  the  symbolic  number,  666 
(ver.  11-18).  Ireuffius  regarded  the  first 
beast  as  Antichrist,  and  the  second 
beast  as  Antichrist's  armour-bearer, 
the  false  prophet.  Similarly  Swete : 
' '  In  the  second  beast  we  have  a  re- 
ligious, as  in  the  first  a  civil,  power; 
he  is  a  false  prophet  (i6:23;  i9:20; 
20  :  10),  who  claims  a  spiritual  power 
which  he  does  not  possess,  and  inter- 
prets the  Divine  will  iu  the  interest 
of  the  persecuting  State.  Some  an- 
cient interpreters  saw  in  him  the 
Christian  ministry  turned  to  unworthy 
uses.  Such  men  may  be  in  the  back- 
ground of  St.  John's  thought,  but  the 
immediate  reference  is  rather  to  the 
pagan  priesthood  of  his  own  time." 
But  see  below  where  a  broader  and  a 
far  more  reaching  interpretation  is 
preferred.  See  also  on  ver.  11.  Con- 
trast living  creatures  (* ;  6)  with  beasts. 


274 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


The  two  beasts,  the  agents  of  the  dragon. 
13     AND  I  stood  upou  the  sand  of  the 
sea,  and  saw  y  a  beast  rise  up  out  of 
the  sea,  »haviug  seven  heads  and  ten 


13  AND  he  stood  on  the  sand  of  the  sea. 
And  I  saw  a  beast  coming  up  out  of 
the  sea,  having  ten  horns  and  seven 


y  Dan.  7  :  2,  7,  8,  19-24. 


z  12:3;  17  :  3,  9,  12. 


1-10.  The  second  great  enemy 
OF  the  chukch. 

1.  The  first  clause  of  this  verse  has 
been  considered  in  connection  with  the 
last  verse  of  the  preceding  chapter. 
There  is  here  portrayed  the  appearance 
of  the  beast,  with  a  description  of  his 
great  power,  his  conquests,  his  oppo- 
sition to  God.  Saw  a  beast  .  .  . 
blasphemy,  rather,  saw  a  beast  com- 
ing out  of  the  sea,  having  ten  horns 
and  seven  heads,  and  on  his  horns  ten 
diadems,  and  upon  his  heads  names 
of  blasjyhemy.  This  term  beast  ex- 
presses, in  the  fullest  sense,  the  fierce, 
savage,  ugly,  bestial  nature  of  this 
creature.  The  highest  holy  beings 
may  be  fittingly  described  as  living 
creatures  (*  :  6.  R-  ^•),  this  is  a  beast. 
The  creature  that  John  sees  is  purely 
and  distinctly  animal  in  its  entire  na- 
ture. Its  appearance  is  from  the  sea 
as  that  of  the  second  is  from  the  land. 
Some  find  in  the  expression,  sea,  a 
metaphorical  sense,  meaning  thereby 
the  mass  of  surging  and  restless  Gen- 
tile nations  as  distinct  fi"om  the  Jewish 
nation  represented  by  the  land.  It  is 
doubtful  whether  the  terms  sea  and 
land  refer  to  anything  but  the  teaching 
that  Satan  makes  use  of  all  the  forces 
of  the  entire  world  to  serve  his  pur- 
pose in  making  war  upon  God's  holy 
cause.  Seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
rather,  teyi  horns  and  seven  heads.  In 
the  description  of  tlie  dragon  (n  :  s), 
the  order  is  first  the  head,  then  the 
horns.  As  this  beast  arises  out  of  the 
sea,  the  horns  would  naturally  be  seen 
first,  then  the  heads.  Wliether  there 
is  any  reason,  apart  from  thi.s,  why  the 
order  is  changed  we  may  not  know. 
It  is  hazardous  to  find  an  express  teach- 
ing in  every  minute  detail,  just  as  it  is 
impossible  to  find  a  hidden  meaning  in 
every  part  of  a  parable.  To  portray 
such  an  animal  as  this  on  canvas  would 
be  to  produce  an  utterly  grotesque, 
monstrous,  and  unnatural  figure.  The 
Hebrew  mind  was  intent  only  on  the 
moral  meaning  conveyed,  and  was  in- 
different to  the  artistic  eflects.     The 


seven  and  the  ten  are  frequently  re- 
curring numbers;  both  are  combined 
here  as  also  in  the  description  of  the 
dragon.  The  seven  is  everywhere  a 
representation  of  completeness,  deno- 
ting here  that  this  fierce  beast  has  all 
the  powers  that  are  needful  to  make  of 
it  a  perfect  beast  of  its  kind,  with  all 
the  agencies  fitted  for  manifesting  its 
character.  Seven  denotes  a  definite 
perfection  for  achieving  the  end  of 
one's  being,  whether  of  the  Lamb  for 
bis  work  (5:6),  or  of  Satan  for  his 
work  (12  :  8).  The  ten  denotes  also  the 
same  idea,  having  a  special  reference 
to  what  is  worldly,  relating  to  nations, 
rulers,  and  things  in  the  ijhysical  and 
outward  sphere.  Three  general  lines 
of  interpretation  are  held  as  to  these 
symbols.  The  first  regards  them  purely 
as  symbols,  expressing  the  idea  of  com- 
pleteness. Under  this  theory  no  in- 
quiry is  made  about  any  definite  kings, 
kingdoms,  or  countries  that  are  here 
symbolically  represented.  What  John 
meant  to  describe  was  the  general  course 
of  the  world's  organized  governments 
as  a  foe  mighty  and  bitter  to  God|s 
cause  and  church  on  the  earth.  This 
theory  has  no  place  for  dates,  or  dis- 
tinct emperors  and  kingdoms.  The 
second  finds  the  meaning  in  some  defi- 
nite historical  statements,  in  certain 
specific  governments  or  persons  who 
would  be  against  God's  cause.  Meyer 
finds  in  the  ten  horns  the  first  ten 
Roman  emperors :  Augustus,  Tiberius, 
Caligula,  Claudius,  Nero,  Galba,  Otho, 
Vitellius,  Vespasian,  and  Titus;  the 
seven  heads  referring  to  the  seven  em- 
perors that  had  legitimate  rule,  exclu- 
ding three  who  were  regarded  as  usurp- 
ers, Galba,  Otho,  and  Vitellius.  Ewald 
refers  the  seven  heads  to  seven  Roman 
emperors ;  the  ten  horns  to  ten  Roman 
prefects  who  governed  the  provinces. 
There  is  a  very  general  agreement 
among  interpreters  of  this  class  that 
the  reference  is  to  Rome  in  some  form. 
Some  refer  it  exclusively  to  pagan 
Rome,  that  is,  to  Rome  before  its  pro- 
fessed conversion  to  Christianity,  A.  D. 


Ch.  XIII.l 


REVELATION 


275 


horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns, 
and  upon  his  heads  the  name  of » bias- 


heads,  and  on  his  horns  ten  diadems, 
and   on    his    heads    names   of    blas- 


a  n  :  3  ;  Dan.  7  :  25  ;  2  Tbess.  2  :  3,  4. 


324 ;  others  refer  it  to  papal  Rome ; 
others  include  both  under  tlie  one  term 
of  Rome,  both  pagan  and  papal.  The 
third  theory  interprets  the  nieaniug  to 
be  mainly  symbolical,  but  as  tindiiig 
illustration  and  reference  to  history, 
asserting  that  John  had  in  mind  at  the 
time  distinct  historical  allusions.  The 
seven  heads  they  explain  to  mean  a 
definite  completeness  of  power,  but 
also  allude  to  and  include  seven  real 
and  distinct  kingdoms  or  persons.  The 
seven  heads  refer  to  seven  actual  em- 
pires, or  seven  distinct  forms  of  the 
Roman  government  assumed  in  suc- 
cessive periods  of  time,  or  to  seven 
great  world-powers,  such  as  Llilligan 
enumerates:  the  great  persecuting 
powers  of  the  past,  the  Egyptian,  the 
Assyrian,  the  Babylonian,  the  Medo- 
Persian,  the  Greek,  and  the  Roman 

Eowers,  and  some  great  power  yet  to 
e  developed.  Not  all  agree,  however, 
in  their  list  of  powers ;  some  separate 
the  Median  from  the  Persian,  making 
the  Roman  power  the  seventh.  The 
horns  are  located  either  one  on  eacli 
head,  and  a  group  of  three  between 
the  heads  of  all  placed  on  one  head, 
representing  thus  one  head  as  the  head 
of  the  beast  viewed  as  a  distinct  crea- 
ture, the  other  six  heads  being  regarded 
as  secondary,  subsidiary  to  the  first.  It 
is  probable  tlaat  all  the  horns  were  on 
one  head,  as  manifesting  in  this  man- 
ner the  beast  itself,  as  distinct  from  the 
separate  heads.  The  seventh  head, 
with  its  ten  horns,  on  this  view,  would 
be  the  beast  itself.  On  this  matter  no 
one  can  speak  with  authority;  all  is  a 
subject  of  conjecture.  The  seven  heads, 
taken  in  their  entirety,  express  the 
complete  world-power,  not  from  tl\e 
beginning  of  the  world's  history,  for 
John  is  not  looking  at  the  entire  course 
of  God's  cause  in  the  earth  from  the 
first.  He  is  concerned  with  the  cause 
of  Christ,  its  origin,  its  struggles,  its 
conquests.  It  is  the  cause  of  redemp- 
tion that  lies  as  the  central  thought  of 
this  book.  The  Lamb  is  the  central 
figure,  the  one  who  conquers  at  last. 
On  his  side  are  arrayed  the  holy 
Father,  the  angels,  the  saints  on  earth 


and  in  heaven,  the  course  and  powers 
of  providence.  Against  him  are  ar- 
rayed a  personal  Satan,  with  his  bad 
agencies  of  bad  angels,  bad  men,  and 
the  forces  portrayed  by  the  two  beasts. 
The  vision  of  John  is  concerned  with 
that  which  lias  taken  place  since  the 
advent  of  Christianity.  We  are  not 
compelled,  therefore,  to  select  any 
seven  distinct  world-powers  as  though 
John  were  writing  a  church  history 
either  retrospectively  or  prophetically 
revealing  the  future.  If  the  great 
world-powers,  hostile  to  the  cause  of 
Christ,  were  less  in  number  or  greater 
in  number  than  seven,  it  would  make 
no  difference  in  the  symbolism.  He  is 
dealing  with  symbols  of  truths,  not 
with  arithmetical  numbers.  Three 
great  antagonistic  forces  or  threescore 
could  either  be  fittingly  represented 
by  the  symbolic  seven.  Crowns, 
rather,  diadems.  These  are,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  dragon,  symbols  of  sover- 
eignty. In  the  case  of  the  dragon 
(13 :  s)  the  diadems  were  upon  the 
heads,  not  the  horns.  What  difference 
in  the  meaning,  if  any,  this  indicates 
cannot  be  known.  Variations  in  the 
minor  details  of  this  sacred  drama 
may  arise,  not  to  express  any  diver- 
gence in  the  thought,  but  from  a  desire 
for  a  variety  of  representation.  Nam  e 
of  blasphemy,  rather,  names.  It  is 
not  made  known  what  these  names 
were.  They  were  doubtless  expressive 
of  intense  opposition  to  Christ,  making 
false  claims  to  sovereignty  and  wor- 
ship. Jesus  is  represented  as  having 
upon  himself  the  name,  "King  of 
kings"  (19:  '6).  The  high  priest  had 
upon  the  forehead,  "Holiness  to  the 
Lord"  (Exod.  39  :  30).  Christ's  worship- 
ers also  had  upon  their  foreheads  the 
mark  of  Christ's  ownership  (2  =  n ;  i  ■■ 
31;  li :  1).  Jesus  alone  has  a  right  to 
absolute  sovereignty  and  worship. 
Anything  denying  these  claims,  or 
making  false  claims,  on  the  part  of 
the  world-powers,  would  be  an  act  of 
blasphemy.  One  name,  perhaps,  Avas 
found  on  each  head.  In  tne  Bible  the 
name  stands  for  and  reveals  the  char- 
acter.   In  this  case  the  inner  nature 


276 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


2  phemy.  ''And  the  beast  which  I  saw 
was  like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet 
were  as  the  feel  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth 
as  the  mouth  of  a  liou.  And  <:  the 
dragon  *  gave  him  his  power, « and  his 

3  seat,  and  great  authority.  And  I  saw 
one  of  his  heads  *  as  it  were  wounded 
to  death ;  and  his  deadly  wound  was 
healed. 


2  phemy ;  and  the  beast  which  I  saw 
was  like  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  as 
of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth 
of  a  lion,  and  the  dragon  gave  him 
his  power,  and  his  throne,  and  great 

3  authority ;  and  [I  saw]  one  of  his 
heads  as  it  were  smitten  to  death. 
And  his  death-stroke  was  healed  ;  and 
all  the  earth  wondered  after  the  beast. 


5  Dan.  7  :  4-7. 


c  12  :  9. 


/  Ver.  12,14;  17:10. 


stood  expressed  in  the  outward  life, 
an  open  and  avowed  antagonism  to 
Christ. 

2.  This  verse  describes  the  beast 
more  particularly.  Tlie  foundation  for 
this  description  is  found  in  Dan.  7  :  16. 
In  Daniel's  description  four  beasts 
arise  out  of  the  sea,  having  respectively 
the  form  of  the  lion,  the  bear,  the 
leopard,  and  a  fourth  beast  not  defi- 
nitely described,  having  ten  horns. 
These  represent  four  kingdoms  to  arise, 
hostile  to  God,  the  Babylonian,  the 
Persian,  the  Median,  the  Grecian,  or 
in  a  differing  combination  the  Medo- 
Persian  and  the  Roman.  Daniel  in- 
dividualizes the  hostile  powers;  John 
combines  them  into  one  beast,  having 
the  distinctive  features  of  each  of 
Daniel's  beasts.  The  qualities  repre- 
sented are  cruelty  and  rapacity ;  the 
swift  and  cruel  movements  of  the 
leopard,  the  dull  but  savage  motions  of 
the  bear,  the  mastering  cruelty  of  the 
lion.  To  this  beast  the  dragon  gives  his 
power,  making  it  his  vicegerent,  his 
main  agency  in  the  world.  He  bestows 
upon  him  three  things,  his  power,  his 
throne,  his  right  to  use  the  power  and 
the  throne.  Power.  Satan  olfered 
to  Jesus  his  great  power  (Matt.  4  :  9),  but 
Jesus  refused.  Satan  now  proposes  to 
make  use  of  worldly  agencies  to  do  his 
will.  He,  therefore,  bestows  upon  it 
his  power — great,  malignant,  personal. 
In  the  Scriptures  Satan  is  not  a  figure 
of  speech,  but  a  real  power  in  the 
world.  Jesus  is  represented  by  the 
woman,  pure,  tender,  lovel.v  (12  : 6) ; 
Satan  is  represented  by  the  wild  beast. 
This  power  is  exhibited  in  its  control 
over  life  and  freedom  (ver.  11) ;  over  the 
business  of  men  (ver.  n).  Seat,  rather, 
throne.  Satan  is  the  god  of  this  world 
(2  Cor.  4:4);  a  priuce  of  this  world 
(John  14:30).  Authority.  Here  is 
conferred  the  right  to  use  his  power  for 
carrying  out  the  will  of  the  dragon. 


In  the  wide  realm  of  nations,  of  worldly 
power,  of  man's  beliefs,  Satan  works 
through  the  beast.  This  beast  has,  as 
it  were,  a  throne  and  great  power. 
How  John  sees  the  transfer  made  we 
are  not  informed ;  it  may  have  been 
done  in  a  symbolic  way.  This 
beast,  seven-headed,  ten-horned,  and 
crowned,  uses  its  power  to  suppress 
the  rising  and  spread  of  the  truth 
whereby  Jesus  would  get  hold  of  the 
world,  for  this  would  take  it  out  of  the 
grasp  of  Satan  and  make  the  world 
Christ's  kingdom.  Satan  has  always 
inspired  the  world's  kingdoms  to  a 
hatred  of  God's  cause.  Jesus  spoke  of 
the  hostility  that  would  arise  against 

his  followers  (John  16  :  2). 

3.  This  verse  describes  a  wound  re- 
ceived by  the  beast,  and  its  subsequent 
recovery.  Wounded  unto  death, 
rather,  smitten.  The  word  rendered 
smitten  means,  in  reality,  slain  or 
slaughtered.  It  is  a  word  used  eight 
times  in  this  book,  and  is  elsewhere 
always  rendered  slain.  It  must  be  so 
understood  in  this  passage,  (comp.  the 
same  word  in  5  :  6. )  One  of  the  heads  had 
been  killed,  but  had  lived  again 
through  tlie  healing  of  the  wound. 
Various  interpretations  are  given. 
Many  refer  this  to  the  Emperor  Nero, 
the  fifth  emperor,  who,  according  to  a 
rumor  in  the  early  centuries,  had  dis- 
appeared, but  would,  in  time,  reappear 
and  enter  on  his  old  life  of  cruelty. 
By  a  comparison  with  17  :  10,  it  is  stated 
that  Nero  had  fallen  at  the  time  of  the 
writing  of  the  Apocalypse.  Won- 
dered. This  word  means  more  than 
it  asserts ;  it  means  a  following  after, 
while  at  the  same  time  amazement 
fills  the  mind.  External  power,  the 
splendor  of  government,  the  promises 
of  success,  these  attract  men  and  hold 
their  hearts.  The  mind  is  being 
blinded,  led  captive  by  Satan  to  do 
his  will.    John  elsewhere  de.scribes  the 


Ch.  XIII.] 


^lEVELATION 


277 


4  And  sail  the  world  wondered  after 
the  beast.  And  i"  they  worshipped  the 
dragon  which  gave  power  uuto  the 
beast :  and  they  worshipped  the  beast, 

5  saying,  'Who  is  like  unto  the  beast? 
who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him? 
And  there  was  given  uuto  him  i'  a 
mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blas- 

ghemies ;   and  power  was  given  unto 
im  to  continue '  forty  and  two  months. 


4  And  they  worshiped  the  dragon,  be- 
cause he  gave  his  authority  to  the 
beast;  and  they  worshiped  the  beast, 
saying,  Who  is  like  the  beast,  and  who 

5  is  able  to  make  war  with  him?  And 
there  was  given  to  him  a  mouth  speak- 
ing great  things  and  blasphemies ;  and 
authority  was  given  him  to  work  forty- 


g  17:8;  2  Thess.  2  :  9-12.  h  2  Thess.  2:4.  i  Isa.  40  :  25. 

k  Dan.  7  :  8,  25 ;  11  :  36.  J  11  :  2,  3 ;  12  :  6. 


real  condition  of  the  world  as  dark- 
ness (1  John  5  :  19). 

4.  Wo rshipped.  There  is  no 
avowedly  devil  worship  among  men. 
Men  do  not  avowedly  bow  down  before 
Satan  and  do  him  homage.  But  caring 
for  those  things  which  Satan  suggests 
and  devises  among  men  to  defeat  God's 
purposes,  tliis  is,  in  reality,  to  be  a 
worshiper  of  Satan.  God  is  a  jealous 
God,  desiring  his  will  to  be  supremely 
followed.  Dragon  Avhich  gave, 
rather,  dragon  because  he  gave.  Who 
is  like  uuto  the  beast?  These 
words  seem  a  kind  of  mocking  parody 
upon  the  words  of  praise  rendered  in 
many  Old  Testament  passages  (isa-  <o  = 

K;     44:7;     Pb.    35  :  10 ;     Micah    7:8).        The 

power  of  Satan  intrenched  in  tlie 
thrones  of  kingdoms,  in  the  policies 
of  men,  in  the  power  of  wealth,  in 
the  attractions  of  society,  in  customs 
that  had  in  them  the  power  of  cen- 
turies, these  things  seemed  invincible 
and  invulnerable.  Wlio  could  cope 
with  such  a  power  ?  The  twelve  hum- 
ble men  associated  with  Jesus,  himself 
an  inhabitant  of  an  obscure  village, 
can  do  nothing  seemingly  to  overthrow 
the  organized  supremacy  of  Satan. 
The  one  hundred  and  twenty,  meeting 
in  an  upper  room  (Acts  i  :  is)  with  a 
crucified  Nazarene  as  their  sovereign 
Lord,  with  unattractive  and  repulsive 
teachings  as  their  cardinal  utterances, 
the  sinfulness  of  tlie  heart,  the  neces- 
sity of  the  new  heart,  the  utter  subjec- 
tion to  a  holy  Christ,  an  eternal  ban- 
ishment from  God  as  the  penalty  for 
unforgiven  sin — with  such  teachings  it 
seemed  as  though  they  could  never 
succeed.  They  could  not  succeed  in  a 
world  where  the  beast  held  sway  had 
it  not  been  for  God's  indwelling  power. 
There  is  a  plain  contrast  here  between 
the  beast  and  the  Lamb.  Both  alike 
are  sent,  the  one  by  the  Father,  tlie 


other  by  Satan ;  both  have  authority 
given  to  them  ;  both  have  a  death  and 
a  resurrection  (ver.  3);  both  are  followed 
by  a  great  multitude  of  worshipers ; 
both  have  a  sway  not  limited  by  natu- 
ral boundaries.  The  beast  is  that  por- 
traiture of  the  world  spoken  of  by  the 
Saviour  in  John  17  :  15,  16. 

5.  This  verse  finds  a  foundation  in 
Dan.  7  :  8.  The  world-power  under 
the  influence  of  the  dragon's  spirit 
speaks  in  a  boastful  and  irreverent  way. 
Assyria  blasphemed  God  in  making 
claims  that  in  reality  denied  God's 
sovereignty  (isa.  37 :  23).  The  Roman 
emperors  blasphemed  God  in  claiming 
a  universal  dominion,  in  giving  divine 
names  to  the  city,  to  the  emperor,  to 
the  empire.  The  beast  makes  great 
pretensions.  This  takes  place  prac- 
tically to-day,  when  the  civil  powers 
arrogate  to  themselves  authority  over 
the  conscience,  occupying  the  place  that 
the  Scriptures  and  the  conscience  alone 
should  occupy.  Forty-two  months. 
This  expression  has  already  been  found 
in  11  :  2,  3 ;  12  :  6,  14.  The  expression 
is  always  an  indication  of  disaster,  of  a 
time  of  sorrow  for  the  church,  a  time 
of  seeming  success  for  Satan's  power 
and  reign.  It  is  the  broken  and  in- 
complete period  of  time  in  which  Satan 
holds  sway.  By  its  very  form,  the 
half  of  the  perfect  symbol,  seven,  it 
shows  that  the  triumph  of  the  beast 
will  not  be  complete  and  enduring.  It 
is  reserved  for  Jesus,  the  rightful  Lord, 
to  reign  in  triumph  forever,  to  resume 
his  rightful  authority  as  representing 
God  (11 :  n).  Continue.  It  is  im- 
plied by  this  term  that  a  limit  comes 
to  his  power  among  men.  Satan  and 
all  his  power  are  to  be  restrained  and 
ultimately  destroyed.  It  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  God  is  helpless  in  the 
presence  of  the  beast,  or  that  he  can- 
not destroy  or  control  it.    God  permits 


278 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


6  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy 
against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name, 
"  and  his  tabernacle,  "  and  them  that 

7  dwell  in  heaven.  And  it  was  given 
unto  him  » to  make  war  with  the  saints, 
and  to  overcome  them :  r  and  power 
was  given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and 

8  tongues,  and  nations.  lAnd  all  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth  shall   worship 


6  two  months.  And  he  opened  his  mouth 
in  blasphemies  against  God,  to  blas- 
pheme his  name,  and  his  tabernacle, 

7  those  who  tabernacle  in  heaven.  And 
it  was  given  him  to  make  war  with  the 
saints,  and  to  overcome  them  ;  and  au- 
thority was  given  him  over  every  tribe, 
and  people,  and  tongue,  and  nation. 

8  And  all  who  dwell  on  the  earth  will 


m  21  :  3 ;  John  1  :  14 ;  Col.  1  :  19 ;  2:9;  Heb.  9  :  11. 
0  11  :  T ;  12  :  17  ;  Dan.  7  :  21,  25.    p   11  :  18 ;  17  :  15. 


n  Heb.  12  :  22,  23. 
q   1  John  5  :  19. 


evil  to  have  large  sway  in  its  develop- 
ment, in  revealing  its  true  nature  and 
its  unwisdom.  In  time  the  beast  will 
be  destroyed  (i9  :  20). 

6.  This  verse  further  explains  the 
preceding.  Opened  his  mouth. 
This  has  reference  to  a  full  and  formal 
reproach  against  God ;  it  is  distinct 
from  a  merely  casual  blasphemy. 
Blasphemy,  rather,  blasphemies. 
Name.  This  refers  to  the  person  of 
God,  represented  by  his  name.  He 
attacks  God  by  assuming  a  power  and 
authority  that  rightfully  belong  to  God 
only.  He  utters  a  twofold  blasphemy 
against  God  and  his  home,  ■which  really 
is  his  people.  Tabernacle  .  .  . 
heaven,  rather,  tabernacle,  even  them 
that  divellin  heaven.  God's  dwelling- 
place  is  really  in  his  people,  they  con- 
stitute his  tabernacle.  Paul  declares 
that  the  people  of  Christ  make  the  real 
temple  (1  Cor.  3:i6).  Heaven,  as  the 
assumed  especial  dwelling-place  of 
God,  is  not  looked  up  to  in  prayer  and 
reverence.  God's  saints  on  the  earth 
are  misrepresented  and  abused,  they 
are  described  as  those  neglecting  their 
best  interests  here  for  the  sake  of  a 
God  and  a  future  life  that  no  one  liv- 
ing has  seen.  Heaven.  The  reference 
may  not  be  to  angels  so  much  as  to 
Christ's  people  dwelling  in  the  unseen 
life,  who  are  looked  upon  as  having 
thrown  away  their  lives  by  neglect- 
ing the  pleasures  and  gains  of  the 
present  life.  A  saintly  life  is  regarded 
as  foolish  and  unreasonable  by  men 
■whose  portion  is  in  this  life.  In  this 
way  Moses,  Joseph,  and  Judson  were 
looked  upon  as  throwing  away  their 
lives.  Satan  will  accomplish  his  ends 
if  he  can  produce  a  dislike  for  God  and 
the  holy  life. 

7.  Given  unto  him.  To  Jesus 
was  given  all  authority  by  the  Father 
(Matt.  28  :  18).     Here  the  given  means 


more  than  the  permission  by  God ;  it 
is  given  by  the  dragon  who,  in  great 
malice,  reigns  over  the  world.  He 
persecuted  the  woman  (12  =  is).  This 
power  is  now  transferred  to  the  beast 
as  the  representative  of  the  dragon. 
How  often  and  how  savagely  the  gov- 
ernments of  the  earth  have  made  war 
upon  and  seemingly  crushed  the  saints ! 
In  the  Middle  Ages  among  the  Walden- 
ses,  in  Judson's  prison  pen  at  Ava,  in 
many  smaller  and  unnoticed  ways  to- 
day, God's  holy  ones  are  outwardly 
overcome.  Power,  rather,  authority. 
A  fourth  time  in  this  passage  (ver.  5-7) 
the  term  given  is  employed.  In  every 
case  the  reference  is  to  the  dragon  who 
acts  as  a  king  among  men  in  oppo- 
sition to  God.  Kindreds  ...  na- 
tions, rather,  tribe,  people,  tongue, 
and  nation.  This  fourfold  description 
denotes  the  world-wide  and  universal 
character  of  his  reign.  It  is  evident 
that  the  allusion  cannot  be  to  Kome  or 
to  any  distinct  historical  power;  the 
terms  are  too  wide-reaching  for  such  a 
representation.  The  beast  of  despot- 
ism, unhindered  by  considerations  of 
love  or  mercy,  oppressive  to  body  and 
free  thought,  opposed  to  piety  and  the 
spiritual  life,  is  everywhere  an  ally  of 
Satan.  The  given  must  be  interpreted 
of  Satan  conferring  his  power,  as  a  real 
Antichrist,  upon  the  beast.  In  the 
empires  of  antiquity,  in  the  vast  Roman 
empire,  in  the  larger  part  of  the  world 
to-day,  men  must  conform  their  inner- 
most beliefs,  not  to  the  revealed  will  of 
God,  but  to  certain  outward  standards 
and  tests,  under  penalties.  The  Stun- 
dists  in  Russia  and  the  Christians  in 
Armenia  suffer  from  the  beast. 

8.  This  verse  reveals  the  world's 
worship  of  the  beast  spoken  of  in  ver. 
3.  The  ungodly  are  described  under 
the  expression,  dwell  upon  the 
earth.     The  godly  are  described  in 


Ch,  XIIL] 


REVELATION 


279 


him,  'whose  names  are  not  written  iu 
the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain 
"from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
9  «If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him 
10  hear.  "  He  that  leadeth  into  captivity 
shall  go  into  captivity  :  »  he  that  killcti) 
with  the  sword  must  be  killed  with  the 


worship  him,  whose  names  are  not 
written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the 
Lamb  who  is  slain  from  the  founda- 
9  tiou  of  the  world.  If  any  one  has  an 
10  ear,  let  him  hear.  If  any  one  is  for 
captivity,  into  captivity  he  goes  ;  if 
any  one  shall  kill  with  the  sword,  with 
the  sword  he  must  be  killed.    Here  is 


3:5;  21  :  27  ;  Exod.  32  :  32  ;  Dan.  12:1;  Phil.  .4:3.  «  17  ;  8  ;  1  Peter  1  :  19,  20. 

(2:7;  Matt.  11  :  15.  u  Isa.  11  :  2 ;  33  :  1.  x  Geu.  9:6;  .Matt.  26  :  52. 


the  words  tabernacle  in  the  heaven  (^er- 
6).  There  is  a  wide  contrast  between 
the  two.  There  is  never  a  time  when 
there  are  no  godly  people  on  tlie  earth, 
there  is  always  a  remnant  worshiping 
God  (12 :  17).  They  have  been  spoken 
of  before  under  the  terms  of  the  two 
witnesses  (u:3);  under  the  figure  of 
the  inner  court  and  the  true  worshiper 
(11  :  1).  Those  living  the  true  life  are 
those  belonging  to  the  Lamb ;  they 
bear  a  personal  relation  to  him ;  on  ac- 
count of  their  relation  to  Jesus  they 
have  eternal  life  through  him;  their 
names  are  enrolled  in  a  book,  written 
as  it  were ;  it  is  through  the  sacrifice  of 
the  Lamb  that  their  names  have  been 
enrolled  and  they  have  been  kept  in 
safety.  Slain.  Et  was  the  purpose  of 
God  from  eternity  that  Jesus  should  be 
an  offering  for  sin,  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  Because  it  was 
in  God's  mind  that  Jesus  should  be  a 
slain  Lamb  for  the  sins  of  men,  all 
who  believed  in  God  before  the  advent 
of  Jesus  were  saved  for  liis  sake.  lie 
is  a  Saviour  whose  merits  and  .saving 
power  extend  through  all  the  ages,  both 
before  and  after  the  coming  of  Christ 
(Heb.  9  :  15).  He  is  the  eternally  slain 
Lamb.  These  enrolled  in  the  book  of 
life  are  kept  from  the  delusions  of 
Satan,  are  kept  from  the  false  worship. 
Nothing  can  harm  the  man  whose  life 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God ;  the  outward 
life  may  be  destroyed,  but  the  man 
himself  will  be  preserved  in  safety. 
There  is  a  keeping  power  on  the  part 
of  God  (Johu  i':ii);  there  must  be 
watchfulness  on  the  part  of  tlie  dis- 
ciple (Johu  10  : 5),  The  moral  life  of 
the  world  cent€rs  about  two  poles,  the 
worship  of  the  true  God  and  the  wor- 
ship of  Satan.  The  knowledge  of  the 
one  brings  eternal  life  ;  the  only  heaven 
of  the  other  is  a  hell.  _  The  Lamb 
passed  through  per.'^etmtions  here  to 
the  glory  at  God's  right  hand,  and  has 


in  charge  the  book  of  eternal  life.  In 
like  manner  the  followers  of  the  Lamb 
may  be  .slain,  but  in  the  end  they  will, 
like  their  Redeemer,  be  safely  housed 
in  the  upper  taberqacle.  Their  present 
oppressor  will  be  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire  (20  :  10).  The  passage  is  strongly 
helpful  and  consolatory  to  the  strug- 
gling child  of  God.  At  the  close  of 
the  vision,  or  visible  parable,  of  the 
first  beast  occurs  a  note  of  warning 
and  counsel  (^er.  9,  10). 

9.  Frequently  in  the  earthly  min- 
istry of  Jesus  attention  was  called,  in 
this  way,  to  some  difficult  thought 
{.Matt.  13  :  9).  The  samc  method  is  em- 
ployed by  the  ascended  Jesus  at  the 
close  of  each  of  the  messages  to  the 
churches  (chap.  11,  iii).  There  are  times 
when  special  attention  is  needed  to 
understand  the  message  sent  from  God. 
The  succeeding  passage  will  have  in  it 
some  weighty  thought,  having  special 
reference  to  their  condition. 

10.  He  .  .  .  captivity,  rather.  If 
any  one  is  for  captivity,  into  captivity 
he  goeth.  Two  interpretations  are  pos- 
sible. It  may  be  a  word  of  comfort  to 
the  tortured  believer  that,  in  time, 
God's  retributive  power  will  be  mani- 
fest in  giving  to  the  men  who  now  send 
God's  saints  into  captivity  a  like  pun- 
ishment, a  captivity  fearful  and  unend- 
ing. A  better  interpretation  is  the 
following:  the  Christian  must  submit 
cheerfully  to  the  sorrows  and  disap- 
pointments of  the  present  evil  state. 
If  any  one  is  set  apart,  destined,  in 
God's  permissive  providence,  and  in 
Satan's  purposing,  to  go  into  captivity, 
into  captivity  he  will  go.  He  .  .  . 
killed,  rather,  if  any  one  shall  kill 
with  the  sioord,  with  the  sword  shall  he 
be  killed.  This  is  an  exhortation  to 
suffer  even  death  patiently,  knowing 
that,  in  time,  God  will  reward  with  a 
righteous  judgment  the  men  persecu- 
ting Christ's  people.    It  is  an  appeal  tc 


280 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


sword.    T  Here  is  the  patience  and  the 
faith  of  the  saints. 
11      And  I  beheld  another  beast  '■  coming 
up  out  of  the  earth  ;  »and  he  had  two 


the  patience  and    the   faith   of    the 
saints. 
11      And  I  saw  another  beast  coming  up 
out  of   the  earth ;    and  he    had    two 


14  :  12  i  Isa.  30  :  15 ;  Lam.  3  :  S6 ;  Hab.  2:3;  Luke  12  :  32 ;  Heb.  3:6;  James  5:7,8. 


z  11  :  7. 


a  Matt.  7  :  15 ;  2  Cor.  11  :  13-15. 


God's  people  to  conquer  by  patience, 
by  longsufferiug,  by  self-restraint. 
There  is,  of  course,  a  time  when  God's 
people  may  rightfully  resist  both  op- 
pressive civil  power  and  also  oppres- 
sion on  the  rights  of  conscience.  But 
the  general  spirit  of  the  Christian  must 
1)6  to  win  a  way  for  Christ  in  the  world 
by  humility,  longsuflfering,  and  godly 
living.  There  is  a  call  for  patience 
which  means  the  steadfast  standing  up 
under  constant  persecution,  a  patience 
kept  alive  and  made  strong  only  by  a 
faith  in  a  living  Christ.  There  is  a 
victory  that  comes  through  _  faith  (i 
John  5:4).  Days  of  persecution  have 
often  been  times  of  refreshing  from  the 
Lord,  times  of  enlargement  for  the 
church,  of  the  refining  of  the  Christian 
character,  and  the  means  of  winning 
tribute  from  the  world  itself.  The 
Lamb  will,  in  the  end,  overcome  the 
dragon  and  the  beast;  the  cross  will 
do  more  than  the  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns.  We  have  now  seen  the  great 
enemy  of  Christ,  the  dragon ;  the 
second  great  enemy  of  Christ,  the  first 
beast  coming  out  of  the  sea,  clothed 
with  Satan's  power,  sitting  on  his 
throne,  wielding  his  scepter.  In  the 
rapid  unfolding  of  the  foes  of  the 
chui'ch,  the  third  great  enemy  is  now 
to  appear. 

11-18.  The  second  beast  emer- 
ging FROM  the  land.  We  have  a 
threefold  opposition  to  the  Redeemer 
and  his  cause :  a  dragon  (^  :  3);  a  beast 
arising  from  the  sea  (''er.  i);  a  beast 
issuing  from  the  land  (ver.  ii).  The 
pathway  to  a  triumph  of  the  Redeem- 
er's cause  is  beset  by  all  possible  oppo- 
sitions. In  the  life  of  the  Saviour 
there  was  a  constant  temptation  by 
Satan  himself  (Luke  4 :  la).  There  was 
also  a  strong  popular  hatred,  the  op- 
position of  the  leaders  of  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees,  tlie  mighty  power  of 
the  Roman  authorities.  What  took 
place  in  Christ's  life  is  repeated,  in  all 
ages,  against  the  Redeemer's  church. 
"The  first  beast  is  openly  a  fierce  and 
aggressive    enemy,    persecuting     the 


woman.  The  second  beast,  an  ally  of 
the  first,  is  far  difi'erent,  more  specious, 
less  open,  but  none  the  less  satanic. 
If  Satan  cannot  gain  his  ends  by  open 
and  fierce  hostility,  if  he  cannot  crush 
the  church  in  bloodshed,  he  may  gain 
his  ends  by  false  methods,  by  decep- 
tion. This  is  the  method  about  to  be 
revealed. 

11.  And  I  beheld  another  beast, 
rather,  saw.  It  is  a  beast  in  the  full 
meaning  of  that  term,  implying  that 
it  is  savage,  bestial  in  nature.  The 
four  creatures  representing  the  highest 
intelligences,  are  called  in  the  Revised 
version  living  creatures,  endowed  with 
the  highest  forms  of  life;  the  oppo- 
nents of  God  are  utterly  diflerent,  and 
can  be  symbolized  only  by  beasts.  It 
is  another  beast,  like  the  first  beast  in 
its  nature,  its  aim,  characterized  by 
the  same  spirit.  In  its  inner  nature  it 
is  not  a  lamb,  which  stands  as  a  symbol 
of  Christ ;  not  a  woman  pure,  clothed 
in  white,  representing  the  church,  but 
a  beast.  In  Daniel  the  beasts  rep- 
resent the  great  world-powers  that 
would  arise  one  after  the  other  (cao,  7). 
The  source  of  this  beast  is  from  the 
earth ;  in  like  manner  the  first 
beast  sprang  from  the  sea  (^er.  1).  It 
is  contended  by  some  that  the  sea 
represents  the  great  mass  of  ungodly, 
Gentile  nations ;  that  the  earth,  there- 
fore, stands  for  the  Jewish  nation, 
God's  prophetic  and  priestly  people. 
On  this  view,  the  beast  is  a  religious 
rather  than  a  secular  enemy.  It  is 
doubtful  whether  this  interpretation  is 
valid ;  it  is  more  likely  that  the  two 
termSj  sea  and  earth,  are  introduced  as 
denoting  the  entire  world  as  made  use 
of  by  Satan  to  fight  against  God's 
cause.  There  may  also  be  the  implied 
teaching  that  the  source  of  Satan's 
opposition  is  earthly  in  its  origin  ;  his 
agencies  are  all  earth-born.  Jesus  is 
from  heaven,  his  foes  are  of  the  earth 
(jobn  8  :  23),  The  Woman,  the  bride  of 
Christ,  appears  in  the  skies;  the  foes 
of  the  church  are  earth-born,  opposite 
in  their  origin  as  in  their  nature  from 


Ch.  XIII.] 

REVELATION 

281 

homs  like  a  lamb, 

and 

>>  he  spake  as  a  |       horns  like 

a  lamb, 

and 

he 

spoke 

as  a 

b  Dan.  11  :  21,  24. 

all  that  belongs  to  Christ  and  his 
church.  Some  have  inferred  that  in- 
asmuch as  the  sea  is  the  image  of  rest- 
lessness, and  the  earth  the  symbol  of 
a  settled  order  and  stability,  that  it 
is  here  taught  that  the  second  beast 
comes  into  being  in  a  time  of  settled 
order;  a  time  of  stability  that  comes 
from  centuries  of  civilization,  in  a 
time  far  later  than  the  first.  It  is 
true  that,  in  order  of  time,  the  second 
beast  appears  after  the  first,  succeeding 
it  in  time  and  subordinate  to  it  in  ac- 
tion ;  but  this  may  not  be  inferred  from 
the  terms  here  used.  The  appearance 
of  the  beast  is  described,  also  its  na- 
ture. The  two  do  not  correspond  in 
their  outward  symbolism.  It  has  two 
horns  like  a  Iamb.  We  are  not 
to  infer  that  because  it  has  only  two 
horns  it,  therefore,  has  less  power  than 
the  first  beast,  which  had  ten  horns. 
Nor  is  it  taught  by  this  symbolism  that 
it  has  less  power  than  the  Redeemer, 
the  Lamb  with  seven  horns  (^  :  «).  In- 
tended to  represent  before  men,  in  a 
deceptive  way,  a  lamblike  nature  and 
address,  the  beast  naturally  has  an  out- 
ward appearance  to  correspond  with 
this  purpose.  The  number  two  itself 
may  be  symbolical,  as  were  the  two 
witnesses  in  11  :  3.  The  two  witnesses 
stood  for  all  the  witnessing  forces  of 
the  Redeemer  upon  the  earth ;  in  like 
manner  here  as  this  beast  speaks,  wit- 
nesses for  the  first  beast,  the  two  horns 
may  represent  all  those  who  sympathize 
with  this  teaching  and_  help  the  beast 
in  its  witnessing.  It  is  a  beast  with 
lamblike  horns,  intended  to  create  the 
impression  upon  the  minds  of  men 
that  it  is  lamblike  in  its  nature,  harm- 
less, gentle,  with  no  hint  of  persecu- 
tion or  harm  to  the  church.  Its  two 
horns  are  two  lies.  In  its  external  ap- 
pearance the  first  beast  is  openly  auti- 
christian ;  in  its  external  appearance 
the  second  beast  is  not  openly  anti- 
christian,  but  is  seen  to  be  really  such 
when  its  character  is  made  apparent. 
By  its  speech  it  gives  indication  of 
what  it  is.  It  is  therefore  a  speaking, 
reasoning,  witnessing  creature  ;  a  sym- 
bol of  human  thought,  human  teach- 
ing prophesying   in  all  forms.      The 


first  beast  represents  force,  world-wide 
power;  this  represents  intelligence, 
reason ;  it  speaks.  From  this  beast 
come  perverted  religious  teachings, 
corrupt  doctrines,  heresies,  false  views 
of  God  and  man.  Some  false  teach- 
ings have  wrought  more  havoc  to  the 
church  and  the  truth  than  the  most 
violent  persecutions.  The  speech  re- 
veals the  character,  the  dragon  within 
(Matt.  12  ;  37).  Thcrc  is  a  wide  contrast 
between  the  seemiijg  appearance  and 
the  inner  reality,  between  the  lamb 
and  the  dragon.  There  is  hypocrisy 
united  with  the  savage  spirit,  more  to  be 
dreaded  than  the  first  beast,  which  was 
openly  in  the  service  of  Satan.  The 
devil  is  most  to  be  feared  when  he 
comes  dressed  in  white  (scor.  ii:u). 
The  two  lamblike  horns  are  the  asser- 
tion, on  its  part,  that  its  power  will  be 
used  in  a  gentle  way,  suited  to  a  peace- 
ful, settled  state  of  things.  The  first 
and  second  beasts  are  alike:  (1)  In  their 
hostility  to  God  and  his  cause,  inas- 
much as  both  are  declared  to  be  beasts. 
(2)  They  are  seemingly  unlike  in  their 
origin,  the  one  springing  from  the  sea, 
the  other  from  the  land  ;  but  both  alike 
arising  from  the  world,  the  opposite  of 
heaven  ;  both  alike  worldly  in  origin 
and  spirit.  (3)  They  are  both  satanic 
in  character  and  conduct.  The  first 
beast  is  subservient  to  the  dragon,  the 
second  beast  is  subservient  to  the  first 
beast.  The  god  of  both  is  the  dragon. 
They  are  unlike  in  two  respects:  (1) 
As  to  appearance  one  is  entirely  beast- 
like ;  the  other  is  apparently  lamb- 
like, both  having  the  beast  nature. 
(2)  As  to  methods  of  working,  the 
second  beast  is  persuasive,  reasoning, 
using  influence  to  induce  men  to  wor- 
ship the  first  bea.st.  It  is  not  persecu- 
tion that  is  made  use  of,  but  persuasion. 
It  is  not  meant  that  in  his  teaching  he 
said  that  he  was  a  servant  of  the  dragon  ; 
this  would  be  to  defeat  his  purpose. 
But  his  teaching  was  essentially  anti- 
christian  in  its  spirit,  and  tended, 
therefore,  to  build  up  Satan's  king- 
dom. A  sermon,  if  opposed  to  the  teach- 
ing of  Christ,  addressed  to  a  Chris- 
tian as.serably,  may  do  more  harm 
than   an  openly  announced   atheistic 


282 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


12  dragon.  And  he  exerciseth  all  the 
power  ^of  the  first  beast  before  him, 
and  causeth  the  earth  and  them  -which 
dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast, 

13  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed.  And 
*he  doeth  great  wonders,  «so  that  he 
maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven 


12  dragon.  And  he  exercises  all  the  au- 
thority of  the  first  beast  in  his  sight, 
and  causes  the  earth  and  those  who 
dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast, 

13  whose  death-stroke  was  healed.  And 
he  does  great  signs,  so  that  he  makes 
tire  even  come  down  out  of  heaven  on 


16  :  14 ;  Deut.  13  : 1-3. 


e  1  Kings  18  :  38 ;  2  Kings  1 :  10, 12. 


discourse.  Under  the  cover  of  the 
lamb's  appearance  there  is  the  dragon 
utterance ;  it  has  thus  opportunity  to 
do  tlie  greater  harm.  Satan  is  full 
of  wiles. 

12.  Having  seen  the  form  and  na- 
ture of  the  second  beast,  we  now  see  the 
putting  forth  of  his  power.  Exerci- 
seth .  .  .  power,  rather,  authority. 
The  two  beasts  do  not  follow  each  other 
in  such  a  manner  that  one  disappears 
when  the  other  comes  on  the  stage  of 
vision.  In  vision  John  sees  both  beasts 
at  the  same  time.  They  work  con- 
jointly ;  they  have  the  same  aim  and 
spirit.  It  has  its  own  function  as 
teacher,  it  acts  as  a  prophet  of  and  for 
the  world  ;  this  is  its  special  work  as 
distinct  from  the  first  beast.  Then,  in 
addition  to  this,  it  exercises  the  power 
of  the  first  beast  using  the  world-powers 
for  compulsion,  for  persecution.  The 
lamblike,  two-horned  beast  becomes, 
in  its  effects,  the  ten-horned  beast. 
Before  him.  This  means  in  the 
presence  of  the  first  beast,  in  his  sight. 
Everything  about  the  second  beast  is 
a  kind  of  mockery  of  divine  things.  It 
is  "  before  God  "  that  the  Son,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  angels,  the  saved  in  heaven, 
stand  and  serve  (i  =  * ;  3:5;  7 :  is).  The 
second  beast  exercises  authority  in  the 
presence  of  the  first,  for  the  sake  of 
the  first,  with  po\yer  conferred  by  the 
first.  It  is  his  delight  to  serve  the  first 
beast,  to  do  his  will.  He  is  a  kind  of 
god  to  the  second  beast.  The  effect  of 
his  authority  is  seen  in  this:  He 
causeth  .  .  ,  beast,  rather,  maketh. 
In  ver.  4  we  see  all  the  world  worship- 
ing the  beast  and  ascribing  praise  to 
him.  Here  we  have  that  world-wide 
worship,  to  some  extent,  explained.  It 
is  through  the  influence  of  this  beast 
that  that  homage  is  rendered.  What- 
ever the  speech  maybe  (ver.  ii)^  whether 
it  be  unsound  and  perverted  teaching 
as  to  religious  truth,  or  the  teachings 
of  science,  culture,  and  false  philos- 
ophy, "the  science  falsely  so-called" 


(2  Tim.  6  :  20);  whatever  the  teaching  be, 
this  beast  persuades  men  to  follow  the 
first  beast,  follow  the  principles  and 
power  of  worldliness,  materialism,  the 
unspiritual  life.  The  beast  is  essen- 
tially worldly.  Earth  .  .  .  dAvell 
therein.  The  allusion  is  to  the 
•worldly  minded  people ;  those  whose 
home  is  on  the  earth  ;  men  who  do  not 
live  in  an  upward  and  heavenly  way. 
There  are  some  who  are  true  to  God ; 
these  have  their  dwelling-place  in 
God's  tabernacle  (^cr.  6). 

13.  This  verse  gives  one  method  of 
his  persuasive  power.  Wonders, 
rather,  sigits.  The  word  rendered  signs 
is  commonly  used  in  the  Kew  Testa- 
ment for  the  wonderful  works  of  Christ. 
John  sees  this  in  vision.  Inasmuch  as 
it  is  seen  in  vision,  there  is  no  proof 
that  the  appearance  indicates  a  real 
miracle.  They  appear  to  be  real  to 
the  sight,  and  are  therefore  spoken  of 
in  this  way.  As  the  beast  is  called  in 
the  next  verse  a  deceiver,  it  is  alto- 
gether probable  that  the  signs  here 
spoken  of  are  deceptive  in  their  ap- 
pearance, and  are,  in  reality,  lying 
wonders.  Statements  are  elsewhere 
made  that  Satan  has  great  power  to 
present  false  signs  and  deceptive  mani- 
festations (2  Thess.  2:9;  Matt.  24  :  24).   The 

sign  here  spoken  of  is  an  imitation  of 
the  miracle  found  in  2  Kings  1  :  10-12, 
the  calling  of  fire  down  from  heaven. 
Maketh  .  .  .  heaven,  rather,  even 
makes  fire  to  come  down  out  of  heaven. 
In  many  ages  parties  have  claimed  to 
work  miracles  in  support  of  false  be- 
liefs. The  second  beast  seemingly 
claims  a  wonderful  sanctity  and  power 
with  God,  asserting  its  ability  to  make 
nature  bear  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
its  teachings.  It  claims  to  be  a  prophet. 
Those  who  regard  the  second  beast  as 
the  symbol  of  the  world's  culture,  dei- 
fying nature  and  liumanity,  make  these 
signs  refer  to  great  achievements  in 
nature,  and  its  lofty  pretensions  seem- 
ing to  rival  the  real  witnesses  of  God's 


Ch.  XIIT.] 


REVELATION 


283 


14  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,  and 
'deceiveth  them  ethat  dwell  on  the 
earth  i"  by  the  means  of  those  miracles 
which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight 
of  the  beast ;  saying  to  them  that  d  well 
on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make 
Ian  image  to  the  beast,  which  had  the 

15  wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live.  And 
he  had  power  to  give  life  unto  the 
image  of  the  beast,  that  the  image  of 
the   beast  should    both  speak,   I'and 


14  the  earth,  in  the  sight  of  men  ;  and  he 
leads  astray  those  who  dwell  on  the 
earth,  because  of  the  signs  whicli  it 
was  given  him  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the 
beast;  saying  to  those  who  dwell  on 
the  earth,  that  they  should  make  an 
image  to    the    beast,   which   has   the 

15  stroke  of  the  sword,  and  lived.  And 
it  was  given  him  to  give  breath  to  the 
image  of  the  beast,  tnat  the  image  of 
the  beast  should  both  speak,  and  cause 


/  12  :  9 ;  19  :  20. 


g  Vur.  8.  ft  2  Thess.  2  :  9,  10. 

J;  16:  2;  19  :  20:  20:  4;  Dan.  3:  7. 


i  14  ;  9,  11 ;  15  :  2. 


truth  and  the  expression  of  his  will 
to  men. 

14.  His  appearance  is  deceptive, 
having  the  lamb  appearance  and  the 
dragon  nature.  It  is  not  wonderful 
that  he  deceiveth  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth.  The  very  essence  of 
Satan  and  sin  is  deception.  It  has  been 
so  from  the  first  (Geu.  3 :  5,  7).  Satan  is, 
by  nature,  a  liar  (Joim  s  :  u).  There  is 
false  teaching  on  the  part  of  those  rep- 
resented by  the  beast  (Matt.  24:24). 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  truth,  his  words 
will  not  fail  when  men  trust  in  them 
and  build  on  them  (Marn  13  :  31).  The 
means  of  this  deception  are  indicated  : 
by  the  means  .  .  .  beast,  rather, 
by  reason  of  the  signs  which  it  was 
given  to  him  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the 
beast.  These  signs  are  not  to  be  re- 
garded as  signs  at  all  comparable  with 
those  wrought  by  Jesus  in  confirmation 
of  his  own  Sonship  and  the  truth  of 
his  declarations,  but  rather  deceptive 
appearances,  a  mocking  likeness  of  the 
true  signs.  Jesus  brought  life  and 
immortality  to  light  through  his  res- 
urrection ;  spiiritualism,  with  its  seem- 
ing wonders  in  defense  of  another  life, 
has  in  reality  drawn  men  away  from 
Christ  and  the  Scriptures.  Giveth. 
This  refers  to  his  acting  as  a  deputy  of 
the  first  beast,  who  himself  is  a  deputy 
of  Satan.  There  is  a  permission  from 
God  even  to  this  false  beast,  but  the 
allusion  here  is  to  the  imparting  of 
power  by  Satan.  God  permits  even 
when  he  does  not  approve.  Satan 
grants  power  and  approves  of  wicked- 
ness. There  is  given  here  a  specific 
illustration  of  his  deceptive  teaching. 
Saying  .  .  .  dwell  on  earth,  re- 
lerring  to  the  worldly  minded  people 
of  the  earth.  Make  an  image  to 
the  beast.  Some  find  in  the  terra 
image    a    historical    reference    to    the 


image  of  the  Ciesar,  the  Roman  em- 
peror, which  men  were  compelled  to 
worship.  This  is  Alford's  view.  Be- 
fore this  image  Christian  martyrs  were 
brought  to  the  test,  and  put  to  death  if 
they  refused  to  perform  acts  of  wor- 
ship. Satan  is  the  direct  antithesis  of 
Jesus — the  embodiment  and  incarna- 
tion of  the  principle  of  evil.  The  first 
beast  represents  Satan,  receives  his 
power.  The  image  of  the  first  beast, 
the  ungodly  world-power,  is  the  em- 
bodiment, as  if  it  were  a  living  thing, 
of  the  spirit  of  the  first  beast.  The 
false  prophet,  whether  church  and 
priesthood,  or  learning  and  culture, 
teaches  that  men  should  worship  and 
serve  the  spirit  of  this  world.  That 
which  the  Saviour  denominated  by  the 
term  world  (Johu  le  ;  33);  that  against 
which  Paul  urged  Christians  to  be  on 
their  guard  (Kom.  12  :  2);  the  great  secu- 
lar world-power,  finding  its  completest 
representation  in  the  outward  forms  of 
national  life,  may  be  served  as  if  it 
were  a  god.  The  expression,  image 
of  the  beast,  occurs  no  less  than  ten 
times  in  the  book  of  Revelation  (is ;  1*. 

15)  three  times;  (U  :  9,  lO;  15  :  a  ;  I6  :  2; 
19  :  20;    20  :  4). 

15.  This  verse  further  describes  the 
power  of  the  second  beast.  The  preced- 
ing verse  mentions  the  image  of  the  first 
beast  made  by  the  dwellers  on  the  earth. 
Had  power  .  .  .  speak,  rather, 
wa^  given  unto  him  to  give  breath  to  it, 
even  to  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the 
image  of  the  beast  should  both  sjyeak. 
Alford  interprets  as  follows:  "The 
allusion  probably  is  to  some  lying  won- 
ders permitted  to  the  pagan  priests  to 
try  the  faith  of  God's  people.  We  can- 
not help,  as  we  read,  thinking  of  the 
moving  images  and  winking  and  speak- 
ing pictures  so  often  employed  for  the 
purpose  of  imposture  by  their  far  less 


284 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII, 


cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  wor- 
ship the  image  of  the  beast  should  be 
16  killed.  And  he  caused  all,  both  small 
and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  aud 
bond, '  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right 


that  as  many  as  worship  not  the  image 
16  of  the  beast  be  killed.  Aud  he  causes 
all,  the  small  and  the  great,  and  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  and  the  free  and  the 
bond,  that  there  be  given  them  a  mark 
on  their  right  baud,  or  on  their  fore- 


l  U  :  9-11 ;  19  :  20  ;  20  ;  4. 


excusable  papal  successors."  But  it  is 
impossible  to  limit  the  meaning  to  this, 
for  these  images  have  no  power  to  put 
faithful  Christians  to  death  for  diso- 
bedience. The  first  beast  is  the  sym- 
bol of  the  ungodly  world-power  arrayed 
against  God.  The  image  of  the  beast 
is  this  power  personified,  incarnate,  as 
it  were,  in  a  living  person.  The  image 
here  made  to  speak  may  be  regarded 
as  the  persecuting  power  of  the  civil 
government,  compelling  persons  to  act 
in  accord  with  the  teachings  of  the 
second  beast,  the  false  prophet.  Speak. 
Articulate  speech  is  the  sign  of  in- 
telligence and  reason.  The  ungodly 
world-powers,  represented  by  kings 
and  emperors  and  ungodly  rulers,  give 
utterance  against  God's  people  and  give 

Eretexts  for  persecution.  We  might 
nd  many  illustrations  of  this  in  the 
first  centuries.  The  man  was  in  danger 
of  death  who  did  not  pay  divine  honor 
to  the  emperor.  For  that  age,  the  em- 
peror might  be  regarded  as  the  image 
of  the  first  beast,  the  seven-headed 
monster.  Killed.  This  may  refer 
to  actual  death  suffered  by  the  follow- 
ers of  Christ  at  the  hands  of  the  image 
of  the  beast.  There  was  persecution 
by  the  first  beast,  instigated  by  Satan's 
malice.  There  is  persecution  now 
through  the  second  beast,  the  false 
prophet,  the  seemingly  religious  or- 
ganization. Fairbairn  refers  the  killed, 
not  to  a  literal  destruction,  but_  to  the 
experience  of  a  social  and  political  de- 
struction, a  civil  martyrdom.  There 
will  be  a  destruction  so  far  as  the  per- 
sonal influence  and  the  development  of 
personal  power  are  concerned,  a  real 
death  and  burial.  In  India  a  rigid 
caste  system  surrounds  a  man ;  in  like 
manner  everywhere  the  social  system 
may  lae  so  arrayed  against  the  Christian 
that  he  may  live  in  society  and  yet  be, 
as  it  were,  dead.  There  is  no  reason, 
however,  why  the  severest  meaning 
may  not  be  given  to  the  term.  Jesus 
speaks  of  a  martyrdom  that  will  come 
from  the  asserted  desire  to  please  God 


on   the   part  of  the   persecutor  (John 

16  :  2). 

16.  This  verse  shows  the  spirit  of 
evil,  the  power  of  the  first  beast,  ruling 
over  men  in  all  the  departments  oi 
life.  It  is  the  instigation  of  the  second 
beast  that  suggests  to  the  first  beast  the 
placing  of  the  mark  on  men,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  persuades  and  deceives 
men  that  they  receive  the  mark.  Re- 
ceive ...  mark,  rather,  that  there 
he  given  them  a  mark.  In7  :  3  God's 
servants  were  represented  as  marked 
w  ith  a  seal  of  God  for  their  own  pro- 
tection. This  is  not  to  be  regarded  as 
a  literal  marking,  but  means  that  they 
were  as  if  marked,  so  that  their  pres- 
ervation would  be  assured.  This  mark 
is  the  opposite  of  that.  It  is  the  mark 
of  ownership  on  the  one  hand ;  the 
mark  of  willingness  of  service  on  the 
other  hand.  It  is  not  impressed  as  a 
brand  on  an  unwilling  captive,  but 
it  is  received  in  willing  subjection. 
Slaves  were  branded  to  indicate  their 
servile  condition.  Compare  Paul's 
words  in  Gal.  6  :  17,  regarding  himself 
as  the  slave  of  Christ.  The  mark  is 
on  their  right  hand ;  that  part  of  the 
body  which  stands  for  business  energy, 
the  social  life.  The  right  hand  is  a 
man's  chief  executive  agency.  Satan 
gets  hold  of  a  man's  business  and  social 
life.  In  their  foreheads.  This  is 
that  part  of  the  body  which  reveals 
character,  which  manifests  the  man 
himself.  It  is  a  mark  on  the  outside 
of  the  life,  so  that  it  cannot  be  hidden. 
By  reference  to  14  :  1  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  Father's  name  is  marked  upon 
the  redeemed.  By  contrast  we  would 
suppose  that  the  mark  of  the  beast,  his 
name  or  number,  will  be  upon  the  un- 
godly. No  man  can  serve  two  masters ; 
in  God's  sight,  and  in  one's  real  char- 
acter, men  must  be  in  alliance  with 
God  and  in  subjection  to  God  or  un- 
godliness. The  varied  classes  enumer- 
ated, expressive  of  the  ranks  of  men  in 
life,  show  how  widespread  is  the  de- 
ceptive power  of  the  second  beast;  all 


Ch.  XIII.] 


REVELATION 


285 


17  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads :  and  that 
no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that 
had  the  mark,  or  ""the  name  of  the 
beast,  "or  the  number  of  his  name. 

18  » Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath 
understanding  count  Pthe  number  of 
the  beast:  ifor  it  is  the  number  of  a 
man ;  and  his  number  is  Six  hundred 
threescore  aiid  six. 


17  head  ;  and  that  no  one  should  be  able 
to  buy  or  sell,  but  he  that  has  the 
mark,  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the 
number  of  his  name. 

IS  Here  is  wisdom.  He  that  has  under- 
standing, let  him  count  the  number  of 
the  beast,  for  it  is  the  number  of  a 
man ;  and  his  number  is  six  hundred 
and  sixtj'-six. 


U  :  11 ;  17  :  5. 


n  15  :2. 
p  la:2. 


0  IT  :  9  ;  Pa.  107  :  13  ;  Dan.  12  :  10. 
J  21  :  17. 


of  these  classes  belong  to  the  worldly 
minded ;  there  are  those^  the  heavenly 
minded,  not  embraced  in  these  lists. 
The  Scriptures  everywhere  teach  that 
there  is  a  great  gulf  between  the  godly 
and  the  ungodly.  But  since  Chris- 
tianity has  so  largely  leavened  the 
masses  of  men,  even  of  those  who  are 
not  Christians,  it  is  more  difficult  than 
in  early  days  to  di"aw  the  dividing  line 
between  men,  so  that  the  diflerence  is 
at  once  distinguishable.  But  there  is 
a  difference  among  men,  both  God  and 
Satan  recognize  their  own. 

17.  This  verse  shows  the  result  of 
the  mark  of  the  beast.  The  one  not 
so  marked  would  be  consigned  to  a 
living  death,  cut  off  from  business  rela- 
tions and  social  intercourse  with  others. 
It  is  the  prophecy  of  a  religious  boy- 
cott. Mark,  or  the  name,  rather, 
mark,  even  the  name.  Historical  illus- 
trations are  numerous  of  emperors 
and  popes  putting  their  ban  upon  an 
entire  nation,  forbidding  the  ringing 
of  the  church  bell,  the  burial  in  holy 
ground,  the  solemnization  of  marriage 
until  there  had  been  a  return  to  the 
allegiance  to  authorities  and  the  pro- 
fession of  the  faith.  It  was  a  fearful 
power  in  the  Middle  Ages ;  the  forbid- 
ding of  social  and  business  intercourse 
with  one  charged  with  heresy.  The 
civil  powers,  at  the  request  of  the 
church,  have  exercised  the  dread  in- 
strument of  the  interdict,  forbidding 
in  this  manner  the  buying  from  a 
heretic  or  selling  to  a  heretic.  God's 
faithful  people,  through  many  ages, 
in  many  .countries,  were  thus  hin- 
dered in  their  religious  life,  their 
business  was  crushed  ;  while  the  weak 
in  heart  were  forced  to  affirm  with 
their  lips  what  they  did  not  believe 
with  their  heart.  In  the  year  1897, 
in  China,  a  conspiracy,  embracing 
thousands    of   people,    was     formed, 


pledged  to  have  no  dealings  with  the 
native  Christians.  It  often  happens 
to-day  in  Christian  countries  that 
avenues  to  success  are  closed  against 
men,  in  certain  directions,  unless  they 
have  upon  them  the  mark  of  the  beast, 
a  worldly  spirit  of  obedience  to  Satan 
and  his  will.  Jesus  has  made  provision 
for  men  who  suflfer  loss  of  all  things 
for  conscience'  sake ;  who  walk  in  the 
narrow  way  even  when  it  leads  to  death 

(Matt.  10  :  28;   19  :  29). 

18.  This  verse  has  proved  to  be  the 
most  puzzling  of  any  passage  in  the 
Apocalypse.  Many  attempted  solu- 
tions have  been  given  of  it.  It  is  con- 
ceded by  all  that  the  beast  referred  to 
is  the  first  beast,  not  the  second.  It  is 
conceded  that  the  solution  of  this  prob- 
lem, the  right  interpretation,  requires 
great  wisdom.  It  has  been  assumed 
by  many,  perhaps  by  most,  that  there 
is  concealed  here  purposely  by  John, 
the  name  of  some  emperor  or  other 
person.  Hence  various  names  have 
been  suggested.  Among  these  are  the 
following :  Caesar  Augustus,  Nero,  Ves- 
pasian, Titus,  Mohammed,  Luther,  Cal- 
vin, Beza,  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  Na- 
poleon III.  The  names  of  two  modern 
politicians  have  been  added  to  the 
list,  inasmuch  as  the  numerical  value 
of  the  letters  in  their  names  makes 
up  this  symbolic  number,  666.  The 
most  popular  interpretation  in  recent 
years  is  that  the  Emperor  Nero  is 
meant  by  John.  Swete  seems  in- 
clined to  combine  this  view  with  that 
favored  in  the  comments  that  follow. 
It  is  not  meant  that  John's  purpose  is 
to  hide  any  person's  name  so  that  men 
and  after  ages  might  puzzle  over  it. 
What  John  means  is  that  the  name, 
that  is,  the  character  of  the  beast  and 
the  number  of  that  name,  expressed  in 
the  symbolic  form  of  666,  correspond  to 
each  other.    The  name  of  the  beast  re- 


286 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIII. 


veals  the  beast,  is  expressive  of  its 
cliaracter,  just  as  the  name,  Jacob,  re- 
veals the  mau  who  had  power  with 
God.  Tlie  numerical  value  of  the  name 
corresponds  with  the  name ;  it  also 
reveals  the  character  of  the  beast. 
Throughout  the  entire  book  the  num- 
ber seven  stands  as  the  symbol  of  per- 
fection, completeness.  Jesus  employed 
this  number  to  express  his  conception 
of  a  complete  forgiveness.  It  must  be 
a  seventy  times  seven  forgiveness  ;  that 
is,  a  complete  and  utter  forgiveness 
(Matt.  18:22).  The  bcast  has  been  al- 
lowed to  assume  a  sevenfold  manifes- 
tation as  a  kind  of  parody  of  the  divine, 
asserting  also  that  it  was  a  perfect 
manifestation  of  the  worldly  beastlike 
power.  In  the  later  stages  of  its  ex- 
istence the  lamblike  ally  had  much  to 
do  in  working  it  into  a  resemblance  to 
the  divine.  But  as  to  the  reality  of 
things,  the  seemingly  divine  could 
never  become  anything  more  than  a 
self-confessed  failure ;  the  beast  would 
remain  a  beast.  The  character,  the  con- 
dition, the  history  of  the  beast  could 
never  be  expressed  intermsof  theseven ; 
it  would  always  be  less  than  perfect. 
The  number  of  the  beast  is,  therefore, 
not  a  seven,  the  symbol  of  the  divine, 
but  a  six,  that  which  falls  short  of  the 
divine.  To  show  how  completely  the 
beast  forever  remains  fallen  sliort  of 
the  divine,  there  is  the  number  six, 
given  three  times.  It  has  not  reached 
the  fulness  of  the  divine  name,  of 
God's  name.  If  it  had  been  intended 
to  represent  a  divine  fulness,  a  com- 
pleteness in  God's  sight,  two  methods 
might  have  been  adopted  by  John  in 
which  to  express  this.  He  might  de- 
clare, in  words,  that  the  beast  was  after 
all  only  a  beast,  that  the  lamblike 
appearance  and  the  asserted  prophet- 
ship  did  not  make  anything  beyond 
deception ;  or  he  might  declare  the 
same  thing  in  the  use  of  symbolic 
numbers.  He  might  say,  as  here,  the 
character  of  the  beast  is  shown  in  the 
number  666.  To  the  Hebrew  mind  tliis 
would  be  a  striking  manner  of  reveal- 
ing the  character.  If  John  had  in- 
tended to  declare  that  a  person  really 
stood  for  divine  things,  he  might  say 
that  his  name  can  be  expressed  in  the 
number  777;  but  the  number  666  puts 
the  beast,  with  all  its  power  and  decep- 
tion,  with  all   the    aid   of  the   false 


prophet,  in  the  category  of  incomplete- 
ness. It  is  the  assertion  that  it  is  not 
divine,  not  complete,  but  is  a  beast 
with  a  beastlike  nature  shown  by  its 
beastlike  number.  The  number  666 
represents,  therefore,  not  any  person 
or  kingdom,  past  or  present,  but  is  the 
manifestation  of  that  which  demands 
a  world-wide  worship,  claiming  to  be 
divine,  but  which,  in  reality,  is  only 
a  beast ;  it  is  not  a  Christ,  but  an  Anti- 
christ. The  Apocalypse  is  a  book  of 
symbols,  not  of  literal  names.  There 
is  a  trinity  of  the  dragon,  the  first  and 
second  beasts.  Against  the  Lamb  are 
the  world,  the  flesh,  the  devil.  Each 
of  these  may  be  desciibed  by  a  six,  in- 
dicating the  nature.  The  nature  of  all 
united  would  be  a  threefold  six.  This 
wisdom  descendeth  not  from  above,  but 
is  earthly,  denoted  by  a  six,  sensual ; 
denoted  by  a  six,  devilish  ;  denoted  by 
a  six,  altogether  unholy  and  profane ; 
less  than  God,  against  God,  therefore 
to  be  destroyed.  In  the  end  the  dragon, 
the  first  beast,  the  false  prophet,  the 
unclean  woman,  the  great  city  Babylon, 
all  are  doomed  to  destruction.  Com- 
pare Milligan  on  this  passage,  Briggs, 
^'Messiah,"  p.  324.  All  attempts  to 
solve  this  enigma  must  be  imperfect; 
but  Avhen  the  time  comes  for  its  full 
solution,  doubtless  the  truth  of  the 
prophecy  will  be  clearly  seen. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Jesus  has  had  and  does  have  great 
enemies.  All  sin  is  utterly  repulsive  when 
looked  upon  with  holy  eyes  (ver.  1). 

2.  Satan  is  a  personal  being,  skilled  in 
spiritual  warfare.  He  has  courage,  fore- 
sight, cruelty,  in  full  measure.  He  would 
destroy  his  foes,  if  he  could ;  he  will 
miserably  destroy,  in  the  end,  his  own 
followers  (ver.  2). 

3.  Satan  is  a  god  of  this  world.  We 
cannot  estimate  by  majorities  among  men 
where  the  truth  is.  The  attractions  of 
the  world  must  not  be  allowed  to  blind 
the  soul  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  devil  has  agencies  at  work  in  the 
world.  Satan  can  delude  persons  in  no 
better  way  than  to  persuade  them  that  he 
does  not  exist.  He  makes  allies  to  him- 
self of  the  world,  fashion,  wealth,  bodily 
passions.  If  Satan  can  get  control  of 
civil  governments  they  are  instruments 


Ch.  XIII.] 


REVELATION 


287 


of  cruelty,  suppressing  the  truth  and 
hindering  Christ.  God  can  overrule  the 
purposes  of  even  hostile  nations  that  his 
own  kingdom  may  be  extended.  Powers 
resisting  God  will,  in  the  end,  be  over- 
turned (ver.  4). 

5.  Satan  and  sin  seem  to  have  limitless 
power,  but  there  are  bounds  beyond 
which  they  cannot  go.  Above  all  things 
is  God  and  his  holy  purpose.  We  cannot 
understand  why  evil  itself  is  permitted, 
and  why  Satan  can  rage  among  men.  At 
the  last  God  will  sliine  out  triumphant, 
and  all  will  rejoice  in  and  admire  the 
wisdom  of  God  (ver.  5,  6). 

6.  Satau  may  overcome  in  an  outward 
way,  but  in  the  end  he  will  be  overcome. 
The  dead  Jesus  could  not  be  held  in  the 
grave.  Christ's  cau.se  cannot  be  crushed 
by  persecution,  or  burned  at  the  stake,  or 
confined  to  a  dungeon.  The  triumphant 
Jehovah  can  laugh  at  his  discomfited  foes 
(ver.  7  ;  Ps.  2). 

7.  Because  there  is  a  book  of  life,  no 
one  will  be  forgotten  in  the  day  of  Christ's 
triumph.  No  one  will  be  given  over  to 
Satan's  power  to  tempt  overmuch.  It  is 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life;  in  it  will  be  the 
names  of  the  friends  of  Jesus.  It  is  the 
registration  of  his  personal  friends.  The 
church  record  ought  to  correspond  with 
this  book  (ver.  8). 

8.  God's  keeping  power  is  manifest  in 
this,  he  restrains  the  power  of  Satan  so 
that  his  children  walk  in  safety  (ver.  8). 

9.  The  spiritual  ear  is  for  hearing.  The 
one  who  hears  and  does  not  do,  will 
speedily  lose  the  power  of  hearing.  Every 
one  should  have  the  spirit  of  Samuel  (1 
Sam.  3  :  10);  the  spirit  of  Micaiah  (1  Kings 
22  :  14);  the  spirit  of  Saul  (Acts  22  :  10). 
The  attentive  heart,  the  willing  mind,  the 
obedient  life  should  be  joined  together 
(ver.  9). 

10.  Christians  need  courage,  an  aggres- 
sive spirit,  and  the  power  that  comes  from 
longsuffering.  The  chui'ch  will  make 
progress  by  learning  to  endure  wrongs 
in  a  rejoicing  manner.  Conquest  comes 
through  patience  (ver.  10). 

11.  The  most  dangerous  error  is  that 
which  most  resembles  the  truth.  A  drag- 
on that  looks  like  a  lamb  is  more  dan- 
gerous than  a  dragon  which  shows  by  its 
appearance  that  it  is  a  dragon.     Satan 


coming  as  a  friend  can  do  more  harm 
than  when  coming  as  an  open  enemy. 
We  need  wisdom  to  discern  the  lamb 
from  tlie  dragon  (ver.  11). 

12.  The  Hebrew  young  men  refused  to 
bow  to  anything  less  than  God  (Dan.  3  : 
18).  Jesus  refused  to  worship  any  one 
but  God.  The  heart  naturally  centers 
itself  about  some  object  as  the  aim  in 
life,  making  a  god  for  itself  (ver.  12). 

13.  God  gives  strength  to  the  truth  of 
testimony  by  miracles  in  nature.  When 
God  does  a  miracle,  Satan  will  try  to 
imitate  and  deceive.  The  deceptive  imi- 
tations of  the  truth  must  be  guarded 
against.  The  faith  of  Jesus  Satan  tried 
to  turn  into  a  pride  of  faith;  the  sin  of 
presumption  (ver.  13;  Matt.  4:6). 

14.  To  be  a  Christian  often  involves 
great  losses,  sacrifices  of  social  position, 
business,  friends.  Jesus  compensates,  and 
more  than  compensates,  for  losses  incurred 
for  his  sake  (Matt.  19  :  29).  The  disciples 
counted  it  joy  that  they  were  counted 
worthy  to  suft'er  for  Christ's  sake  (Acts 
5:41).  Present  losses  bring  future  gains 
(ver.  15). 

15.  All  character  tends  to  ripen  into 
openness  and  completeness.  In  time 
every  man  will  be  known  openly,  whether 
for  or  against  Christ.  God  knows  his 
OAvn,  and  marks  them  for  safety.  Men 
also  bear  the  marks  of  Satan.  Swearing, 
drinking,  licentiousness  are  brands  of 
Satan's  ownership  (ver.  IG). 

16.  Satan  closes  to  the  Christian  many 
avenues  to  success  in  life ;  piety  is  at 
times  a  mark  of  singularity ;  the  broad 
way  is  the  popular  way.  But  the  narrow 
way  is  always  God's  way,  and  the  way  of 
permanent  blessing  (ver.  17). 

17.  Difficult  passages  are  found  in  the 
Scriptures.  If  they  are  not  understood, 
this  in  no  way  imperils  the  knowledge  of 
the  way  of  salvation.  The  general  drift 
of  the  Scriptures  is  plain  and  open.  They 
are  a  light  and  a  lamp.  Difficult  passages, 
as  a  rule,  grow  plainer  under  the  influence 
of  prayer  and  meditation.  Some  passages 
must  remain  unexplained  until  the  future, 
or  eternity  explains  them  (ver.  18). 

IS.  Philip  was  a  help  to  the  treasurer  in 
understanding  the  Scriptures.  The  Holy 
Spirit  is  promised  for  guidance  into  the 
truth  (ver.  IS ;  John  16  :  13). 


288 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


Section  VII.  The  series  of  the 
BOWLS.  Chapters  XIV-XVI.  We 
come  now  to  the  concluding  series  of 
visions ;  that  of  the  vials,  rather  bowls. 
The  trumpets  reveal  God's  dealings 
with  the  world  in  order  that  it  may  be 
brought  to  repentance.  They  there- 
fore present  a  mingling  of  penalty  and 
mercy.  We  behold  here,  therefore, 
dealings  that  are  almost  entirely  judi- 
cial in  their  nature.  This  sei'ies  re- 
veals the  holy  procedure  of  God.  The 
vessels  are  not  ordinary  dishes,  but 
vessels  used  in  the  sanctuary  worship. 
They  are  emptied  of  their  contents  by 
holy  angels.  There  is  nothing  vin- 
dictive in  this  vision  but  everything 
that  is  indicative  of  God's  holy  nature  ; 
the  utter  breaking  down  of  the  forces 
of  darkness,  the  final  and  complete 
triumph  of  righteousness.  When  it  is 
said  that  these  are  ' '  the  seven  last 
plagues,  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the 
wrath  of  God,"  it  is  not  meant  that 
these  things  occur  in  order  of  time 
after  all  that  has  gone  before,  but  that 
they  belong  to  that  procedure  of  God 
in  its  final  processes  of  judgment,  proc- 
esses that  should  not  be  exhausted 
until  all  the  worldly  forces  against  God 
should  be  put  down.  It  is  a  triumph 
that  gives  birth  to  the  song  of  Moses 
and  the  Lamb ;  the  great  victories  of 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments  stand- 
ing side  by  side. 

Fairbairn  thus  comments  on  the  emp- 
tying of  the  bowls:  "The  action  of 
pouring  out  in  this  sense  and  sometimes 
also  with  the  mention  of  a  cup  from 
which  the  contents  are  to  be  poured, 
is  frequently  used  in  Old  Testament 
prophecy  (ps.  75 :  s),  denoting  the  resist- 
less energy  of  the  visitation  of  evil." 

We  must  not  expect  chronology  in 
this  book ;  it  is  a  book  of  visions.  We 
see  the  future  in  one  aspect,  termina- 
ting in  a  glorious  ending.  We  behold 
it  then  again  in  another  aspect,  and 
ending  in  songs  of  triumph.  In  all 
the  series  are  the  same  great  moral 
principles  of  God's  moral  government, 
leading  always  to  the  same  glorious 
results.  In  the  trumpets  we  came  to 
an  end  ushered  in  by  the  announce- 
ment that  God  had  won  a  universal 
kingdom  (ii  =  is).  That  the  two  series 
of  the  trumpets  and  the  bowls  run 
side  by  side  is  evident  from  a  glance 
at  the  two : 


the  trumpets 

THE  BOWLS 

RELATING  TO 

RELATING  TO 

1. 

The  earth,  8  :  7. 

1. 

The  earth,  16:  2. 

2. 

The  sea,  8  :  8. 

2. 

The  sea,  16  :  3. 

3. 

Rivers  and 
fountains  o  f 
the  waters, 
8:10. 

3. 

Rivers  and 
fountains  o  f 
waters,  16  :  4. 

4. 

The  sun,  moon, 
and  stars,  8  : 
12. 

4. 

The  sun,  16  :  8. 

5. 

The  pit  of  the 
abyss,  9  :  2. 

5. 

The  throne  of 
the  beast,  16  : 
10. 

6. 

The  great  river 
Euphrates,  9 : 
14. 

6. 

The  great  river 
Eu  p  h  r  a  t  e  s, 
16  :  12. 

7. 

Great  voices  in 

7. 

A    great    voice 

heaven  fol- 
lowed by 
lightnings, 
thunders, 
earthq  u  a  k  e , 
and  great  hail, 
11  :  15,  19. 

from  the 
throne,  fol- 
lowed by 
ligh  t  n  i  n  g  s , 
voices,  thun- 
ders, a  great 
earthqu  a  k  e , 
and  great 
hail,  16  :  17, 
18,  21. 

This  series  is  divided,  as  are  the  two 
others,  into  groups  of  four  and  three. 
At  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal  was  a 
sight  of  the  altar  of  sacrifice ;  at  the 
fifth  trumpet  the  pit  of  the  abyss  was 
opened ;  when  the  fifth  bowl  is  poured 
out  the  throne  of  the  beast  came  into 
sight.  All  the  series  are  constructed 
on  the  same  plan ;  all  reveal  a  control- 
ling, governing,  and  conquering  Christ, 
the  Redeemer ;  all  bring  into  clear  light 
the  great  opposing  forces,  all  come  to 
a  like  glorious  end  M-lien  Christ  alone 
is  seen  sitting  on  the  throne  with  his 
enemies  under  his  feet  (i  cor.  is :  27).  A 
climax  is  noticeable  in  this  series,  a 
growing  intensity  of  penalty;  the  effects 
are  more  extensive  and  more  hurtful 
than  in  the  preceding  series.  The 
bowls,  with  their  contents,  also  grow 
in  intensity  as  they  proceed.  When 
the  judgments  of  God  have  finished 
their  course  and  accomplished  their 
work,  there  come  the  woi-ds:  "It  is 
done"  (16  :  17).  Then  the  cities  of  the 
nations  fall,  they  are  destroyed  in  their 
character  of  strongholds  of  evil.  Great 
Babylon  comes  before  God's  bar  and 


Ch.  xrv.] 


REVELATION 


289 


she  perishes  in  her  might.  Everything 
undergoes  a  revolution,  and  the  anti- 
christian  spirit  that  iiad  to  so  great  an 
extent,  and  for  so  long  a  time,  had 
power  over  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth, 
is  judged  and  cast  out.  Here,  as  in  all 
other  parts  of  this  book,  we  shall  get 
the  true  meaning  only  so  far  as  we 
seek,  not  details  in  history,  but  the 
great  principles  that  are  constantly 
waging  war,  until  at  the  last  the  con- 
quering Christ  and  his  faithful  follow- 
ers are  seen  to  be  triumphant. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Three  consolatory  visions.  In 
the  two  preceding  chapters  we  had  a 
revelation  of  three  great  enemies  of 
the  Christian  church.  There  was  the 
dragon_,  representing  the  personal  Satan 
with  his  malice,  plans,  and  power,  war- 
ring, in  all  possible  ways,  against  Jesus 
and  his  cause.  There  was  the  seven- 
headed  beast,  a  monstrous  creature, 
symbolizing  the  great  and  terrible 
world-powers  persecuting  the  church. 
There  was  the  beast  springing  from 
the  earth,  fitted  to  deceive  the  church 
with  its  false  prophesying,  its  seeming 
religious  spirit  whereby  the  worldly 
power  was  induced  to  make  the  lot 
of  the  churcli  more  bitter.  Through 
the  agency  of  this  satanic  trinity  the 
church  had  suffered  severely,  being 
driven  into  the  wilderness  (12  :  1*);  the 
flood  was  sent  to  engulf  her  (12  =  is); 
the  church  was  almost  silenced — only 
two  witnesses  being  left  to  bear  tes- 
timony (11 :  3);  these  were  killed  and 
their  bodies  lie  unburied  (n  =  8);  the 
saints  suffer  under  a  widespread  perse- 
cution, cut  off  from  the  business  rela- 
tions of  life  (i»  :  17);  the  souls  of  the 
martyred  dead,  under  the  altar,  pray 
for  vindication  (6  =  9).  What  will  be 
the  outcome  of  these  violent  and  per- 
sistent outbreaks  upon  the  people  of 
God  ?  Will  they  pass  out  of  their  Egypt, 
through  a  Red  Sea  into  a  land  of 
promise,  as  in  the  olden  times?  This 
chapter  is,  in  large  part,  an  answer  to 
this  unasked  question.  It  is  in  accord 
with  the  scope  and  plan  of  the  book  to 
look  somewnere,  in  this  part  of  the 
book,  for  some  vision  of  consolation. 
Between  the  sixth  and  seventh  seals 
comes  the  consolatory  vision  in  chap. 
VII;  between  the  sixth  and  seventh 


trumpets  come  the  visions  of  hope 
and  encouragement  in  chap.  X,  XI. 
When  the  most  fearful  plagues  con- 
tained in  the  seven  bowls  are  about  to 
be  revealed  in  vision,  we  would  expect 
to  find  something  consoling  and  com- 
forting to  the  people  that  follow  Christ. 
There  is  a  deviation  here  from  the 
structure  found  in  the  other  parts,  the 
seals  and  the  trumjjets,  in  that  we  have 
here  the  visions  before  the  revelation 
of  the  seven  bowls.  When  the  angels 
begin  to  pour  out  their  bowls,  there  is 
no  break,  but  a  constant  and  rapid 
progress  to  the  close.  It  is  impossiole 
to  tell  just  why  the  order  of  the  book, 
so  methodical  in  its  structure,  is  broken 
in  upon  at  this  place,  and  the  visions 
placed  before  the  series  of  the  bowls 
instead  of  the  usual  place  between  the 
sixth  and  seventh  bowls.  But  the 
visions  are  naturally  placed  here  in 
immediate  contrast  with  the  beasts 
that  threaten  to  destroy  utterly  the 
heritage  of  Christ  upon  the  earth.  The 
seer  does  not  hold  the  mind  of  the 
reader  in  suspense.  The  church  is  not 
destroyed,  the  cross  is  not  a  failure,  the 
sky  is  not  all  dark,  Satan  is  not  su- 
preme. There  is  revealed  here  a 
glimpse  of  Jesus,  the  conquering  Christ; 
conquering  through  the  sacrifice  of 
himself,  with  his  spiritual  forces  by 
his  side.  They  work  together  steadily 
and  successfully,  accomplishing,  in  the 
end,  the  destruction  of  the  foes  of 
Christ.  Great  Babylon  is  overthrown, 
the  symbol  of  the  organized  opposition 
to  Christ.  The  Lord  himself  returns, 
gathers  in  his  people,  and  crushes  all 
opposition.  The  visions  of  the  harvest 
and  the  vintage  are  the  preludes  to 
heaven  and  hell.  The  vision  extends 
to  the  times  of  the  end.  As  the  dragon 
works  from  the  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian era,  so  also  does  Christ  dwell  on 
Mount  Zion  through  all  the  Christian 
period,  leading  his  holy  forces.  The 
chapter  falls  naturally  into  three  di- 
visions. 

We  have  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion, 
a  song  which  none  but  the  redeemed 
can  sing,  the  holy  character  of  Christ's 
people  (ver.  1-5) ;  announcements  of  the 
eternal  gospel,  the  fall  of  Babylon,  the 
punishment  of  the  ungodly  (ver.  6-12) ; 
the  vision  of  harvesting  the  holy,  and 
gathering  the  vintage  of  the  wicked 

(rer.  li-20). 


290 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


The  Lamb  on  Moimt  Zion  and  his  followers. 

14  AND  I  looked,  and,  lo,  'a  Lamb 
stood  on  the  mouut  Siou,  and  with  him 
8  an  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand, 
« having  his  Father's  name  written  in 
their  foreheads. 


14  AND  I  saw,  and  behold,  the  Lamb 
standing  on  the  mount  Zion,  and  witli 
him  a  hundred  and  forty-four  thou- 
sand, having  his  name,  and  the  name 
of  his  Father,  wiitten  on  their  fore- 
heads. 


r  5  :  6 ;  1 ;  9-17. 


s  7:4-8;  Heb.  12  :  22,  23. 


t  3  :  12 ;  7:3;  13  :  16 ;  Isu.  62  :  2. 


1-5.  The  vision  of  the  Lamb  on 
THE  Mount  Zion.    And  .  .  .  Sion, 

rather,  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  theLamb 
standing  on  the  Mount  Zion.  We  see 
the  continuity  of  tlie  book  in  the  refer- 
euce  to  the  Lamb  who  appeared  in 
5  :  16  in  the  midst  of  the  throne.  Jesus 
Clirist,  though  unseen,  is  the  one 
mighty  force  at  work  in  enhirging  the 
kingdom  and  breaking  down  all  oppo- 
sition. He  is  eiiective  because  he  is  a 
Lamb,  effective  through  the  patient 
endurance  of  himself  and  his  xjeople, 
overcoming  because  of  his  sufferings, 
making  people  holy  on  account  of  Jiis 
atonement.  Stood,  standing.  He  is 
not  represented  as  sitting,  but,  as  the 
leader  of  the  redeemed  hosts,  is  seen 
standing.  It  was  thus  that  Stephen 
saw  him  (Acts  7  :  56).  ilount  Sion.  In 
chap.  .XI  the  holy  city,  Jerusalem, 
is  regarded  as  the  seat  of  God's  true 
church  and  worship.  In  the  Old  Tes- 
tament Zion  was  the  symbol  of  God's 
dwelling-place  on  the  earth  (ps.  2  :  7,  8; 
9  :  11 ;  78 :  68 ;  isii.  35 ;  10).  In  like  manner 
Mount  Zion  in  the  holy  city,  the  place 
of  David's  residence,  is  now  regarded 
as  the  dwelling-place  of  David's  greater 
Son.  Not  the  literal  Mount  Zion  is 
meant,  l)ut  inasmuch  as  the  great 
enemies  are  warring  on  the  earth 
against  the  anointed  One,  Jesus  is 
portrayed  as  fighting  against  his  foes, 
and  appropriately  the  scene  is  placed 
on  Mount  Zion,  a  strongly  fortified 
place.  The  scene  of  the  vision  is  laid, 
not  in  heaven,  but  on  the  earth. 
Heaven  is  a  place  of  repose,  of  victory 
attained ;  earth  is  a  scene  of  conflict, 
of  struggle,  that  so  heaven  may  be 
enlarged.  Heaven  is  filled  up  from 
the  earth.  The  dwelling  on  Mouut 
Zion,  the  beautiful  and  holy  place, 
represents  the  blessed  condition  of 
God's  people  now  on  the  earth.  (Comp. 
Heb.  12 :  22-24.)  A  hundred  forty  and 
four  thousand.  We  have  had  this 
number  before  {^  ■  ■*),  giving  the  num- 
ber of  God's  sealed  ones.    The  number 


is  a  symbol  of  completeness,  of  perfect- 
ness.  Twelve  is  the  number  expressly 
set  apart  for  the  church :  twelve  tribes, 
twelve  gates,  twelve  manner  of  fruits. 
The  twelve  tribes,  w  ith  twelve  thousand 
from  each  tribe,  stand  for  the  entire 
number  of  those  saved  from  the  earth. 
It  is  not  a  numerical  statement,  to  be 
taken  in  a  literal  sense,  but  a  sj'm- 
bolical  representation  of  the  complete 
number.  There  is  a  hint  also,  in  the 
largeness  of  the  number,  that  Christ's 
cause  on  the  earth  will  not  be  a  failure. 
In  7  :  14  the  prominent  thought  is  the 
preservation  of  God's  people,  having 
the  seal  as  the  sign  of  safety;  here  the 
prominent  thought  is  that  of  service 
with  and  for  Christ.  Having  .  .  . 
foreheads,  rather.  Having  Jiis  name, 
and  the  name  of  the  Father,  written  on 
the  forehead.  They  are  one  in  nature, 
in  character,  with  the  Redeemer.  They 
are  owned  by  him  ;  they  are  his  to  serve 
him.  They  are  openly  and  willingly 
his.  Their  outward  life  corresponds  to 
their  character.  Those  serving  the 
beast  have  his  name  on  their  foreheads 
(13  :  17).  All  the  marked  are  divided 
by  a  spiritual  census  into  two  divisions. 
Alford  contends  that  those  marked 
with  the  name  of  the  Lamb  and  the 
Father  do  not  embrace  the  entire  num- 
ber of  the  saved,  but  only  the  chosen 
ones  among  them,  the  preeminently 
holy  and  useful.  But  this  view_  can- 
not be  adopted.  The  symbolism  is  one 
of  completeness,  and  those  participa- 
ting with  Jesus  in  the  triumph  over  the 
three  great  foes  of  the  church  indicate 
the  entire  body  helping  the  Redeemer. 
In  7  :  4  the  seal  of  God  was  upon  the 
forehead,  though  it  is  not  indicated 
what  the  seal  was ;  here  the  name  of 
the  Saviour  and  tlie  name  of  the  Father 
jointly  occur,  showing  a  joint  service 
and  ownership.  The  book  of  Revela- 
tion bears  express  testimony  to  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  in  this  indirect  man- 
ner ;  being  incidental  it  is  the  more 
expressive.    In  the  forces  under  the 


Ch.  XIV.] 


REVELATION 


291 


2  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven, 
"as  the  voice  of  miiuy  waters,  and  as 
the  voice  of  a  great  thuuder:  and  I 
heard  the  voice  of  "liarpers  harping 

3  witli  their  harps :  and  '  tlicy  sung  as  it 
were  a  new  soug  before  the  cliroue,  and 
before  the  four  beasts,  and  the  elders  : 
and  y  no  man  could  learn  that  song 
but  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand,  which  were  '  redeemed  from 
the  earth. 

4  These  are  they  which  were  not  de- 
filed with  women ;  « for  they  are  vir- 


2  And  I  heard  a  voice  out  of  heaven, 
as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as 
the  voice  of  great  thuuder ;  and  the 
voice  wliich  I  heard  was  as  that  of 
harpers,    harping    with    their    harps. 

3  And  they  sing  as  it  were  a  uew  song 
before  the  throue,  and  before  the  four 
living  creatures  and  the  elders,  and  no 
one  was  able  to  learn  the  song,  but  the 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand,  who 
had  been   redeemed  from  the  earth. 

4  These  are  they  who  were  not  defiled 
with   womeu ;    for   they    are   virgins. 


u  1 :  15 ;  19  :  6 ;  Ezek.  43  :  2. 


»  5:8. 


X  5  :  9  ;  15  :  3  ;  Isa.  42  :  10. 
a  2  Cor.  11:2;  2  Peter  1  :  4. 


y  2  :  17 ;  Ps.  25  :  14. 


control  of  Christ  are  not  simply  men, 
but  all  holy  agencies,  literature, 
schools,  the  healing  arts,  the  contribu- 
tions of  science. 

2.  A  mysterious  strain  of  music 
greets  the  ear.  It  is  a  sublime  sound, 
compared  to  the  sound  of  many 
waters,  majestic  in  volume;  like  the 
noise  of  the  sea,  great  thunder.  It 
is  not  stated  from  whom  the  music 
comes  ;  it  is  probably  the  united  song 
of  praise  by  the  angels,  tlie  glorified 
saints,  the  redeemed  creation,  ever  re- 
sounding about  the  throne.  A  further 
revelation  is  noted.  I  heard  .  .  . 
harps,  rather,  the  voice  which  I  heard 
was  as  the  voice  of  many  harpers  harp- 
ing with  their  harps.  The  music  is 
from  heaven,  and  is  distinguished  from 
that  of  the  redeemed  host.  Those 
making  this  music  are  invisible  to  the 
eye.  There  is  always  music  where 
Jesus  is.  Music  is  the  symbol  of  joy, 
gladness,  conquest ;  where  Jesus  is 
not,  there  are  tears  and  wailing  (iiatt. 

22  :  13). 

3.  They  sung,  rather,  sing.  The 
song  is  a  perpetual  one.  In  5  :  9  we 
have  a  new  song  sung  by  the  living 
creatures  and  the  twenty-four  elders. 
As  it  were.  It  is  not  a  really  new 
song,  for  it  lias  been  sung  for  cen- 
turies ;  but  in  reality  it  is  new,  having 
a  perpetual  freshness  for  the  heart.  It 
is  the  .song  of  redemption,  which  will 
ever  awaken  feelings  of  wonder,  love, 
and  praise.  The  soug  is  sung  by  the 
unseen  host,  the  harjis  joining  with 
them.  The  song  is  of  such  a  nature 
that  no  man  can  learn  that  song  l)ut 
the  redeemed.  Jesus  describes  the 
angels  as  rejoicing  over  the  salvation 
of  one  penitent  (Luke  15 :  10).  This  song 
of  heaven  can  be  learned  by  those  only 


on  the  earth  who  £\re  Christ's  people. 
It  does  not  depend  on  esthetic  ability, 
but  on  the  moral  character.  Heaven 
would  not  be  heaven  to  one  who  is 
not  in  sympathy  with  Jesus  and  holy 
things.  Four  assertions  are  made  con- 
cerning this  multitude :  first,  they  are 
redeemed.  This  word  means  pur- 
chased ;  it  is  implied  that  the  purchase 
is  by  means  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
Compare  the  same  statement  made  in 
5  :  9.  There  is  a  sacrifice  made  for  all 
men  (Heb.  2:9;  jude  4);  thosc  accepting 
the  ransom  are  those  here  designated  as 
the  purchased,  the  redeemed.  There 
is  a  community  of  feeling  between  the 
saints  of  God  in  all  parts  of  the  moral 
universe ;  the  holy  song  is  learned  by 
those  on  the  earth  who  are  holy  in 
heart.  Earth.  This  term  is  used  in 
contrast  with  heaven  of  ver.  2.  There 
may  also  be  the  suggestion  of  an  earthly 
and  sinful  condition  that  is  natural  to 
them. 

4.  Three  further  qualities  are  as- 
cribed to  them,  not  defiled  with 
women  .  .  .  virgins,  each  clause 
being  introduced  by  the  term,  these. 
First  they  are  possessed  of  purity — they 
are  virgins.  This  does  not  mean  that 
they  were  ascetics,  living  apart  from 
life  in  the  community,  monks  or  nuns, 
as  some  Romanists  maintain,  regard- 
ing the  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  here  as  the  preeminently  holy 
people.  Nor  is  this  any  praise  of 
celibacy  as  is  held  by  some  Protestant 
writers;  nor  does  it  mean  that  they 
had  kept  from  idolatry,  which  in  the 
Old  Testament  is  frequently  called 
adultery ;  for  the  temptation  to  idolatry 
prevails  only  at  certain  stages  in  the 
history  of  the  church.  In  1  (^or.  11  :  2 
Paul  writes  to  the  entire  Corinthian 


292 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


gins.  These  are  they  ''which  follow 
the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth. 
These  "  were  redeemed  from  among 
men,  '^being  the  tirstfruits  unto  God 
5  and  to  the  Lamb.  And  •  in  their  mouth 
was  found  no  guile :  for  'they  are  with- 
out fault  before  the  throne  of  God. 


These  are  they  who  follow  the  Lamb, 
whithersoever  he  goes.  These  were 
redeemed  from  men,  a  first  fruits  to 
5  (iod  and  to  the  Lamb.  And  in  their 
mouth  was  found  no  falsehood ;  they 
are  without  blemish. 


h  7  :  15-17 ;  17  :  14 ;  Luke  9  :  57-02 ;  John  12  :  26.  c  5  :  9.  d  James  1  :  18. 

e  Num.  23  :  21 ;  Ps.  32  :  2  ;  Zeph.  3  :  13  ;  Phil.  2  :  15.  /  Song  of  Sol.  4:7;  Eph.  5  :  27  ;  Col.  1  :  22  ;  Jude  24. 


church,  "  that  I  may  present  you  as  a 
chaste  virgin  to  Christ."  John  is  de- 
scribing a  pure,  lofty,  holy  life,  such 
as  belongs  to  a  chaste  virgin.  The 
church  is  the  bride  of  Christ,  to  be 
pure  with  Christ's  purity.  A  third 
quality  is  that  of  obedience  and  devo- 
tion to  Christ.  Follow  .  .  .  goeth. 
This  is  a  description  of  Christ's  follow- 
ers in  their  life  on  the  earth.  The 
present  tense  is  descriptive  of  their 
present  and  abiding  condition,  one  of 
fellowship  with  Christ.  They  share 
with  Christ  the  very  kind  of  a  life 
that  he  himself  lived  ;  they  go  with 
him  into  .self-denial ;  tliey  bear  a  cross  ; 
they  share  in  his  death,  resurrection, 
ascension,  the  reigning  at  God's  right 
hand.  The  church  must  obey  Christ's 
commands,  be  filled  with  Christ's  spirit, 
repeat  Christ's  life  over  again  on  the 
earth.  They  were  among  men,  but 
they  have  been  taken  out  of  the  old 
life  and  set  apart  to  God's  service, 
having  God's  life  in  them.  First- 
fruits.  Among  the  Hebrews  the  first 
part  of  every  harvest  was  set  apart  to 
the  Lord,  implying  that  all  the  remain- 
ing part  belonged,  in  reality,  to  the 
Lord.  It  was  a  token  of  ownership,  a 
prophecy  also  that  more  of  the  harvest 
would  follow.  The  entire  church  in 
this  case,  the  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand,  is  laid  upon  the  altar  as 
a  first-fruits,  as  a  token  of  ownership 
on  God's  part,  of  devotion  on  its  part. 
Representing  the  entire  liost  of  Christ's 
people  in  all  the  ages  the  after-fruits 
cannot  be  any  additions  to  the  saved 
from  among  men,  nor  of  the  salvation 
of  lost  men  or  angels.  The  first-fruits 
of  the  redeemed  from  among  men  are 
a  prophecy  of  the  redemption  of  the 
physical  creation,  spoken  of  in  Rom. 
8  :  21.  The  redeemed  soul  implies  and 
calls  for  a  redeemed  world.  Compare 
a  like  use  of  the  term  first-fruits  in 
James  1  :  18,  embracing  the  entire 
number  of  Christian  people. 


5.  A  fourth  attribute  is  here  given  ; 
they  are  holy  in  character,  no  guile, 
rather,  no  lie,  is  found  in  their  mouth. 
The  words  reveal  the  character  (Matt. 
12 :  87),  There  is  no  entrance  into 
heaven  for  the  men  in  whose  mouth 
is  a  lie  (21  :  27;  22  :  15).  They  are  men 
of  faith,  and,  therefore,  faithful.  Their 
lives  are  in  accord  vrith  Him  who  is 
the  truth  ;  they  are,  therefore,  truthful. 
Without  fault  expresses  the  pure 
life ;  not  sinlessness  as  yet,  but  in 
nature  akin  to  Christ's,  in  time  to  be 
completely  like  Christ  (1  John  s :  2).  The 
holiness  in  them  is  of  the  same  essence 
as  that  which  will  be  found  in  them 
complete  at  the  last.  Earthly  holiness 
differs  from  the  holiness  in  heaven, 
not  in  quality,  but  in  quantity,  in  de- 
gree. In  so  far  as  a  man  is  really  holy 
he  is  a  participant  in  the  only  holiness 
that  exists,  the  holiness  begotten  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  God's  own  holiness. 
Omit  the  phrase,  before  the  throne 
of  God.  A  church  of  this  kind  on 
the  earth,  pure,  devoted,  separated 
from  sin,  holy,  is  invincible.  There 
are  over  fifteen  million  communicants 
in  the  Protestant  churches  in  this 
country.  If  they  had  the  qualities  of 
the  redeemed  host  seen  in  the  vision 
by  John,  the  cause  of  Christ  would 
si^eedily  conquer  the  world  for  Christ. 
A  weak  or  wicked  church  is  a  great 
hindrance  to  Christ  and  his  cause. 

6-12.  Three  ANGELIC  ANNOUNCK- 
MENTS  OF  IMPENDING  EVENTS.  We 
have  had  a  vi.sion  of  the  glorified  Re- 
deemer with  his  host  of  saintly  men 
and  women  gaining  victories  as  the 
ages  pass  by.  Tlie  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand  may  therefore  sig- 
nify many  millions  in  some  centuries. 
What  will  they  elfect  ?  will  they  widen 
the  kingdom  of  Chri.st?  will  they  prove 
stronger  than  the  three  great  foes  of 
Chri.st  and  his  church  ?  It  is  not  sim- 
ply an  idle  curiosity  that  desires  to  be 
gratified,  but  a  heartfelt  interest  in  the 


Ch.  XIV.] 


REVELATION 


293 


Heavettly  proclamations;  the  harvest  and 
vintage. 

6  And  I  saw  another  angel  efiy  in  the 
midst  of  lieaveii,  '■having  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  '  to  preach  unto  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every 
nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,    saying    with    a    loud    voice, 

7  ^  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him  ;  for 
'the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come: 


6  And  I  saw  another  angel  flying  in 
mid-heaven,  having  the  eternal  gospel 
to  proclaim  to  those  who  dwell  on  the 
earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  tribe, 

7  and  tongue,  and  people ;  saying  with 
a  great  voice.  Fear  God,  and  give  glory 
to  him,  because  the  hour  of  his  judg- 


8  ;  13.  ft  Eph.  3  :  9-11  ;  Titu«  1:2.  i  Mark  16  : 

I  Isa.  13  :  6 ;  34  :  8. 


k  15  ;  4  ;  Ps.  76  :  7,  9. 


Kedeemer's  kingdom  that  asks,  What 
Avill  be  the  outcome  of  the  struggle  ? 
This  passage  answers  the  question. 
The  vision  covers  a  large  period  of 
time,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end- 
ing of  the  Christian  dispen.satiou.  The 
vision  reveals  the  agency  by  which  the 
triumph  will  be  assured,  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel ;  the  downfall  of  the  op- 
position, the  punishment  coming  on 
the  finally  impenitent.  Each  one  of 
the  three  announcements  is  made  by 
an  angel,  ver.  6,  8,  9. 

6.  And  .  .  .  heaven,  rather,  And 
I  saw  another  angel  flying  in  mid- 
heaven.  The  another  does  not  mean 
that  this  one  is  different  from  any  one 
thus  far  introduced  to  us  (as  '»  «hap.  lo, 
11),  but  that  another  series  of  events  is 
now  introduced  to  us.  The  same  term 
is  used  in  connection  with  the  second 
and  third  angels  that  follow.  He  is 
represented  as  flying  in  mid-heaven, 
that  so  his  voice  may  reach  the  whole 
world.  (Comp.  8  :  13.)  It  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  this  announcement  is 
made  by  angels  ;  it  represents  in  vision 
the  work  that  is  done  by  the  sanctified 
host  spoken  of  in  ver.  1.  The  mission 
of  the  angel  is  to  carry  and  announce 
the  everlasting  gospel,  rather,  an 
eternal  gospel.  It  is  maintained  by 
some  that  the  reference  is  not  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  gospel  of  salva- 
tion, because  the  definite  article  is  not 
used  and  because  of  the  contents  of 
the  message  as  given  in  ver.  7.  Ac- 
cording to  this  view  the  meaning  of 
gospel  is  restricted  to  a  prophesying 
which,  in  this  case,  is  mainly  of  dis- 
aster to  the  ungodly.  We  nui.st,  how- 
ever, retain  the  unvarying  meaning  of 
the  term,  that  of  glad  tidings.  Eleriml 
shows  the  nature  of  the  gospel  as  de- 
vised by  God  from  eternity,  unchange- 
able in    its  provisions,  assuring  men 


that  in  no  respect  will  its  promises 
fail.  God's  kingdom  is  an  everlasting 
one  in  contrast  with  the  assured  down- 
fall of  Satan's  reign.  The  gospel  is  to 
be  proclaimed  to  all  that  dwell  on  the 
earth.  The  universality  is  shown  in 
the  use  of  the  four  terms,  nation, 
kindred,  rather,  tribe,  tongue,  and 
people.  Dwell  on  earth.  This 
expression  is  often  applied  to  the  un- 
godly alone  ;  those  whose  life  is  of  an 
earthly  nature. 

7.  In  this  verse  are  the  contents  of 
the  message.  Loud  voice,  rather, 
great.  This  is  in  keeping  with  the 
position  of  the  angel  in  mid-heaven. 
Fear  God  .  .  .  him.  To  fear  God 
in  the  Scripture  sense  is  to  serve  him  ; 
this  is  the  beginning  of  the  Christian 
life.  Jesus  began  his  ministry  with 
the  preaching  of  repentance  (Matt.  4  : 
17).  Peter  and  Paul  both  placed  re- 
pentance among  their  fundamental 
teachings  (Acts  2  :  38 ;  17  ;  30).  The  serv- 
ice of  God  involves  repentance,  faith, 
love,  obedience,  worship,  continuance 
in  the  grace  of  God.  The  hour  shows 
that  the  time  of  the  end,  the  manifes- 
tation of  God's  righteousness,  is  draw- 
ing near.  A  reason  why  men  should 
repent  is  that  God  is  about  to  manifest 
his  righteousness  and  his  indignation 
against  all  sin.  Jesus  appealed  to  the 
sense  of  fear  as  one  motive  of  a  holy 
life  (Matt.  10:28).  His  judgment. 
God's  grace  and  God's  holiness  are  both 
united  in  the  message;  both  should 
move  men.  It  is  designed  to  be  a 
source  of  gladness  to  God's  people  that 
God  is  about  to  manifest  his  holy  and 
righteous  character  in  punishing  sin, 
.seeing  how  the  church  has  suffered, 
and  Clirist  has  been  hindered  in  his 
work  by  wrong-doing  and  wrong-doers. 
Not  through  any  vindictive  spirit,  but 
through  a  sympathy  with  Christ's  cause 


294 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


"and  worship  him  that  made  heaven, 
and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  foun- 
tains of  waters. 

8  And  there  followed  another  augel, 
saying,  "Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen, 
"that  great  city,  because  she  made  all 
nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication. 

9  And  the  third  angel  followed  them, 
saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Pif  any  man 
worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and 
receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in 


ment  is  come ;  and  worship  him  who 
made  the  heaven,  and  the  earth,  and 
sea  and  fountains  of  waters. 

8  And  another,  a  second  angel,  fol- 
lowed, saying.  Fallen,  fallen,  is  Baby- 
lon the  great,  who  has  made  all  the 
nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication. 

9  And  another,  a  third  angel,  followed 
them,  saying  with  a  great  voice,  If 
any  one  worships  the  beast  and  hia 
image,  and  receives   a   mark  on   his 


m  Neh.  9:6;  Acts  14  ;  15.  n  18  :  2,  10,  18-21 ;  Isa.  21:9;  Jer.  51  ;  8. 

o  11  :  8 ;  16  :  19  ;  17  ;  2,  5 ;  18 ;  Jer.  51  :  7.  p  13  :  3-6, 14-17. 


the  righteous  will  rejoice  when  God 
sits  on  his  throne  of  judgment.  The 
same  gospel  that  contains  the  story  of 
the  cross  and  the  sight  of  heaven,  con- 
tains also  the  plain  announcement  of  a 
hell  for  the  impenitent.  It  is  a  kind- 
ness, inasmuch  as  there  is  a  hell,  that 
its  existence  and  its  nature  be  made 
publicly  known.  God's  almiglitiness 
is  dwelt  upon  here  as  a  reason  why  his 
cause  will  triumph,  and  w"hy  he  can 
break  down  all  opposition.  His  crea- 
tive povFer  is  shown  in,  made  .  .  . 
waters.  Such  a  being  ought  to  be 
worshiped  ;  the  gospel  is  preached  that 
he  may  be  worshiped.  The  division 
of  the  water  into  the  sea,  and  the 
fountains,  is  elsewhere  found  in  this 
book  (8  :  8-11 ;  16  t  3,  4).  That  men  dis- 
obey a  Being  who  is  at  the  same  time 
almighty,  holy,  and  good,  shows  tlie 
unwisdom  and  depravity  of  the  heart. 
8.  The  second  announcement  is 
made,  giving  the  result  of  the  Avork  of 
the  first  angel.  And  .  .  .  angel, 
rather,  A^id  another,  a  second  angel. 
Babylon  .  .  .  city,  rather,  Fallen, 
fallen,  is  Babylon  the  great.  Here, 
for  the  first  time,  is  introduced  this 
name  which  fills  so  large  a  place  in  the 
after  part  of  the  book  (chap,  xvn,  xviii). 
The  destruction  of  Babylon  is  again 
announced  in  16  :  19.  It  is  difficult  to 
tell  what  is  meant  by  Babylon.  Some 
say  Rome,  pagan  and  papal ;  others  a 
church  that  has  become  worldly  and 
unclean.  Its  identity  is  uncertain,  but 
its  doom  is  sure.  The  repetition  of 
fallen  shows  how  impressive  is  tlie  de- 
struction of  the  city,  how  strong  had 
been  her  opposition,  how  essential 
that  it  must  be  gotten  out  of  the  way. 
Because.  This  is  to  be  omitted. 
Nations  .  .  .  fornication.  Accord- 
ing to  Alford,   who  thinks   Rome  is 


meant,  two  thoughts  are  here  mingled, 
(1)  the  Avine  of  her  fornication, 

her  idolatry,  her  false  teachings,  and 
worship,  whereby  she  has  seduced  all 
nations  (n  ■  2);  (2)  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  God  which  God  shall  give 
to  lier  in  return  for  her  false  teachings 
and  leadership  (ver.  10  ,■  16  :  19).  In  Jer. 
51  :  7  is  the  foundation  for  this  figure, 
making  the  nations  to  drink  of  her 
wine.  God  has  a  holy  retribution 
whereby  the  one  that  sins  shall  find  in 
that  sin  his  own  punishment.  God's 
moral  laws  seem  to  be  slow  in  their 
operation,  but  even  the  heathen  noticed 
the  unvarying  character  of  God's  laws. 
Plutarch,  a  lieathen  man,  wrote  one 
of  the  world's  finest  treatises  on  the 
certainty  of  God's  moral  laws  in  his 
"  Delay  of  the  Deity  in  Punishing  the 
Wicked.  "  This  passage  and  11  :  5  are 
akin  to  each  other ;  the  one  announcing 
the  removal  of  the  obstruction,  the 
other  announcing  the  establishment  of 
God's  kingdom. 

9.  And  the  third  angel  fol- 
lowed, rather,  And  aiiother  angel,  a 
third,  folloiued.  Loud  voice,  rather, 
great.  It  is  worth  noting  that  the  loud 
voice  is  attributed  to  the  first  and  third 
angels,  but  not  to  the  second.  In  the 
second  series  of  three  angels  (ver.  14-I8) 
the  same  plan  is  followed,  the  loud 
voice  occurring  in  connection  with  the 
first  and  third,  but  not  with  the  second. 
What  moral  value  or  teaching,  if  any, 
can  be  attriliuted  to  the  presence  and 
to  the  omission  of  the  loud  voice  can- 
not be  known.  The  entire  book  is 
built  upon  a  carefully  considered  and 
methodical  plan.  In  the  preceding 
verse  is  the  judgment  upon  Babylon, 
wliich  may  be  regarded  as  approaching 
in  meaning  the  symbolic  second  beast 
(18 :  11),  the  false   prophet  (20 :  10);  in 


Ch.  XIV.] 


KEVELATION 


295 


10  his  hand,  the  same  i  shall  drink  of  the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is 
'poured  out  without  mixture  into  the 
cup  of  his  indignation  ;  and  he  shall 
be  tormented  with  « fire  and  hrimstone 
'in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels, 

11  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb :  and 


10  forehead,  or  on  his  hand,  he  also  shall 
drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wiath  of  God, 
which  is  mingled  undiluted  in  the  cup 
of  his  wrath,  and  shall  be  tormented 
witli  fire  and  brimstone  before  the  holy 

11  angels,   and    before  the  Lamb.     And 


q  Job  21  :  20. 


r  16  :  19  ;  18  :  6.  s  19  :  20  ;  Ps.  11  :  6  ;  Isa.  31  :  9  ;  Ezck.  38  ;  22. 

«  Ps.  91 ;  8 ;  2  Thess.  1  :  T-10. 


this  verse  is  the  judgment  upon  the 
worshipers  of  that  beast  itself.  Tlie 
dragon,  the  first  beast  (i3  :  i)>  Ba])ylon, 
the  unclean  woman  (  it  :  i ) ,  are  all  vary- 
ing forms  of  organized  wickedness 
warring  against  Christ.  These  enemies 
are  summed  up,  not  in  any  person,  or 
located  in  any  one  place  or  age,  i>ut 
exist  in  varying  forms  wherever  Satan 
works.  As  Jesus  is  described  under 
the  figure  of  a  LamI),  his  opponent  is 
portrayed  as  a  dragon.  The  followers 
of  Jesus  are  holy  in  nature,  compared 
to  virgins  (i* :  ♦);  the  allies  of  Satan 
are  ferocious  beasts  (i3 :  i,  n).  The 
holy  city  is  a  picture  of  Christ's  cause  ; 
the  opposition  to  Christ  is  a  Babylon. 
The  cause  of  Christ  is  given  under  the 
figure  of  a  chaste  woman ;  the  cause 
of  Satan  is  given  under  the  figure  of 
an  unclean  woman.  Reference  is  found 
to  the  mark  upon  the  forehead  and  the 
hand,  the  outward  sign  of  w"orldliness, 
the  identification  witli  the  spirit  of  the 
world  in  1.3  :  16.  There  punishment 
came  upon  those  not  in  alliance  with 
ungodliness;  here,  when  God's  judg- 
ments begin,  the  penalty  is  upon  those 
having  that  mark.  It  is  vastly  better 
to  be  punished  slightly  by  the  beast 
than  to  be  punished  forever  by  the 
Lord.  In  reality  every  one  not  in 
alliance  with  God  is  regarded  as  ar- 
rayed against  God.  It  is  not  needful 
that  one  shall  announce  himself  a 
blasphemer  in  order  that  he  may  be  a 
real  foe  of  Christ  and  his  cause. 

10.  In  four  waj'S  mentioned  in  this 
and  the  following  verse  are  the  wor- 
shipers of  the  l^east  puni.shcd.  The 
pictures  of  the  punishment  are  fearful 
to  contemplate.  The  figure  employed 
in  ver.  8  of  Babylon  drinking  from  a 
cup  is  here  used.    First,  Wine  of  the 

wrath     of     God.        (Comp.  Ps.  70  :  S;    Isa. 

61  :  n  ;  Jcr.  25  :  15.)  There  is  a  holy  in- 
dignation in  God's  nature.  He  is  good, 
and  hence,  he  is  holy.  Love  in  God 
Is  not  a  sentiment  merely,  but  an  active 


principle,  a  love  for  all  good  things, 
and  good  ends  for  his  universal  king- 
dom. He  hates  iniquity,  he  cannot 
help  it,  impelled  thereto  by  his  own 
holy  nature.  Poured  out  .  .  .  in- 
dignation, rather,  prcjHired  unmixed 
in  the  cup  of  his  anger.  The  custom 
w^as  in  ancient  times  to  mingle  the 
water  with  the  wine,  diluting  it,  and 
thereby  weakening  its  power.  The 
meaning  here  is  that  no  mitigating 
elements  enter  into  the  punishment ;  it 
falls  heavy  and  severe.  It  is  justice 
untempered  with  mercy.  There  are 
varying  degrees  of  God's  wrath ;  ac- 
cording to  light,  opportunity,  and 
fixedness  in  sin  will  be  the  penalty 
(Luke  12: 48).  Secondly,  Tormented 
.  .  .  brimstone.  We  are  not  required 
to  take  these  terms  literally.  There 
may  be  punishments,  eternal  in  their 
nature,  without  involving  physical 
features.  The  only  way  in  wnich  we 
can  understand  the  future  is  through 
the  use  of  figures  applicable  to  the 
life  that  now  is.  The  expression  re- 
fers mainly  to  the  punishments  in 
the  other  existence  (i9  :  20;  20  .-  10  ; 
21  ■■  8).  It  is  possible,  however,  to  un- 
derstand it  of  punishments,  severe  and 
just,  upon  the  ungodly  in  this  life. 
The  cities  in  the  jjlain  were  rained 
upon  by  a  storm  of  fare  and  brimstone, 
furnishing  the  figure  here  employed  to 
indicate  the  punishment  (G^n.  19  :  24), 
The  seven  penalties  mentioned  in  chap. 
XVI,  the  plagues  of  the  seven  bowls, 
may  furnish  fitting  illustrations  of  this 
severe  expression,  fire  and  brimstone. 
Tiie  righteous  judgments  of  God  have, 
in  general,  a  beginning  in  this  life. 
Growing  more  intense  toward  the  end 
of  the  ages  they  will  ripen  into  the 
unending  penalties  of  the  un.seen  ex- 
istence. In  the  presence  . .  .liamb. 
This  does  not  mean,  as  Alford  main- 
tains, that  there  is  a  literal  view  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  wicked  by  the 
holy  angels  and  the  Saviour  founded 


296 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


"the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth 
up  for  ever  and  ever ;  and  they  have 
»no  rest  day  uor  night,  who  worship 
the  beast  and  his  image,  and  whosoever 
receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name. 

12  y  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints : 
« here  are  tliey  that  keep  the  command- 
ments of  God,  ''and  the  faith  of  Jesus. 

13  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  lieaven  say- 
ing unto  me,  Write,  ''Blessed  are  the 
dead  >:  which  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  'J  that 


the  smoke  of  their  torment  goes  up 
forever  and  ever ;  and  they  nave  no 
rest  day  and  night,  those  who  worship 
the  beast  and  his  image,  and  whoever 
receives  tlie  mark  of  liis  name. 

12  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints, 
those  who  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  the  faitli  of  Jesus. 

13  And  I  heard  a  voice  out  of  heaven, 
saying.  Write,  Happy  are  the  dead  who 
die  in  the  Lord,  henceforth  ;  yea,  says 
the  Spirit,  that   they  may  rest  from 


u  19  :  3 ;  Isa.  34  :  10.  x  Mark  9  :  43-48.  y  13  :  10.  z  12  :  17. 

h  20  :  6 ;  Isa.  57  :  1,  2  :  Phil.  1  :  21-23.  c  Rom.  14:8;  1  Cor.  15:18;  1  Thess.  4  :  14,  16. 

d  6  :  11 ;  7  :  14-17  ;  Job  3  :  17-19 ;  2  Thess.  1  :  6,  7. 


on  Luke  16  :  23,  which  passage  is  itself 
a  parable.  It  means  that,  as  taught  in 
2  Thess.  1  :  6-9,  the  Lamb  and  the  an- 
gels are  the  fixecutors  of  God's  holy 
will.  There  is  certainly  taught  here 
an  acquiescence  and  approval  on  the 
part  of  Jesu.s  and  the  angels  of  the 
doom  that  awaits  the  wicked.  The 
punishment  is  not  arbitrary,  inflicted 
simply  because  God  is  almighty.  There 
is  reasonableness  in  God's  treatment  of 
all  men,  both  in  hell  and  in  heaven. 

11.  The  third  element  of  the  penalty 
is  given,  the  smoke  .  .  .  ever.  The 
foundation  of  the  figure  is  found  in  Gen. 
19  :  28.  There  is  given  under  a  vary- 
ing figure  the  same  thought  contained 
in  the  preceding  verse.  The  fourth  ele- 
ment expresses  the  persistency  of  the 
punishment,  day  and  night,  as  the 
preceding  expression  had  indicated  the 
endlessness  of  it.  If  the  design  was  to 
express  the  unendingness  of  the  penalty, 
it  could  not  have  done  it  in  a  more  forci- 
ble way.  Milligan  maintains  that  the 
reference  here  is  to  punishments  in  this 
life  only,  inasmuch  as  the  article  is 
omitted  in  the  expression  forever  and 
ever,  literally,  unto  ages  of  ages.  But 
the  general  impression  made  on  the 
mind  is  that  of  timelessness.  "The 
partial  punishment  inflicted  under  the 
trumpets  has  now  given  place  to  a 
judgment  which  is  final  and  a  sentence 
without  time  limits"  (SwETE).  That 
the  punishment  is  justified  is  shown  in 
the  words,  worship  the  beast  and 
his  image.  If  there  is  the  eternal 
mark  of  the  bea.st  upon  the  soul,  in  this 
life  and  the  next,  even  reason  would 
assert  the  nece.ssity  of  an  eternal 
punishment.  There  is  a  wide  con- 
trast between  the  use  of  the  term  rest 
here  and  in  4 : 8.    Jesus  gives  rest ;  the 


righteous  do  not  weary  of  praise ;  the 
wicked  have  no  rest  in  heart. 

12.  Two  sayings  follow  the  procla- 
mations of  the  angels  before  we  get  a 
sight  of  the  Judge  himself.  Here 
.  .  .  saints.  While  dread  penalties 
come  upon  the  ungodly,  both  here  and 
hereafter,  there  is,  on  the  part  of  the 
saints,  the  maintenance  of  a  steadfast, 
enduring  life.  Under  persecution  there 
is  a  call  for  steadfastness.  An  appeal 
is  made  for  a  patient  life,  because,  in 
time,  reward  and  penalty  will  be  fully 
revealed.  Here  are.  Omit  these 
words.  They  .  .  .  Jesus.  Two  char- 
acteristics of  the  saints  are  mentioned, 
obedience  toward  God,  and  faith  in 
Jesus.  Without  these  the  Christian  life 
cannot  exist ;  existing  abundantly, 
steadfastness  inevitably  results.  To 
make  the  finest  Christian  life,  both  in 
doing  and  in  suffering,  there  is  re- 
quired, not  genius,  but  an  abiding  hold 
on  the  personal  Christ. 

13.  A  second  saying  is  given. 
Voice.  It  is  not  stated  by  whom  the 
saying  is  uttered.  It  has  been  conjec- 
tured that  it  is  the  same  angel  who  re- 
veals the  vision  to  John  in  1  : 1 ;  4:1; 
19  :  9.  In  the  last  passage  mentioned  the 
angel  bids  John,  as  here,  to  write.  If 
persecution  arises,  it  is  not  strange  that 
we  find  the  steadfastness  of  the  saints  in- 
curring violent  and  martyr  deaths.  The 
martyr  is  pronounced  a  blessed  man  ; 
his  life  is  not  thrown  away;  he  needs 
not  to  ask  the  pity  of  his  fellows.  To 
die  in  the  Lord  is  to  enter  into  the 
unseen  life  in  fellowship  with  Christ. 
To  be  one  witli  Christ  involves  a  blessed 
resurrection  like  unto  his  own.  From 
henceforth.  Some  take  this  to  mean 
from  a  point  toward  the  closing  era, 
when  the  last  ages  have  been  entered 


Ch.  XIV.] 


REVELATION 


297 


they  may  rest  from  their  labours ; 
•their  works  do  follow  them. 


aud 


their  labors,   for   their   works   follow 
with  them. 


e  Matt.  25  :  35-40 ;  1  Cor.  15  :  58 ;  Heb.  6  :  10,  11. 


upon,  the  time  of  the  harvest  and  the 
vintage,  when  the  blessedness  of  the 
holy  dead  would  be  about  to  come  to 
completion.  On  this  view  the  refer- 
ence would  not  be  to  all  the  righteous 
dead  of  all  the  Christian  ages,  but  to 
those  dj'ing  for  Christ  toward  the  end 
of  this  era.  It  is  true,  in  a  general  way, 
that  all  who  die  in  the  Lord  enter  into 
a  blessed  and  saved  stiite ;  their  friends 
need  not  mourn  for  them  (i  Thess.  *  : 
13).  The  promise  of  blessedness  here 
given  is  largely  for  the  comfort  of  those 
who  pass  through  troublous  times,  in- 
curring danger  and  death.  The  words 
do  not  imply  that  those  who  died  before 
Christ,  or  those  falling  asleep  quietly 
in  their  own  homes,  are  not  blessed,  but 
they  serve  as  a  stimulus  and  encourage- 
ment, nerving  the  Christian  to  the  en- 
durance of  hardship.  We  may  refer 
thefroDi  henceforth  to  the  entire  Chris- 
tian era,  during  which  period  the  sym- 
bolic number,  the  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand,  are  being  gathered 
together.  It  is  not  taught  here  that  the 
sainted  dead  enter  at  once  upon  the  full 
possession  of  their  blessedness,  but  that 
such  faithfulness,  even  unto  death,  re- 
ceives the  blessing  that  God  basin  store. 
The  full  blessedness  of  no  Christian  will 
come  until  the  consummation  of  all 
things  ;  the  Christian  has  only  a  partial 
life  until  the  redemption  of  the  body 
at  the  resurrection  (Rom.  8  :  23).  The 
blessedness  spoken  of  consists,  partly  at 
least,  in  a  release  from  toils  and  hard- 
ships. The  voice  continues  through  all 
the  words  of  this  verse.  The  Spirit 
unites  in  the  declaration  already  made, 
and  specifies  the  nature  of  the  blessed- 
ness promised.  Labours.  This  is  a 
term  indicating  toil,  severe  hardship, 
persecution,  inducing  a  certain  weari- 
ness in  life.  The  endurance  of  the 
hardships  mentioned  in  2  Cor.  11  :  23- 
29,  creates  a  hungering  for  the  rest  of 
the  after  life.  The  saints  are  fitted  by 
their  character  for  the  enjoyment  of 
that  life  of  rest.  Their  works.  A 
very  diflerent  word  from  that  rendered 
labors.  Follow  them,  rather, /o//o?t' 
with  them.  They  enter,  a  prepared  peo- 
ple, into  a  prepared  place.    Their  good 


works  will  not  be  forgotten  by  their 
Lord  at  his  coming.  They  are  saved  by 
grace  ;  they  are  rewarded  according  to 
their  works.  A  man  and  his  life  are 
inseparable ;  the  remembrance  by  the 
rich  man  of  his  past  life  justifies  his 
present  condition  (Luke  16  ;  25).  The 
works  of  all  men  follow  with  them,  in- 
asmuch as  Jesus  makes  the  deeds  of 
this  life  the  foundation  of  the  eternal 
condition  (Matt.  25  :  sr-ie).  The  exalta- 
tion of  Jesus  followed  his  life  of  perfect 
obedience  here.  The  exaltation  was  the 
result  of  the  life  here  (Ptn.  2:9). 

14-20.  The  harvest  and  the 
VINTAGE.  In  tlie  first  section  was  a 
vision  of  the  church,  its  character,  its 
numbers,  its  union  in  worship  with  the 
heavenly  host.  In  the  second  section 
(ver.  613)  v?as  the  vision  of  the  mission 
of  the  church  in  giving  the  gospel  to 
the  world,  with  its  attendant  judgments 
upon  the  ungodly;  the  fall  of  Babylon 
and  the  fearful  punishments  upon  all 
of  those  arrayed  against  God  ;  the  ap- 
peal to  patience  in  the  Christian  life 
and  a  blessing  pronounced  upon  the 
holy  dead.  Three  angels  appeared  in 
ver.  6,  8,  9.  In  this  section  is  a  vision 
of  Jesus  occupying  the  central  place 
among  the  angels,  three  preceding  and 
three  following  his  appearance.  No 
one  can  read  the  book  of  Eevelation 
and  have  any  doubt  as  to  the  position 
accorded  to  Jesus  by  God  in  giving  the 
visions;  Jesus  occupies  the  central 
place,  having  a  name  above  every  name 
(Phil.  2  :  10).  Two  scenes  are  presented, 
that  of  the  harvest,  in  which,  mainly, 
the  ingathering  of  the  saved  is  pre- 
sented, and  that  of  the  vintage,  in 
which,  mainly,  the  penalties  upon  the 
ungodly  are  presented. 

14.  In  this  verse  is  a  vision  of  the 
coming  of  Jesus.  He  has  many  and 
varied  comings.  He  comes  in  judg- 
ments (^  :  ^);  he  comes  through  the 
Holy  Spirit  (John  14 :  18);  he  came  in  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  (Mait.  le  :  28); 
he  comes  at  many  periods  of  the  present 
Christian  era  («»«.  26  :  r.i  r.  v.).  He 
comes  also,  finally,  in  his  own  glorified 
person.  Naturally,  he  is  seen  in  the  cen- 
tral place  of  the  seven  appearances  ver. 


298 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


14  And  I  looked,  and  behold  /a  white 
cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud  one  sat  elike 
unto  the  Sou  of  mau,  "^  having  on  his 
head  a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand 
a  sharp  sickle. 

15  And  another  angel '  came  out  of  the 
temple,  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to 
him  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  i' Thrust  in 
thy  sickle,  and  reap :  for  the  time  is 


14  And  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white 
cloud,  and  on  the  cloud  one  sitting 
like  a  son  of  man,  having  on  his  head 
a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a 

15  sharp  sickle.  And  another  angel  came 
forth  out  of  the  temple,  crying  with  a 
great  voice  to  him  who  sat  on  the 
cloud,  Send  forth  thy  sickle,  and  reap ; 


/  1  :  7 ;  Luke  21  :  27. 


3  1  :  13. 


h  6:2;  Heb.  2  :  9. 


*  Joel  3  :  13 ;  Matt.  13  :  39. 


6,  8,  9, 14, 15, 17, 18.  Three  things  indi- 
cate that  the  one  seeu  is  the  Christ :  the 
white  cloud,  tlie  crown,  the  appearance 
as  a  Son  of  man.  Looked,  rather, 
saw.  One  sat,  rather,  one  sittiny. 
White  cloud.  A  bright  cloud  over- 
shadowed the  apostolic  group  on  the 
mount  of  Transfiguration  (Matt,  n  ;  5); 
a  cloud  hid  the  ascending  Jesus  from 
the  sight  of  men  (Acts  i  :  9);  it  was  pre- 
dicted that  Jesus  would  come  again  in 
the  clouds  of  heaven  (Mark  i3  :  2b). 
Seated  upon  a  cloud,  the  symbol  of 
sovereignty,  Jesus  comes  to  wind  up  the 
affairs  of  men,  the  history  of  the  race. 
There  was  a  time  when  the  human  race 
began  to  be  ;  there  comes  a  time  when 
another  chapter  in  the  history  of  the 
race  will  be  ushered  in  by  the  coming 
of  Jesus,  the  Son  of  man,  rather,  a 
Son  of  man.  Without  doubt,  Jesus  is 
here  indicated.  It  is  not  one  of  the  an- 
gelic beings,  as  in  the  other  six  cases, 
but  one  having  a  human  form.  This 
can  be  no  other  than  the  incarnate  Son 
of  God.  In  1  :  13  the  same  form  of  ex- 
pression occurs.  The  omission  of  the 
definite  article  is  no  proof  in  a  case  of 
this  kind,  where  the  person  is  well 
known,  that  Jesus  is  not  meant.  Some 
regard  the  appearance  here  as  that  of 
an  angel,  representing  him,  but  this 
view  is  untenable.  It  is  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  himself;  nothing  else  will  ex- 
plain all  the  surroundings  of  this  event. 
It  is  worthy  of  special  notice  that 
Jesus,  after  his  departure  from  the 
earth,  yet  posses.ses  his  human  nature, 
he  is  a  Son  of  man,  the  title  that  Jesus 
so  frequently  used  concerning  himself. 
The  title  is  a  pledge  of  his  interest  in 
us,  a  prophecy  of  the  salvation  of  those 
trusting  in  him.  Golden  crown. 
This  indicates  kingship,  the  assertion 
of  sovereignty,  the  downfall  of  opposi- 
tion, as  in  ver.  8,  and  now  the  judg- 
ment, in  which  all  men  will  share.  We 
may  not  forget  that  Jesus  is  to  be  Lord 


as  well  as  Saviour;  judge  as  well  as 
advocate.  A  one-sided  view  of  Christ, 
forgetting  his  kingship,  his  rulership, 
must  lead  to  great  errors  in  belief  and 
in  conduct.  This  is  the  fifth  appear- 
ance in  vision  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  In 
the  first  appearance  (i :  i«)  he  holds  the 
stars  in  his  hand ;  in  the  second,  he 
takes  the  sealed  book  from  the  hand  of 
the  Father  (5 : 6, 7);  in  the  third,  he  ap- 
pears under  the  form  of  the  strong  angel 
(10:2);  in  the  fourth,  he  is  with  his 
church  on  Mount  Ziou  ("  ■  ').  The 
crown  denotes  the  sovereignty ;  the 
sickle,  the  end,  the  consummation  of 
all  things.  To  the  farmer  the  sickle  is 
the  symbol  of  the  crowning  of  the  year's 
work.  For  ages  Jesus  has  watched  over 
the  world  in  sowing  good  seed,  in  culti- 
vating men  through  the  Holy  Spirit; 
now  comes  the  end.  In  his  earthly 
ministry  Jesus  spoke  of  the  harvesting 
of  his  people,  meaning  the  ingathering 
of  his  saints,  through  the  ministry  of 

angels  (Matt.  9  :  37,  38  ;    13  :  29,  30). 

15.  The  angel  comes  from  the  tem- 
ple, which  here  means  the  innermost 
holy  shrine,  where  God  symbolically 
dwells.  The  meaning  is  that  the  mes- 
sage is  from  God  himself.  On  earth, 
as  in  heaveUj  Jesus  does  nothing  of 
himself,  nothing  apart  from  God  the 
Father's  will  (Johu  5  :  19).  Some  have 
thought  it  incongruous  for  Jesus,  the 
divine  Son  of  God,  to  receive  a  message 
through  an  angel,  as  here  represented. 
We  must  remember  that  all  this  takes 
place  in  vision  ;  the  meaning  conveyed 
to  us  is  that  Jesus,  in  his  work  of  sepa- 
rating between  men,  in  gathering  in  his 
own,  is  acting  according  to  God's  will, 
carrying  out  the  divine  purpose.  Jesus 
is  to  act  as  the  judge  of  men  (John  5 :  22). 
Thrtist  .  .  .  reap,  rather,  Send 
forth  thy  sickle  find  reap.  There  is  a 
fitness  in  reaping  at  this  time,  for  the 
time  is  come  to  reap.  God  does  not  act 
in  haste,  nor  do  untimely  things,  for  he 


Ch.  XIV.] 


REVELATION 


299 


come  for  thee  to  reap ;  for  the  harvest 
'  of  the  earth  is  ripe. 

16  And  he  that  sat  ou  the  cloud  "  thrust 
in  his  sickle  on  the  earth  ;  and  the 
earth  was  reaped. 

17  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the 
temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also 
having  a  sharp  sickle. 

18  And  another  angel  came  out  from 
the  altar,  "which  had  power  over  fire  ; 
and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him  that 


because  the  hour  to  reap  is  come ;  be- 
cause the  harvest  of  tlie  earth  is  ripe. 

16  And  he  who  sat  on  the  cloud  cast  his 
sickle  on  the  earth  ;  and  the  earth  was 
reaped. 

17  And  another  angel  came  forth  out  of 
the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also 

18  having  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another 
angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  having 
authority  over  fire ;  and  he  called  with 
a  great  voice  to  him  who  had  the  sharp 


I  Jer.  51  :  33 ;  Matt.  23  :  32  ;  13  :  30  ;  I  Thess.  2  :  16. 


m  John  5  :  22, 


n  16  :  8. 


is  a  God  of  reason.  Jesus  forbids  the 
pulling  up  the  tares,  because,  in  time, 
the  harvest  will  come  (Matt,  is  :  so). 
Ripe,  rather,  over-ripe,  or  dried  up. 
The  meaning  is  that  the  harvest  is  per- 
fectly ripe,  so  that  the  stock  has  become 
dry.  The  picture  of  the  harvest  has 
many  analogies  to  the  moral  world  :  the 
sowing  of  the  seed,  the  varying  recep- 
tion of  the  seed  by  the  soil,  the  tares,  the 
long  delays  in  ripening,  the  hindrances 
to  growth,  the  wearying  results  of  the 
harvest.  At  the  last  comes  a  time  of 
reaping.  The  sickle  of  Jesus  means  a 
ripening  of  character,  a  righteous  dis- 
crimination among  men,  a  final  end  to 
the  present  dispensation  ou  the  earth. 
Ripened  goodness  means  heaven ;  ri- 
pened sinfulness  means  hell. 

16.  The  incidents  of  this  verse  follow 
closely  upon  the  preceding.  The  com- 
mand to  reap  is  followed  by  the  reap- 
ing. Thrust  .  .  .  earth,  rather,  cr(s< 
his  sickle  upon  the  earth.  The  symbolic 
act  in  the  vision  was  that  of  throwing 
his  sickle  upon  the  earth.  The  act 
of  reaping  itself  is  not  described ; 
who  reaped  the  earth?  who  were  the 
agents  ?  how  long  it  took  to  gather  in 
the  redeemed  harvest?  to  these  ques- 
tions no  answer  is  given.  It  takes 
place,  however,  in  some  way,  under  the 
superintending  care  of  the  Son  of  man, 
not  of  the  angel  who  speaks  to  hira. 
Reaped.  We  are  to  understand  the 
reaping  and  the  ingathering  of  the 
righteous  alone.  The  analogy  of  the 
Scriptures  and  the  general  outline  of 
the  thought  here,  as  well  as  the  wide 
contrast  presented  by  the  following 
verses  in  describing  the  vintage,  show 
that  the  reference  here  is  to  the  in- 
gathering of  the  wheat  into  the  granary 
(Matt.  13  :  30).  Jesus  in  per.son  gathers 
his  own  ;  an  angel  gathers  the  wicked 
(ver.  19).  The  preaching  of  the  eternal 
gospel  was  the  occasion  of  a  saved  mul- 


titude among  men,  composing  the  har- 
vest of  Christ.  A  great  multitude  from 
all  quarters,  drawn  by  redeeming  love, 
quickened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  will  be 
found  walking  in  white  wlien  he  comes. 

17.  We  have  in  the  following  verses 
a  wide  contrast  with  the  preceding  in- 
gathering. We  have  here  portrayed  the 
ingathering  of  the  tares,  the  ungodly, 
under  the  figure  of  a  vintage.  This 
angel  also  comes  from  the  innermost 
part  of  the  temple,  the  holiest  of  all, 
implying  thereby  that  he  comes  with  a 
revelation  of  God's  will.  The  judg- 
ment of  God  and  the  final  separation 
among  men  takes  place,  according  to 
God's  holy  plans.  It  is  God's  purpose 
(ver.  15)  to  savc  tlic  godly ;  it  is  equally 
his  purpose,  as  expressed  in  symbol,  to 
destroy  the  ungodly.  It  will  be  ill 
with  the  wicked  (i»a.  3  :  u).  In  the 
light  of  Ezek.  3-3  :  11  ;  Deut.  30  :  19; 
1  Tim.  2  :  4,  it  may  be  affirmed  that  it 
is  no  delight  to  God  to  punish  men  ;  it 
is  a  strange  work  to  him  (isa.  28  :  21);  it 
is  against  God's  gracious  provisions  of 
mercy,  against  his  appeals  and  counsels 
that  men  are  disobedient. 

18.  Just  as  one  came  to  the  Son  of 
man  with  a  raes.sage  (ver.  15),  so  here 
one  comes  with  a  message  from  God  to 
the  destroying  angel.  Swete  regards 
the  first  reaper  as  tlie  Son  of  man  (ver. 
i<) :  "In  the  second  process  the  chief 
part  is  assigned  to  an  angel,  who 
gathers  in  the  fruit  of  the  vine  of  tlie 
earth  as  the  Son  of  man  had  gathered 
in  its  wheat.  .  .  There  is  a  delicate 
beauty  in  the  assignment  of  the  in- 
gathering of  the  vintage  to  an  angel, 
while  the  Son  of  man  himself  reaps 
the  wheat  harvest.  The  work  of  death 
is  fitl.v  left  in  the  hands  of  a  minister 
of  justice ;  the  Saviour  of  man  appears 
'unto  salvation'  (Heii.u: 28)."  The  angel 
is  further  described,  Avhich  .  .  .  fire, 
rather,  he  that  hath  power  over  the  fire. 


300 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying,  <>  Thrust 
in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the 
clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth ;  for 
her  grapes  are  fully  ripe. 

19  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle 
into  the  earth,  and  gathered  the  vine 
of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  p  the  great 

20  winepress  of  the  wrath  of  God.  And 
<ithe  winepress  was  trodden  ^  without 
the  city,  and  » blood  came  out  of  the 
winepress,  'even  unto  the  horse  bridles. 


sickle,  saying,  Send  forth  thy  sharp 
sickle,  and  gather  the  clusters  of  the 
vine  of  the  earth  ;  because  its  grapes 

19  are  fully  ripe.  And  the  angel  thrust 
in  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gath- 
ered the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it 
into  the  great  wine-press  of  the  wrath 

20  of  God.  And  the  wine-press  M'as  trod- 
den outside  of  the  city,  and  blood 
came  forth  out  of  the  wiiie-press,  even 


o  Joel  3  :  13. 


p  19  :  15-21.  q  Isa.  63  ;  1-3 ;  Lam.  1  :  15.  r  Hcb.  13  : 

e  Isa.  34  :  5-7  ;  Ezek.  39  ;  17-21.  t  19  :  14. 


This  angel  comes  from  the  altar  in  the 
holy  place ;  the  angel  who  presents  the 
prayers  of  saints  to  God,  who  casts  fire 
upon  the  earth,  causing  judgments 
thereby  (8 :  s-5).  It  is  of  the  sacred  fire, 
not  of  fire  in  general,  that  John  speaks 
here.  We  may  infer  from  the  connec- 
tion of  this  angel  with  the  vision  that 
the  ingathering  of  the  vintage  is  in 
answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 
Their  prayers  have  been  beard  in 
heaven ;  they  now  bring  answers  upon 
the  earth.  Few  great  changes  take 
place  upon  earth  that  are  not  connected 
with  the  prayers  of  God's  people.  The 
angel  is  to  gather  the  clusters  of 
the  vine  of  the  earth.  This  is  the 
vintage  of  the  wicked.  The  figure  of  the 
vintage  is  often  u.sed  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment (Isa.  68 :  1-4).  The  usc  of  the  term, 
cup  of  his  indignation  (ver.  lo),  refer- 
ring to  Babylon,  indicates  that  the 
meaning  here  is  restricted  to  the 
wicked.  Ripe.  Character  always 
tends  toward  ripening.  Character  and 
destiny  will  always  fit  into  each  other ; 
every  man  will  go  to  his  own  place 

(Acts  1  :  25). 

19.  The  method  of  the  vintage  is  de- 
scribed, thrust  .  .  .  earth,  rather, 
cast  his  sickle  into  or  upon  the  earth. 
Gathered  the  vine,  rather,  vintage. 
Great  wine-press,  rather,  the  wine- 
press, that  great  wine-press.  Wrath  of 
God.  This  marks  the  wide  diflerence 
l)etween  the  harvest  of  the  righteous 
and  the  vintage  of  the  wicked.  At  the 
outcome  of  liuman  afl'airs  God  separates 
according  to  character ;  the  granary 
and  the  furnace  represent  the  final  con- 
ditions of  men  (Matt.  i3 :  30).  No  farmer 
would  east  the  grain  into  the  furnace  ; 
God  will  not  put  the  tares  into  his  gran- 
aries. Tlie  .saving  and  glorifying  of 
God's  people,  the  work  of  discovering 
and  punishing  the  unrighteous,  are  both 


portrayed  here,  side  by  side.  The  life 
on  earth  ripens  into  heaven  and  hell. 
God's  love  and  God's  wrath  are  not  an- 
tagonistic terms,  as  though  both  could 
not  abide  in  the  same  person  at  one 
time.  God  is  always  love ;  he  will 
never  cease  to  be  love,  for  that  is  the 
essence  of  his  nature.  God  always  has 
wrath  against  wrong-doing,  a  fixed  atti- 
tude of  indignation  against  unholiness. 
As  long  as  the  grain  is  in  a  formative 
state  the  farmer  tries  to  better  it  by  cul- 
tivation. When  tlie  harvest  comes  he 
can  do  nothing  but  cut  it  down.  In 
like  manner  there  is  a  time  for  growth 
in  human  character  ;  with  men  at  this 
time  God  deals  graciously.  There 
comes  a  harvest  time,  when  God  can  do 
nothing  but  reap  and  separate. 

20,  Without  the  city.  As  in  ver. 
1,  there  isa  reference  to  the  holy  city 
of  Jerusalem,  not  in  its  literal  but  its 
symbolic  sense.  The  meaning  here  is 
that  the  ingathering  and  the  punish- 
ing of  the  wicked  is  unfitted  to  take 
place  in  the  city  ;  it  takes  place,  there- 
fore, outside  of  the  city.  The  saved 
will  dwell  in  the  city  (21  ^  2);  into  it 
nothing  unclean  will  be  allowed  to  en- 
ter (21  :  27).  Blood.  The  reference  is 
not  to  real  blood,  but  to  the  wine  trod- 
den out  of  the  grapes,  which  resembles 
blood.  In  like  manner  Jesus  spoke  of 
the  blood  (Matt.  2$  :  28).  Blood  naturally 
stands  for  extreme  suffering,  for  de- 
struction, for  death.  The  entire  pas- 
sage, like  that  in  ver.  9-11,  abounds 
in  the  most  fearful  imagery.  We 
must  be  careful  to  avoid  giving  it 
any  literal  interpretation.  It  has  a 
meaning,  intense  and  real,  but  ex- 
pressed in  highly  wrought  figures,  poet- 
ical and  material.  Horse  bridles, 
rather,  bridles  of  the  ho7-ses.  The  judg- 
ment is  from  God,  it  is  the  fierceness  of 
his  anger.    He  employs  agencies  and 


Ch.  XIV.] 


EEVELATION 


301 


by  the  spa^e  of  a  thousand  and  six 
hundred  furlougs. 


to  the  bridles  of  the  horses,  as  far  as  a 
thousand  and  six  hundred  furlougs. 


instruments  to  execute  his  purpose. 
John,  ill  vision,  sees  troops  of  horse- 
men carrjMiig  out  God's  judgmeuts. 
The  wine,  resembling  blood,  indicating 
the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  covers 
the  surrounding  country,  making  a  sea 
of  blood,  deep  aud  wide.  The  meaning 
is  plain,  the  destruction  of  the  enemies 
of  God  will  be  great  and  overwhelming, 
as  if  an  invading  army  of  horsemen 
were  almost  covered  by  the  blood. 
Compare  with  the  passage  in  19  :  13-15, 
for  the  same  figure.  There  is  no  allu- 
sion here  to  the  horsemen  of  chap.  VI, 
or  9  :  17.  By  the  space,  rather,  as 
far  as,  a  thousand  and  six  hun- 
dred furlongs.  This  is  not  to  be  in- 
terpreted in  a  literal  waj'^.  It  is  equal, 
if  taken  literally,  to  one  hundred  and 
eightj'-three  English  miles.  It  does  not 
mean  that  the  land  of  Palestine  is  to  be 
covered  with  blood,  or  undergo  punish- 
ment ;  nor  does  it  refer  to  any  definite 
part  of  the  earth's  surface.  It  is  an  ex- 
pression entirely  aud  purely  symbol- 
ical. Nor  does  it  mean  simply  that  the 
penalty  will  be  widespread,  covering  a 
large  territory.  Four  is  the  symbolic 
number  of  the  world  ;  the  four  winds, 
the  four  quarters.  To  know  that  the  en- 
tire ungodly  world  will  be  punished, 
crushed  under  the  power  of  God's  moral 
and  unchanging  laws,  we  have  the 
number  four  multiplied  by  four,  and 
this  in  turn  multiplied  by  one  hundred. 
It  is  in  a  way  similar  to  this  that  the 
number  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  is  formed.  Twelve  stands  as 
a  number  representing  the  good,  the 
luimber  of  the  tribes  of  the  chosen  peo- 
ple. The  twelve  is  multiplied  by  itself 
and  this  by  one  thousancl.  The  num- 
ber thus  found  stands  for  tlie  whole 
number  of  the  saved  in  all  the  ages,  in 
all  the  countries.  The  meaning,  there- 
fore, is  plain  wlien  we  look  at  this  term 
as  having  a  symbolic  meaning ;  the 
entire  ungodly  world  will  be,  as  it 
were,  trodden  under  foot  by  God's 
forces.  Some  great  penalty  must  cer- 
tainly be  meant  to  justify  the  use  of 
such  strong  terms  in  a  book  not  de- 
signed to  frighten  men  witli  dangers 
that  have  no  existence.  The  book  must 
not  be  rejected  as  unworthy  of  a  divine 
revelation,  containing  teaching'*  not  in 


harmony  with  the  cliaracter  of  God. 
Correspondingly  severe  terms  are  used 
by  Christ  in  his  personal  ministry.  He 
speaks  of  hell,  destruction,  the  left 
hand,  tares,  everlasting  punishment, 
the  worm  thatdieth  not,  weeping,  wail- 
ing, and  gnashing  of  teeth,  the  outer 
darkness,  torment,  a  great  gulf.  There 
is  a  severity  in  kindly  nature  if  her 
laws  are  broken.  In  the  spiritual  life, 
which  is  under  the  control  of  the  same 
God,  there  is  a  like  severity  (Rom.  ii :  22). 

Note.  Mount  Zioisr  and  Babylon. 
In  this  chapter  we  have  the  forces  of 
sin  and  wickedness  arrayed  against 
each  other.  They  are  symbolized  in 
the  tei'ms  Mount  Ziou  and  Babylon.  In 
many  places  in  the  book  we  have  the 
same  forces,  under  dilFerent  names,  the 
same  struggle,  the  same  glorious  end- 
ing. Before  the  seventh  seal  was 
opened  we  had  great  tribulations  (7 : 
1*);  the  martyred  souls  in  heaven,  im- 
ploring God's  holy  interposition  (5:  10). 
In  chap.  XIV  we  have  a  vision  of  the 
church  as  the  Redeemer's  one  great 
agency  in  the  world  for  resisting  and 
overcoming  these  great  foes.  The  one 
mission  of  the  church  is  the  preaching 
of  the  go.spel  (1* ;  6).  The  gospel  proves 
victorious.  For  the  third  time  in  the 
book  the  contest  issues  in  victory  for 
Christ's  cause.  For  the  first  time  the 
term  Babylon  is  introduced,  .standing 
here  for  the  general  agencies  denomi- 
nated the  first  and  second  beast  in  the 
previous  chapter.  This  is  evident  from 
the  words  used ;  the  wrath  of  God  is 
proclaimed  agaiust  those  having  the 
mark  of  the  beast  and  who  worship  his 
image  (h  :  9-11).  In  the  Old  Testament 
Babylon  was  a  name  of  fearful  import, 
the  very  opposite  of  God's  cau.se.  It 
fell  in  time,  and  its  palaces  became 
heaps  of  ruins.  In  like  manner  the  op- 
position to  Jehovah's  Son  is  summed 
up  in  the  one  term,  Bal)ylon.  John 
might  have  closed  his  book  without  in- 
troducing this  term.  But  for  the  sake 
of  picturesqueness,  and  for  an  addi- 
tional description  of  the  ruin  that  comes 
on  organized  sin,  he  uses  this  term.  It 
gives  him  opportunity,  in  chap.  XVII, 
for  a  graphic  description  of  the  opposi- 
tion of  Babylon,  its  greatness,  its  utter 


302 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIV. 


ruin.  In  this  chapter  he  does  not  dwell 
on  the  term  Babylon,  but  straightway 
makes  use  of  the  vision  of  the  ingather- 
ing and  the  vintage,  to  give  an  account 
of  the  end.  Babylon  becomes  synony- 
mous with  the  vintage,  with  its  wine- 
press of  God's  wratli.  We  come  thus 
in  this  cliapter  to  the  end,  for  the  third 
time.  The  saved  ai'e  gathered  in,  the 
wicked  are  punished,  and  God  reigns 
in  acknowledged  sujjremacy.  Here  the 
end  of  the  book  might  be  found,  but 
in  the  two  following  chapters  we  have 
a  detailed  account  of  some  of  the  agen- 
cies of  penalty  that  God  makes  use  of 
before  the  end  comes.  They  cover  in 
point  of  time,  incidents  and  agencies 
that  are  prior  to  the  judgment  scene  de- 
picted in  this  chapter.  It  is  well  to  re- 
member tliat  tlie  book  is  built  upon 
the  plan,  not  of  a  continuous  chronol- 
ogy from  the  first  chapter  to  the  closing 
chapter,  but  that  it  gives  the  entire 
course  of  the  Redeemer's  work,  viewed 
in  one  aspect  under  the  series  of  the 
seals  ending  in  8  :  1 ;  another  history 
of  the  cause  of  Christ  on  the  earth, 
under  a  second  aspect,  closing  in  11 : 
15 ;  a  third  history  of  the  develop- 
ment of  God's  cause  coming  to  its  close 
in  this  chapter,  but  with  appendices 
and  illustrations  of  scenes  mentioned 
in  the  chapter  extending  to  and  con- 
tained in  chap.  XVI-XX. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Where  Jesus  is  his  people  will  be.  A 
church  weakened  by  worldliness  can  do 
nothing  for  him.  The  power  of  Christ 
on  the  earth  is  a  holy  church  ;  the  power 
of  the  church  is  an  indwelling  Christ 
(ver.  1). 

2.  Heaven  is  a  place  of  rejoicing ;  sing- 
ing is  natural  to  heaven.  Only  in  the 
abode  of  the  lost  is  no  singing  (ver.  2). 

3.  The  preparation  for  the  songs  of 
heaven  is  to  know  the  song  of  redemption 
when  on  the  earth.  The  songs  of  the 
saved,  there  and  here,  are  one.  No  one 
can  learn  the  song  but  one  who  has 
learned  of  Jesus  here  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  Christian  on  the  earth  is  to  be 
pure  in  heart,  separate  from  the  world,  set 
apart  to  God.  To  be  a  (Christian  is  not  to 
feel  right,  but  to  be  right  and  to  do  right 
(ver.  4). 

5.  Nathanael  was  praised  by  Christ  for 


his  sincerity  (John  1  :  47).  The  heart 
manifests  itself  in  the  mouth.  A  clean 
mouth  reveals  a  clean  heart.  Satan  has  a 
lying  mouth  (ver.  5). 

6.  The  gospel  is  worthy  of  all  accepta- 
tion, Jesus  commands  its  proclamation. 
The  church  must  be  a  missionary  church, 
because  Christ  was  a  missionary  Christ 
(ver.  6). 

7.  God  should  be  worshiped.  His  holy 
character,  combined  with  his  infinite  at- 
tributes, render  it  fitting  that  all  men 
should  reverence  him.  Not  to  worship 
such  a  God  is  a  confes.sion  of  ingratitude 
and  depravity  of  heart  (ver.  7). 

8.  Even  the  highest  will  be  brought 
low  under  God's  retributive  power.  "  Fal- 
len "  will  be  said  of  everything  that  is 
against  God.  At  times  great  crises  in 
affairs  take  place  quickly.  Every  spiritual 
Babylon  will  fall  in  time  (ver.  8). 

9.  Every  man,  in  God's  sight,  has  upon 
him  a  mark.  Each  man  identifies  him- 
self with  God,  or  is  reckoned  as  against 
God.  Every  man's  life  centers  in  Jesus 
Christ,  or  in  the  beast  (ver.  9). 

10.  Every  man  who  is  destroyed,  in 
reality,  destroys  himself.  He  places  him- 
self in  a  position  where  God's  laws  must 
crush  him.  The  chief  torment  of  the  lost 
man  will  be  the  self-accusation,  the  sense 
of  the  lost  opportunity  (ver.  10). 

11.  Everlasting  punishment  is  clearly 
taught  in  the  Scriptures.  Everlasting 
blessedness  and  everlasting  punishment 
find  support  in  the  words  of  Christ  (Matt. 
2.5  :  46).  A  fixed  character  means  a  fixed 
condition  of  blessedness  or  woe  (ver.  11). 

12.  The  Christian  needs  an  enduring 
spirit.  Bunyan's  "  Mr.  Hold-Fast "  is  the 
need  of  the  Christian  life— holding  up, 
holding  on.  To  obey  God  and  to  love 
Jesus  Christ  will  insure  a  steadfastness  in 
the  life  (ver.  12). 

13.  Only  those  are  blessed  after  death 
who  are  blessed  before  death.  Living  in 
the  Lord  will  involve  a  dying  in  the  Lord 
(ver.  13). 

14.  Jesus  in  heaven  is  yet  the  Son  of 
man.  He  is  not  now  a  .suppliant  for  man's 
help,  but  is  sovereign,  having  the  crown 
of  the  universe.  He  is  fitted  for  ruling 
and  forjudging  (ver.  14). 

15.  God  is  not  hurried,  for  all  the  ages 
are  his.    Jesus  permits  men  and  the  age 


Ch.  XV.] 


REVELATION 


303 


The  seven  angels  and  the  seven  plagues- 
Song  of  Muses  and  the  Lamb. 
15     AND  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven, 
great  and  marvellous,  "seven  angels 
having  the   seven   last  plagues;  »for 


15  AND  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven, 
great  and  wonderful,  seven  angels 
having  seven  plagues ;  which  are  the 


u  16  :  1 ;  21  :  9 ;  2  Sam.  24  :  16,  17  ;  2  Kings  19  :  35 ;  Acts  12  :  ti. 


X  14  :  10,  19;  Dau.  12  :  6,  7,  11, 12. 


to  work  out  their  characters  before  the 
harvest  comes.  We  cauuot  help  ripening 
for  the  future  (ver.  15). 

16.  Out  of  the  fifteen  hundred  million 
people  living  on  the  earth,  to  be  vastly 
increased  as  the  ages  go  on,  Jesus  will 
gather  his  own.  Not  one  will  be  lost. 
His  happiness  would  not  otherwise  be 
complete  (ver.  16,  17 ;  John  17  :  24). 

17.  The  wrath  of  God  is  just  as  real  as 
the  love  of  God.  It  is,  in  reality,  God's 
love  for  holiness  in  activity,  manifested 
in  punishment  of  the  finally  impenitent. 
Sinful  men  should  return  to  God,  should 
kiss  the  Son  while  there  is  an  open  door 
for  reconciliation  (ver.  19  ;  Ps.  2  :  12). 

18.  The  rewards  of  the  righteous  will  be 
an  exceeding  weight  of  glory;  the  punish- 
ments of  tlie  wicked  will  be  exceedingly 
great  and  fearful.  In  the  presence  of 
such  results,  arising  from  sin,  every  one 
should  flee  from  sin  itself,  with  its  con- 
sequent penalties,  to  God  for  forgiveness 
(ver.  20). 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  seven  angels  with  their 
BOWLS.  This  chapter  and  the  follow- 
ing are  closely  bound  together,  the  one 
being  introductory  to  the  other.  The 
third  series  of  visions,  that  of  God's 
extreme  judgments,  begins  with  chap. 
XVI.  Xothing  sliows  more  clearly 
than  the  structure  of  the  book  that  it  is 
not  built  up  on  a  chronological  plan. 
In  the  last  chapter  we  came  to  the  time 
of  the  end.  We  now  come  to  scenes  that 
are  prior  to  the  events  just  descriljed. 
The  seven  Ijowls,  with  their  judgments, 
form  a  part  of  God's  procedure  before 
the  time  of  final  separation,  preparing 
the  way  for  that  event,  bringing  men 
also  to  a  decision  for  righteousness.  In 
this  book  we  pass  over  the  same  perioils 
of  time,  looking  at  the  same  events 
under  different  aspects.  In  the  seals 
we  had  the  entire  course  of  human  his- 
tory passing  before  us,  bringing  out 
the  one  teaching,  the  ultimate  issue  of 


triumph  for  Christ's  redemptive  work 
on  the  earth.  Victory  crowns  the 
struggling  church.  In  the  trumpets 
we  pass  over  the  same  periods  of  time. 
Here  we  look  ou  the  two  agencies  by 
which  Christ,  through  the  church, 
conquers  the  world,  the  agencies  of 
God's  graciousness  in  the  gospel  and 
his  manifested  judgmelits.  Here  again 
the  struggle  issues  in  vietoiy.  In  the 
bowls  we  have  the  outpouring  of  God's 
anger  on  a  wicked  world.  Here  the 
main  aspect  is  that  of  severity.  The 
seals  had  no  introductory  vision  ;  the 
trumpets  had  one ;  this  series  has  two 
visions  in  this  chapter.  This  shows 
how  artistically  the  book  is  constructed, 
with  what  a  growing  intensity  we 
progress  toward  the  final  catastrophe. 
In  this  chapter  the  first  verse  is  intro- 
ductory— a  sight  of  seven  angels  with 
seven  bowls.  Then  is  heard  the  song 
of  Moses  and  the  Lamb,  looking  for 
God's  judgments  to  come  (ver.  2-4). 
Seven  angels  emerge  from  the  temple- 
there  is  given  to  them  seven  bowls  full 
of  God'.s  wrath  (ver.  s-s). 

1.  Another  sign.  A  sign  had 
been  seen  in  12  :  1,  3.  The  word  ren- 
dered sign  does  not  mean  simply  some- 
thing marvelous  in  it.self,  designed  to 
attract  attention,  but  is  indicative  of 
something  beyond  itself,  a  prophetic 
sign.  It  is  a  sign  .significant  of  some 
great  event  impending,  great  and 
marvellous.  It  is  a  term  used  to 
describe  the  wonderful  works  of  Jesus 
(Malt.  16  :  4).  Tliesc  works  were  in- 
tended to  convey  large  teachings  con- 
cerning himself  and  his  mission.  Jolm 
describes  the  sign,  seven  last 
plagues,  rather,  seven  angels  having 
seven  plagues  which  are  the  last.  These 
plagues  are  God's  most  destructive 
agencies  ;  they  are  his  final  and  com- 
plete manifestations  against  obdurate 
wickedness.  There  may  be  a  refer- 
ence to  the  plagues  iu  Egypt  that  fell 
with  such  force  upon  the  enemies  of 
God,  especially  as  we  have  a  plain 
allusion  to  the  song  of  triumph  at  the 


304 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XV. 


in    them   is   filled   up   the    wrath   of 
God. 
2      And  I  saw  as  it  were  J  a  sea  of  glass 
mingled  with  lire :  and  them  '  that  had 
gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  "  and 


last,  because  in  them  is  finished  the 
wrath  of  God. 
2      And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  glassy  sea, 
mingled  with  fire;  and  those  who  were 
victorious  over  the  beast,  and  over  his 


4:6;  21  :  18. 


«  12  :  11 ;  1  Cor.  15  :  57. 


a  13  :  15-17. 


passage  through  the  sea.  In  the  series 
of  the  bowls  we  have  the  world  con- 
templated simply  iu  its  guilt.  The 
dealings  of  God  are  therefore  simply 
and  purely  judicial,  bringing  out  the 
severer  aspects  of  God's  character,  end- 
ing with  the  destruction  of  the  parties 
against  whom  they  are  directed.  While 
moving  alongside  of  the  trumpets  they 
present  the  judicial,  the  punitive  char- 
acter of  God's  dealings.  The  word 
last  implies  that  there  liave  been  pun- 
ishments heretofore,  but  these  are  the 
last  in  order  of  time,  and  as  plagues, 
are  most  severe  in  nature.  These  will 
finally  crush  the  wicked.  Many  pun- 
ishments have  been  sent  on  a  wicked 
world,  mingled  with  mercy,  these  are 
unmixed  penalty.  They  occur  toward 
the  end  of  the  present  order  of  things, 
for  in  them  .  .  .  God,  rather, /o/- mi 
them  the  u'rath  of  God  is  finished.  The 
wrath  of  God  is  always  displayed 
against  sin.  God  is  God  because  he  is 
holy,  and  sin  is  sin  because  it  is  against 
God.  Wrath  is  often  restrained  by  pur- 
poses of  mercy  as  long  as  there  is  hoi)e. 
In  these  plagues  God's  wrath  finds  its 
full,  final  manifestations.  The  end  in 
view  is  accomplished,  the  utter  break- 
ing-down of  organized  wickedness.  It 
may  not  cease  to  be  wickedness,  but  its 
open  warfare,  its  hindrance  to  Christ's 
cause  is  removed.  The  wrath  is  finished 
because  their  unrighteousness  has  come 
to  its  full.  A  like  thought  is  expressed 
in  14  :  18,  where  the  vintage  is  over- 
ripe. In  the  series  of  the  seals  and 
trumpets  there  was  a  synchronous 
movement,  both  lying  parallel  with 
each  other,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
ending  of  the  .series.  'These  plagues, 
on  the  other  hand,  belong  apparently 
to  the  latter  part  of  the  dispensation. 
We  may  regard,  however,  the  plagues 
as  the  completion  of  that  .series  of  events 
introduced  by  chap.  XII,  the  introduc- 
tion of  Christianity  on  the  earth.  In 
this  verse  we  have  the  essence  of  what 
will  be  contained  in  the  next  chapter. 
The  angels  do  not  receive  the  bowls 
containing  the    plagues  until  ver.   7 


These  plagues  do  not  include  the  final 
judgment,  but  are  prior  to  it  in  order 
of  time. 

2-4.  The  vision  of  the  sea  of 
GLASS.  We  first  get  a  glimpse  of 
heaven,  the  throne,  the  attendant  saved 
jjersons,  the  heavenly  music,  showing 
the  redemption  in  the  past  and  the 
conquests  to  be  secured.  God's  holi- 
ness is  praised,  and  his  righteous  acts 
are  declared  to  be  manifested.  We  are 
fitted  thus,  bj'  the  declaration  of  the 
holy  and  righteous  character  of  God, 
to  see  the  manifestation  of  his  wrath 
upon  the  wicked,  as  made  known  in 
the  following  verses. 

2.  Sea  of  glass.  As  showing  the 
oneness  of  the  book,  we  have  a  vision 
of  this  sea  revealed  once  before  (* :  «). 
The  same  features  meet  us  again  and 
again ;  the  same  throne,  the  sea  of  glass, 
the  four  living  creatures,  the  company 
of  the  redeemed,  the  Lamb  of  God, 
these  show  the  continuity  of  the  sacred 
drama.  The  sea  is  in  position  before 
the  throne,  which  is  not  here  described  ; 
but  it  must  be  in  view,  for  the  King 
upon  the  throne  is  praised.  3Iingled 
with  fire.  This  is  indicative  of  the 
judgments  impending,  to  be  made 
manifest  in  the  seven  plagues.  It  is 
not  the  transparent,  calm,  quiet  sea 
indicating  rest,  repo.se,  and  peace,  but 
the  fiery,  surging  waves  that  reveal 
Goer's  wrath  about  to  be  finished. 
Before  the  olden  tabernacle  stood  the 
laver,  the  means  by  Mhich  the  priest 
obtained  the  symbolic  cleansing  that 
fitted  him  to  stand  in  God's  holy  pres- 
ence. It  stood  foi  purity,  forgiveness, 
peace  of  soul.  This  sea  stands  for  un- 
rest, disturbance,  storm.  Without  a 
word  the  beholder  feels  that  this  fiery 
sea  reveals  a  judgment  impending. 
John  sees  praising  God  those  A^ho  had 
come  off  conquerors.  And  them  ... 
name,  rather.  And  them  that  came 
victorious  from  the  beast,  and  from  his 
image,  and  from  the  number  of  his 
name.  The  passages  in  13  :  17,  18 
must  be  read  in  connection  with  this. 
The  beast  stands  for  the  worldly  spirit 


Ch.  XV.] 


REVELATION 


305 


over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and 
over  the  nuuiber  of  his  name,  stand  on 
the  sea  of  glass,  ''liaving  tlie  harps  of 
3  God.  And  they  sing  "the  song  of 
Moses  the  servant  of  God,  <iand  the 
Sung  of  the  Lamb,  saying. 


image,  and  over  the  number  of  his 
name,  standing  by  the  glassy  sea, 
3  having  liarps  of  God.  And  they  sing 
tlie  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God, 
aud   the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying, 


c  II :  3 ;  Exod.  15  :  1-18 ;  Deut.  31  :  30. 


opposed  to  the  Lamb  ;  his  image  and 
the  number  of  his  name  are  the 

raanifestatious  of  God's  outward  repre- 
sentations of  that  bestial  power.  Taken 
together  they  constitute  the  satanic 
and  ungodly  opposition  to  Christ  and 
his  cause.  Tlie  Christian  life  always 
has  antagonisms  and  antagonists. 
Paul  speaks  of  them  in  the  same  figu- 
rative way  ill  Eph.  6  :  12-18.  The 
term  rendered  from  is  literally  out  of. 
Its  meaning  is,  perhaps,  that  they 
were  almost  in  the  power  of  the  beast; 
they  would  liave  been  helpless  had 
they  not  been  cared  for  by  tlie  strong 
Son  of  G<h1,  the  Redeemer.  Inasmuch 
as  they  sing  the  song  of  Moses,  the 
Old  Testament  leader  of  God's  people, 
it  follows  that  this  saved  company  em- 
braces the  Old  Testament  saints  as  well 
as  the  New  Testament  saints.  In  all  ages 
there  has  been  an  organized  satanic 
power,  the  power  of  the  lieast.  In  every 
age  Satan  has  put  his  mark  on  his 
followers;  iu  every  age  the  man  saved 
has  been  saved  alone  by  faith  in  a  per- 
sonal God,  who  was  his  redeemer ;  iu 
every  age  the  godly  life  has  been  one 
of  contest  and  overcoming ;  in  all  ages 
the  principle  of  saintship  is  the  same; 
the  saved  of  all  ages  are  saved  through 
the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ  (is  :  s). 
On  the  sea,  rather,  hy  the  sea.  The 
words  can  be  rendered  literally  as  a 
standing  upon  the  surface  of  the  sea. 
But  it  is  more  fitting  liere  and  more  in 
accord  with  the  teaching  of  the  entire 
passage  to  regard  them  as  standing 
upon  the  edge  of  the  sea,  praising  Him 
upon  the  throne  and  regarding  the  sea 
with  its  mingled  fire,  as  prophesying  a 
righteous  doom  upon  tlie  ungodly. 
The  saved  here  are  in  contrast  with  the 
saved  on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea  in 
the  days  of  Moses.  The  harps  of 
God.  We  have  had  allusion  to  harps 
in  5  :  8  ;  14  :  2.  As  the  temple  had  its 
sacred  instruments,  so  heaven  has  its 
songs  and  joys  peculiar  to  itself.  They 
are  harps  fitted  to  worship  God,  worthy 
of  God,  belonging  to  God,    There  may 


be  the  meaning  that  they  are  great  and 
glorious  as  belonging  to  God  himself; 
everything  iu  heaven  far  surpasses  the 
things  of  earth.  The  liarps  of  Miriam 
give  place  to  the  harps  of  God. 

3.  With  the  harps  is  the  voice  of 
song,  sung  by  the  redeemed  from  the 
earth.  They  sing;  it  is  a  present  and 
continuous  song.  3Ioses  the  servant 
of  God.  When  the  Israelites  passed 
through  the  Red  Sea,  having  seen  their 
own  deliverance  and  the  destruction  of 
their  foes,  they  sang  a  song  (Kxod.  is  :  2, 
13).  The  great  world  power  of  the 
days  of  Moses  was  utterly  overthrown. 
As  the  saints  behold  the  sea  mingled 
with  fire,  there  is  for  them  the  assur- 
ance and  prophecy  that  the  world 
powers  of  their  own  day  would,  in  like 
manner,  be  overthrown.  The  song 
they  sing  is  like  that  of  Moses  ;  one  of 
deliverance  from  powers  that  threaten 
to  destroy  them,  one  of  destruction  for 
their  enemies.  It  was  an  act  of  re- 
demption when  God  showed  his  power 
through  Moses,  who  was,  in  a  pre- 
eminent way,  his  servant.     He  is  so 

called    elsewhere    (Exod.  U  :  31  ;   Heb.  s  :  5  ; 

Num.  12  :  7).  It  is  a  term  of  the  highest 
honor;  Paul  delighted  to  call  himself 
a  servant,  a  slave,  of  Jesus  Christ 
(Rom.  1:1).  The  song  of  the  Lamb. 
We  are  not  to  regard  this  song  as  com- 
posed of  two  parts,  one  song  that  of 
Moses,  the  other  that  of  the  Lamb.  It 
is  one  undivided  song,  whose  words  are 
given  in  ver.  3,  4.  The  salvation 
wrouglit  through  Moses  is  of  the  same 
nature  as  that  wrought  through  the 
Lamb.  The  same  fatherly  love  of  God 
was  manifested  in  both  Moses  and 
Christ.  The  Angel  of  Jehovah  (oen. 
22  :  15),  who  revealed  himself  in  the 
Old  Testament,  was  the  Jesus  of  the 
New  Testament.  As  the  eternal  Logos 
(John  1:1),  he  was  at  work  in  the  world 
before  his  advent  as  the  personal  Christ 
(johD  1  : 4,  li).  The  reference  to  Moses 
is  occasioned  by  the  consideration  that 
the  salvation  about  to  be  wrought  by 
the  Lamb,  the  Sou  of  God,  is  of  a 


306 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XV. 


« Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works, 
—Lord  God  Almighty ; 
'Just   and    true   are  thy  ways,— thou 
King  of  saints. 
4  8  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,— 
and  glorify  thy  name  ? 
For  ^ilwu  only  art  holy  :— for  '  all  na- 
tions shall  come  and  worship  before 
thee;   ''For  thy  judgments  are  made 
manifest. 


Great  and  wonderful  are  thy  works. 
Lord  God,  the  Almighty ;  righteous 
and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of 
4  the  ages.  Who  shall  not  fear,  O  Lord, 
and  glorify  thy  name?  Because  thou 
only  art  holy  ;  because  all  the  nations 
shall  come  "and  worship  before  thee ; 
because  thy  righteous  acts  are  made 
manifest. 


e  Ps.  Ill  :  2  ;  139  :  U.  /  16  :  7  ;  Deut.  32  :  '. 

g  Exod.  15  :  li-16 ;  Ps.  89  ;  7  ;  Jer.  10  :  7. 
i  11  :  15 ;  Ps.  86  :  9 ;  Isa.  66  :  23  ,  Mai.  1  :  11. 


;  Ps.  H5  ;  17  ;  Hosea  14  :  9. 

It  1  Sam.  2  :  2. 
k  19  :  2  ;  Ps.  97  :  8  :  105  :  7 


nature  like  that  wrought  by  Moses, 
the  servant  of  God,  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment times ;  in  both  there  was  a  world 
power,  a  struggling  cause  of  God,  a 
redemption  manifested,  a  signal  tri- 
umph, a  song  of  deliverance.  The 
beast  cannot  be  Nero,  as  taught  by 
many  modern  interpreters,  for  the  Old 
Testament  saints  can  sing  this  song 
equally  with  the  New  Testament  saints. 
There  began  to  be  a  redemption  in  the 
Old  Testament  times ;  the  redemption 
is  finished  through  Jesus  Christ,  the 
perfect  servant  of  God.  The  salvation 
at  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  deatli  on  the 
cross,  are  both  parts  of  one  great  re- 
demptive love  and  plan.  The  words 
of  the  song  are,  great  . .  .  Almighty, 
rather,  the  Almighty.  The  song  covers 
all  periods  of  time  in  both  dispensa- 
tions, recalling  especially  those  works 
in  which  are  manifested  the  preserving 
and  redeeming  power  of  God.  They 
become  him  who  is  the  Almighty.  All 
his  ways,  his  marvelous  works,  are 
just,  rather,  righteous,  and  true 

(Deut.  32:4;  Ps.  144:17).  When  afflic- 
tions press  on  God's  people,  God  seems 
to  be  forgetful,  neglectful  of  moral  dis- 
tinctions among  men.  But  when  the 
end  is  seen,  it  will  be  apparent  that  in 
all  the  methods  of  the  divine  procedure 
God  is  righteous  and  true,  true  to  his 
promise  and  his  own  holy  nature.  The 
Seventy-third  Psalm  was  written  for  a 
man  in  trouble  of  mind  over  the  ap- 
parent inequalities  of  life,  the  pros- 
perity of  the  ungodly.  In  the  end,  the 
■ways  of  the  righteous  are  seen  to  be 
the  ways  of  wi.sdom.  God's  holiness, 
without  God's  patience,  would  mean 
our  destruction.  King  of  saints, 
rather,  of  ages.  He  is  the  eternal 
King.  This  is  a  fitting  designation  to 
be  ascribed  to  him  here,  inasmuch  as 
all    his   acts,   in    both    dispensations, 


come  under  our  vision.  The  misinter- 
pretations in  reference  to  God's  ad- 
ministration arise  from  taking  too 
small  periods  of  time  to  consider.  His 
righteousness  is  especially  dwelt  upon 
here  because  of  that  about  to  be  re- 
vealed. The  plagues  are  the  revela- 
tions, not  of  his  almightiness,  but  of 
his  holiness. 

4.  This  ver.se  continues  the  song  of 
adoration.  Omit  thee.  The  first 
reason  for  the  fear  of  God  and  the 
glorifying  of  his  name  arises  from  the 
consideration  of  his  holiness.  Because 
God  is  holy  is  a  more  controlling  reason 
for  his  being  worshiped  than  mere 
greatness.  We  might  conceive  of  al- 
mightiness being  centered  in  a  being 
destitute  of  moral  goodness.  The 
second  reason  is  because  of  the  mani- 
festation of  God's  righteous  judg- 
ments, rather,  acts.  They  have  been 
made  manifest.  The  past  tense  show- 
ing them  as  done  already  in  the  past 
completely.  The  entire  future  may 
also  be  conceived  of  as  so  surely  mani- 
festing his  righteousness  that  it  is  re- 
garded as  already  past.  The  emphasis, 
in  the  song,  rests  on  the  righteousness 
of  his  dealings  witli  men,  both  in  pre- 
serving and  punishing.  This  will  be 
so  seen  by  all  that  all  nations  .  .  . 
before  thee.  This  is  not  as.serted 
here  as  a  declaration  of  the  divine  will. 
It  is  rather  the  hope,  the  desire,  the 
expectation  on  the  part  of  tlie  saved 
that  these  righteous  acts  of  God  will  so 
influence  men  as  to  turn  them  to  God. 
That  the  expectation  might  receive  its 
fulfilment  it  would  not  be  needful  that 
every  man  in  every  nation  should  be 
renewed  in  heart.  In  a  general  way 
no  one  welcomed  Christ,  tliough  per- 
haps several  thousand  received  him, 
(luring  his  personal  ministry,  as  their 
Saviour  (Joim  i  :  11).    According  to  this 


Ch.  XV.] 


REVELATION 


307 


5  And  after  that  I  looked,  and,  be- 
hold, '  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  testimony  m  heaven  was  opened :  | 


And  after  these  things  I  saw,  and 
the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
testimony    in    heaven    was    opened ; 


I  11  :  19 ;  Num.  1  :  50,  53. 


passage  so  many  may  be  influenced  by 
the  manifestation  of  God's  righteous 
acts  that,  in  large  numbers,  they  will 
worship  God.  Even  while  the  bowls 
emptied  upon  those  hardened  in  heart 
may  result  in  making  them  yet  harder, 
yet  there  are  others  upon  whom  these 
severities  will  have  an  opposite  eflect, 
awakening  them  and  leading  them  in 
brokenness  of  heart  to  God.  God  can 
work  through  and  upon  every  part  of 
man's  nature,  using  both  tender  min- 
istries and  severe  judgments  to  move 
the  hearts  of  men.  God  delights  not 
in  punishment  for  its  own  sake ;  it 
is  called  his  strange  work,  utterly 
foreign  to  his  nature,  but  sometimes  a 
necessity  for  him  (isa.  28 :  21).  It  is 
thought  by  some  that  these  words  of 
the  saints,  these  hopings  on  the  part  of 
all  the  saved,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
heaven,  may  be  realized,  to  a  larger 
extent  than  the  ages  have  ever  wit- 
nessed, in  the  future  ages  of  the  church. 
It  is  generally  the  case  that  times  of 
pestilence,  of  disaster,  of  great  judg- 
ments, are  times  of  great  spiritual 
darkness.  Afflictions,  if  rightly  used, 
make  the  heart  obedient;  if  wrongly 
used  they  tend  to  bitterness  of  heart 
and  a  fixed  disobedience. 

5-8.  The  seven  angels  with 
THEIR  BOWLS.  We  have  heard  the 
song  of  the  redeemed,  proclaiming  the 
righteous  acts  of  God.  We  now  have 
the  seven  angels  receiving  the  bowls 
wherewith  they  may  publicly  manifest 
God's  righteousness  and  power.  From 
the  innermost  opened  shrine  of  the 
temple  the  angels  emerge,  becoming 
the  instruments  of  God's  holy  wrath. 
The  penalties  come,  not  by  accident, 
but  in  due  process  of  law,  becau.se 
God's  holy  laws  have  been  broken.  A 
smoke  that  renders  the  temple  inac- 
cessible to  any  accompanies  the  going 
forth  of  the  angels,  God  thus  adding 
terror  to  the  scene.  The  days  of  mercy 
are  now  over,  so  that  no  one  might  in- 
tercede in  the  temple  or  make  oflerings 
for  transgression. 

5.  After  .  .  .  looked,  rather,  After 
these  things  I  saw.    In  the  movement 


of  the  sacred  dramatic  representation 
we  have  a  sight  first  of  the  saved  and 
redeemed  throng  (ver.  'i-i)  •  then  of  the 
fearful  ministrations  of  the  angels  with 
their  plagues,  revealing  God's  wrath. 
The  eye  and  the  ear  of  the  seer  are 
both  atteni  on  the  scene.  Behold. 
This  is  to  be  omitted.  Tabernacle. 
In  the  wilderness  the  tabernacle  was 
the  movable  temple  of  God.  For 
several  centuries  this  was  the  sj'mbolic 
dw-elling-place  of  God  until  the  days  of 
Solomon,  when  a  temple  was  built  for 
his  worship.  Thenceforth  this  place 
was  the  center  of  the  Jewish  worship. 
But  the  memory  of  that  tabernacle 
was  enshrined  in  the  phrase,  temple 
of  the  tabernacle.  This  term  can- 
not be  applied  to  the  outer  court,  but 
the  reference  is  to  the  inner  shrine,  the 
dwelling-place,  as  it  were,  of  God  him- 
self, with  the  attendant  cloud  of  glory. 
We  are  dealing  here  with  the  most 
sacred  things,  the  going  forth  of  the 
angels  on  their  mission  of  avenging 
God's  broken  laws.  In  11 :  19  the  tem- 
ple was  opened,  but  the  purpose  of  the 
opened  temple  diflers  here  from  that 
of  the  former  occasion.  In  that  vision 
was  a  sight  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
the  symbol  of  God's  grace  and  mercy. 
God  was  revealed  as  a  covenant-keep- 
ing God.  The  vision  was,  therefore, 
one  of  grace  to  God's  people,  including 
also,  at  the  same  time,  the  keeping  of 
his  word  to  those  breaking  the  cove- 
nant. Here  the  eye  rests  on  the  tes- 
timony, that  is,  the  tables  of  stone,  on 
which  were  written  the  Ten  Command- 
ments. These  tables  of  testimony  bear 
witness  to  God's  holiness ;  they  are  the 
revelations  of  his  righteous  will.  It  is 
because  men  have  l)roken  these  statutes 
that  the  angels  now  go  forth  on  their 
errand  of  .severity.  Stephen  speaks  of 
the  "  taljernacle  of  witness  "  (Acts  7 .-  44). 
In  Exod.  31  :  18  the  stones  are  called 
the  "tables  of  testimony."  No  one 
can  break  God's  laws  w'ilh  impunity. 
In  time  the  holy  angels  will  go  forth 
on  their  visitations  of  punishment. 
Opened.  It  was  a  marvelous  event, 
the  opening  of  the  holy  places,  reserved 


308 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XV. 


6  and  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the 
temple,  having  the  seven  plagues, 
""clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen, 
and  having  their  breasts  girded  with 
"golden  girdles. 

7  "And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave  unto 
the  seven  angels  p  seven  golden  vials 


6  and  there  came  out  from  the  temple 
the  seven  angels  that  had  the  seven 
plagues,  clothed  with  a  pure,  bright 
stone,  and   girded    about  the  breasts 

7  with  golden  girdles.  And  one  of  the 
four  living  creatures  gave  to  the  seven 
angels  seven  golden  bowls,  full  of  the 


»i  1  :  13 ;  Exod.  28  :  5-8 ;  Ezek.  44  :  17,  18. 


71   Dan.  10  :  5. 


i)  16  :  2,  etc.;  Ps.  75  : 


in  the  Old  Testament  times  for  the  eyes 
of  the  priests  and  high  priests  alone. 
Inasmuch  as  all  are  now  priests  of  God 
it  is  fitting  to  open  them  to  the  gaze  of 
all  believers. 

6.  And  .  .  .  temple,  rather,  And 
there  came  out  of  the  temple.  The 
angels  come  forth  from  the  holy  of 
holies  where  God  alone  has  his  dwell- 
ing-place. The  meaning  is,  therefore, 
that  they  come  with  the  divine  ap- 
proval. The  penalties  brought  by 
them  will  not  be  something  apart  from 
God's  sanction,  but  having  his  ap- 
proval. Their  work  will  be  one  of 
judgment  mainly,  for  it  is  as  the  min- 
isters of  God's  wrath  that  they  come 
forth.  God's  laws  obeyed  are  a  pledge 
of  security  and  blessing,  but  disobeyed 
they  bring  God's  judgments.  Every- 
where in  the  Old  Testament,  when  God 
announced  himself  as  the  God  of  his 
covenant  people,  this  relationship  in- 
volved always  the  puni.'ihment  of  the 

ungodly     (Ps.  80  :  8  ;    90  :  13  ;    110  :  6).      The 

seven  angels  alluded  to  in  ver.  1  are 
now  fully  seen ;  the  number  seven 
implying  that  the  series  of  judgments 
here  announced  will  be  perfect  in  their 
nature,  accomplishing  perfectly  the 
work  designed.  Their  office  is  that  of 
administering  the  plagues.  These  an- 
gels have  a  priestly  office,  as  shown  in 
their  garments  and  in  tlieir  girdles. 
Clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen. 
The  Revised  version  renders,  Arrayed 
with  precious  stone  pure  and,  bright.  So 
also  the  Improved  Bible  Union  version. 
Both  put  in  linen"  in  the  margin. 
A  change  of  one  letter  in  the  Greek 
makes  the  difference  between  linen  and 
stone.  The  high  priest  wore  a  garment 
set  with  twelve  precious  stones  on  his 
breast.  In  Ezek.  28  :  13  the  king  of 
Tyre  is  described  as  covered  with  pre- 
cious stones.  The  representation  here 
is  that  these  angels  are  covered  with 
precious  stones  as  with  a  garment.  As 
a  rule  the  angels  are  described  as 
clothed    with    linen    pure  and    white 


(Acts  10  :  30;    Matt.  17  :  2  ;    Rev.  19  :  8).        The 

golden  girdle  reminds  one  of  the 
vision  of  the  Son  of  man  so  clothed 
(1  :  18).  The  thought  here  may  be  that 
the  angels  are  so  far  superior  to  the 
high  priests  of  earth  tliat,  while  clothed 
in  the  ordinary  priestly  garments,  they 
are  so  far  superior  to  the  high  priests 
of  earth  that  their  garments  are  covered 
with  jewels.  God's  angels  are  worthy 
of  God  in  their  appearance  and  char- 
acter. 

7.  The  work  of  the  angels  is  pointed 
out,  and  they  are  commissioned  for 
their  work  by  one  of  the  four  beasts, 
rather,  living  creatures.  We  have  had 
references  in  this  book  already  to  these 
living  creatures  sixteen  times  ;  re- 
peatedly they  join  -with  the  redeemed 
in  singing  praises  to  the  Father  and  to 
the  Lamb.  They  display  an  interest 
in  redemption .  If  they  be  looked  upon 
as  the  representatives  of  the  entire  crea- 
tion then,  as  the  bow  Is  are  to  be  poured 
out  upon  all  departments  of  nature, 
the  sun,  the  earth,  the  rivers,  and 
fountains,  it  is  fitting  that  these  repre- 
sentatives of  nature  shall  give  their 
approval  to  this  work.  God  works 
through  creation  with  its  manifold 
laws,  w  hich  may  become  the  channels 
through  which  his  anger  may  be  made 
manifest.  Nature  itself  also,  when  re- 
demption shall  have  fini.shed  its  work, 
shall  be  delivered  from  the  bondage 
into  M'hich  it  passed  by  the  fall.  (See 
Rom.  8  :  21.)  If  tlic  living  crcaturcs  be 
the  highest  created  beings,  then  tlie 
vision  teaches  that  they,  standing  for 
all  good  intelligences,  coincide  with 
God  in  his  punishments  about  to  be 
brought  upon  the  nations  of  the  un- 
godly. Vials,  rather,  boivls.  These 
are  vessels  broad  and  shallow,  resem- 
bling our  saucers.  They  are  the  basons 
of  the  Old  Testament  (E^^od.  12  :  32). 
They  were  used  to  carry  the  incense 
lighted  with  coals  from  the  altar  in  the 
holy  place.  They  are  fitted,  therefore, 
to  represent  a  sudden  and  full  punish- 


Ch.  XV.] 


REVELATION 


309 


full  of  the  wrath  of  God,  i  who  liveth 
8  for  ever  and  ever.  And  nhe  temple 
was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  gloiy 
of  God,  and  from  his  power:  and  ■  no 
man  was  able  to  enter  into  the  tern- 
pie,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven 
angels  were  fulfilled. 


wrath  of  God,  who  lives  forever  and 
8  ever.  And  the  temple  was  filled  with 
smoke  from  the  glory  of  God,  and  from 
his  power ;  and  no  one  was  able  to 
enter  into  the  temple,  until  the  seven 
plagues  of  the  seven  angels  should  be 
finished. 


9  4  :  9 ;  10  :  6 ;  1  Thess.  1  : 


r  Exod.  40  :  34 ;  1  Kiogs  8  :  10 ;  2  Chron.  5:14;  Pa.  IS  :  9 ;  Isa.  6  : 
<  Exod.  40  :  33 :  2  Chron.  5  :  14. 


ment,  that  can  be  poured  out  at  once 
upon  the  ungodly  in  the  earth.  There 
is  a  wide  contrast  between  the  bowls  of 
wrath  and  the  bowls  full  of  odors,  the 
prayers  of  saints  (5 ;  8).  Wrath  of 
God.  Man's  anger  is  usually  mali- 
cious, passionate,  vengeful.  God's 
wrath  is  the  necessary  manifestation 
of  a  holy  nature  against  the  unholy 
and  the  wicked.  Real  holiness  must 
be  antagonistic  to  that  which  is  wrong 
in  itself.  The  wrath  of  God  does  not 
come  to  its  full  manifestation  until  the 
opportunity  to  forgive  and  save  is  past. 
Jesus  came  not  to  destroy,  but  to  save 
(John  3  :  17);  but  he  will  cousign  the 
finally  impenitent  to  everla.sting  pun- 
ishment. There  is  a  wrath  of  the 
Lamb  (6:i6).  God  is  love,  but  God 
has  wrath.  God  manifests  his  wrath 
through  the  angels,  which  here  repre- 
sent ministries  of  all  kinds,  whether 
they  be  the  activities  of  nature,  or  the 
retributive  laws  of  conscience.  God 
can  make  his  angels  out  of  men  or 
laws  or  things.  This  wrath  may  be 
perpetual,  for  God  is  an  ever-living 
God. 

8.  The  angels  having  received  the 
bowls  proceed  at  once  to  pour  them 
out.  The  scene  is  one  of  terror.  In 
vision  John  beholds  the  temple  filled 
with  smoke.  This  smoke  is  not  that 
arising  from  the  1)urning  incense,  which 
is  the  symbol  of  praise  and  prayer 
ascending  to  God  as  a  sweet  savor.  It 
is  not  the  cloud  of  glory  which  at  times 
filled  the  temple,  as  when  Isaiah  had  a 
vision  of  Jehovah  (isa.  e  :  4)_  or  as  wlien 
the  temple  was  dedicated  to  God  (i 
Kings  8 :  u).  It  is  hcrc  rather  the  smoke 
that  is  conceived  of  as  coming  from  the 
fire  of  God's  anger.  A  fitting  illustra- 
tion is  found  in  Exod.  19  :  19,  when 
smoke  covered  Mount  Sinai  when  the 
commandments  were  given.  God  has 
begun  his  retributive  work,  has  come 
in  penalty  ;  the  smoke  symbolizes  this 
teaching.      No    man  .  .  .  temple. 


This,  in  vision,  is  the  announcement 
that  their  doom  is  past  intercession,  the 
penalty  is  fixed.  God  is  easy  to  be 
entreated,  and  plenteous  in  mercy  (Ps. 
80  :  15) ;  the  high  priest  entered  the 
holiest  of  all  yearly,  making  interces- 
sion for  the  sins  of 'the  people.  But 
there  comes  a  time  when  God's  wrath 
is  manifest,  and  he  will  not  listen  to 
intercession.  Notice  the  impressive 
statements  in  Deut.  32  :  49-51 ;  Jer. 
15  :  1.  Fulfilled,  rather,  finished. 
God  cannot  be  approached  when  he  is 
manifesting  himself  in  this  fearful 
manner.  When  God  sits  as  judge  no 
one  may  intercede.  The  laws  of  nature 
are  helpful  to  men  if  used  aright,  but 
these  laws  have  no  mercy  if  disobeyed. 
We  are  exhorted  to  kiss  the  Son  while 
opportunity  is  given  (ps.  2  :  12).  The 
plagues  are  now  about  to  receive  the 
beginning  of  their  fulfilment;  the  time 
comes,  in  the  order  of  events,  when  the 
plagues  will  cease.  When  the  wrath- 
ful ministries  of  God's  holy  indigna- 
tion shall  be  withdrawn  by  these  min- 
istries coming  to  an  end,  then  the 
temple  will  a^ain  be  open  for  interces- 
sion. The  vision  brings  out  clearly 
into  view  this  teaching — God's  holy 
and  heavy  penalties  will  assuredly 
come  u]jon  the  ungodly ;  nothing  can 
restrain  them.  God's  longsuftering 
will  pass  into  God's  rertributive  justice. 

Pkactical  Remarks. 

1.  God's  nature  is  so  manifold  and  per- 
fect that  to  each  one  will  come  that  which 
is  fitted  to  his  character.  Heaven  means 
the  perfect  fulness  of  his  rewards.  Pen- 
alty here,  in  its  full  sense,  and  hell  here- 
after come  to  the  one  whose  iniquities  are 
full  (ver.  1). 

2.  Satan  is  strong,  but  not  too  strong  to 
be  overcome  by  any  saint,  with  God's 
help.  Jesus  was  an  overcoming  Christ 
that  he  might  be  a  helping  Saviour 
(ver.  2). 


310 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


3.  God  is  king  of  the  ages.  He  is  fitted 
to  carry  out  his  everlastiug  plans,  because 
he  has  all  ages  in  which  to  work.  No 
wicked  man,  living  for  one  age,  can  de- 
feat Grod,  whose  dwelling-place  is  in 
eternity  (ver.  3). 

4.  God's  almightiness  is  under  the  con- 
trol of  his  holiness.  Because  he  is  holy, 
penalties  must  come  on  the  ungodly. 
God's  manifested  righteousness  means 
wicked  men  put  down  and  righteous  men 
crowned  with  God's  approval  (ver.  4). 

5.  The  commands  of  God  bear  testimony 
to  his  character  and  our  duties.  They 
were  kept  in  the  holiest  of  all ;  they 
should  be  enshrined  to-day  in  our  inner- 
most heart.  The  tables  of  stone  are  lost. 
But  God's  laws  are  written  on  the  heart, 
and  contained  in  the  holy  Scriptures 
(ver.  5). 

6.  God's  ministers  are  clothed  in  beau- 
tiful garments.  Every  Christian  should 
be  clothed  upon  as  a  priest  of  God  to  in- 
tercede for  men.  The  Christian  has  put 
on  Christ  as  a  covering,  a  creed,  a  rule  of 
daily  conduct  (ver.  6;  Gal.  3  :  27). 

7.  God's  mercy  means  a  salvation  pro- 
vided for  the  guilty ;  God's  delay  means 
our  salvation  (2  Peter  3 :  15).  God's  wrath 
means  an  utter  destruction  for  the  wicked. 
No  one  is  compelled  to  be  lost,  it  is  a 
matter  of  choice  (ver.  7). 


8.  There  is  a  sin  unto  death  (1  John  5  : 
16).  There  is  a  time  when  the  door  is 
shut  (Matt.  25  :  10)  ;  when  intercession 
has  no  promise  (ver.  8). 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  seven  last  plagues.  We 
come  now  to  the  pouring  out  of  the 
contents  of  the  bowls  upon  the  enemies 
of  God  wherever  situated.  We  see  the 
fearful  efifects  of  these  j)lagues  upon 
God's  foes.  In  one  continuous  order  > 
they  follow  each  other ;  no  breathing  * 
time  is  given  for  these  foes  to  recover 
themselves.  This  is  tlie  third  time  that 
the  seer  is  going  over  the  same  events. 
It  is  evident  that  we  have  a  threefold 
representation  of  a  contest  of  God's 
forces  with  the  satanic  hosts  from  the 
similarity  of  the  structure  of  the  three 
series  of  visions.  In  many  respects 
there  is  a  noticeable  likeness  between 
the  three  series;  there  is  a  complete 
conformity  in  the  objects  subject  to 
God's  visitation  in  the  trumpets  and 
the  bowls.  In  all  the  series  there  is  a 
division  of  the  seven  visions  into  two 
groups;  the  first  group  of  four,  the 
second  group  of  three.  Between  these 
two  groups  there  is  in  all  the  series  a 
marked  dividing  line.  A  glance  at  the 
first  four  visions  in  the  three  series  will 
make  this  plain : 


SEALS. 
CHAPTER  VI. 
1.(6-'') 
o'/jijsaflFecting  the  earth. 


TRUMPETS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.(8:7)  earth 

llsiiojaffectingthe^f^; 

4.(8:13) 


rivers, 
sun. 


BOWLS. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
1.(16:2)  earth. 

2;;;:;:jaffectingthe^^;r3, 

4.(i6'*)  sun. 


In  all  cases  the  earth,  in  its  entirety 
of  land  and  sea,  the  sun  as  the  source 
of  life  and  strength,  the  fountains  and 
rivers  which  are  essential  to  the  exist- 
ence of  life,  all  these  are  affected.  The 
same  objects  are  represented  and  in  the 
same  order.    In  all  the  series  there  is  a 


break  at  the  fifth  number.  At  this 
number  we  pass  from  earth,  with  its 
physical  objects,  to  look  upon  the  spirit 
world  ;  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  unseen 
world — unseen  to  the  ej'e,  but  really 
existing.  This  is  made  apparent  by  a 
glance  at  the  fifth  number. 


SEALS. 

6:9. 

An  altar  in  heaven. 


TRUMPETS. 

9  :  11. 

The  pit  of  the  abyss. 


BOWLS. 

16  :  10. 

The  throne  of  the  beast. 


The  scries  of  the  trumpets  and  the 
bowls  difl'er  from  that  of  the  seals,  in 
that  they  arc  far  more  minute  than  the 


seals,  entering  into  details.  They  are 
explanatory  of  the  more  general  state- 
ments of  tlie  seals. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


311 


There  is  the  unclean  woman,  the 
parody  of  the  pure  woman,  clothed  in 
white,  the  bride  of  Christ  (n  :  s).  We 
may  exi)ect  a  greater  similarity  between 
the    series  of   the    trumpets    and    tlie 


bowls  than  between  the  seals  and  the 
other  two-  the  trumpets  and  bowls 
deal  mainly  with  penalty.  The  com- 
plete similarity  between  the  trumpets 
and  the  bowls  is  manifest. 


SIXTH  NUMBER. 


TRUMPETS. 

9  :  13. 

The  river  Euphrates. 


BOWLS. 

16  :  12. 
The  river  Euphrates. 


TRUMPETS. 

11  :  15. 

The  end  of  all  things. 


SEVENTH  NUMBER. 

BOWLS. 

16  :  17. 
The  end  of  dll  things. 


All  three  groups  bring  us  to  the  end 
when  the  Judge  appears.  In  the  seals 
the  end  comes  in  8  :  1.  The  Judge  ap- 
pears; the  Lamb  in  his  wrath  and  the 
silence  indicate  that  all  opposition  has 
broken  down.  In  the  trumpets  the 
dead  are  raised  and  the  kingdom  has 
become  Christ's  in  11  :  15.  In  the 
bowls  there  comes  the  cry,  "It  is 
finished,"  in  16  :  17.  It  must  be  evi- 
dent that  these  are  different  aspects  of 
substantially  the  same  course  of  pro- 
cedure, the  same  i)arties  standing  in  a 
different  relation  to  each  other  in  the 
different  series.  In  the  interpretation 
of  the  visions  in  this  series  of  the  bowls 
no  attempt  will  be  made  to  find  a  dis- 
tinct and  literal  event,  or  some  distinct 
spiritual  teaching  for  each  detail  of  the 
representation.  AH  such  attempts  have 
been  failures  in  the  past;  they  all 
must  be  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case. 
These  visions  are  intended  to  give  to  us 
poetic  and  scenic  prophecies,  to  present 
in  a  highly  figurative  way  general  out- 
lines of  God's  dealings  with  his  ene- 
mies both  inside  the  church  and  outside 
of  it.  The  expressions  are  designed  to 
be  general  in  tlieir  character.  God 
purposes  to  destroy  his  foes  utterly. 
He  does  this  in  a  spiritual  way,  just  as 
if  he  were  to  touch  every  part  of  man's 
outward  life,  the  earth,  the  sea,  the 
river,  the  sun,  the  atmosphere,  with 
the  blight  of  his  curse.  Were  God  to 
touch  the  physical  world  in  this  way, 
all  life  would  become  bitter  and  in- 
tolerable. These  visions  express,  in  a 
figurative  way,  tlie  fearful  woes  that 
God  will  bring  to  pass  upon  liis  foes. 
These  woes  may  not,  of  necessity,  be 


mainly  physical  or  material  in  their 
nature,  for  God  has  all  resources  at  his 
command.  Man's  entire  surroundings, 
his  social  life,  his  intellectual  nature, 
his  moral  nature,  his  political  rela- 
tions, may  all  of  them  be  made  agen- 
cies through  which  God  will  bring 
fearful  miseries  upon  the  wicked  as 
the  result  of  their  wickedness.  The 
one  great  fact  stands  before  us  here  in 
these  visions,  that  God,  because  he  is 
holy,  will  bring  heaviest  judgments 
upcni  his  foes  as  overwhelming  as  if  he 
were  to  make  the  land  and  sun  and 
waters  their  inveterate  enemies.  God 
smites  once  and  again  the  things  on 
which  life  and  its  happiness  rest;  the 
means  of  life  he  makes  burdensome. 
Under  these  attacks  the  ungodly  world 
stands  utterly  helpless.  The  seven 
plagues  are  an  expression,  in  detail,  of 
the  vision  of  the  vintage,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  wicked  in  14  :  18-20. 

In  like  manner  we  find,  in  ver.  6,  an 
anticipative  allusion  to  the  destruction 
of  Babylon,  the  details  of  which  are 
given  in  IS  :  24.  In  ver.  14  we  have 
also  an  anticipative  allusion  to  the 
great  war  between  holiness  and  un- 
holiness,  noticed  fully  in  19  :  17-21.  In 
ver.  19  we  have  a  reference  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  great  Babylon,  the  full 
mention  of  whicli  fills  up  chap.  XVII 
and  XVIII.  In  ver.20  we  have  the  great 
day  simply  alluded  to,  and  described 
more  fully  in  20  :  11-15.  This  is  one  of 
the  features  of  tliis  Ijook,  to  make  men- 
tion of  an  incident  or  teaching,  and 
then  afterward  enter  upon  the  more 
full  consideration  of  it.  The  chapter 
falls  naturally  into  two  divisions,  the 


312 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


The  seven  bowls  of  plagues  poured  otit. 
16  AND  I  heard  'a  great  voice  out  of 
the  temple  saying  "to  the  seven  angels, 
Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials 
^  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth. 
2  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out 
his  vial  y  upon  the  earth ;  and  ^^  there 
fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon 


16  AND  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the 
temple,  saying  to  the  seven  angels.  Go, 
and  pour  out  the  seven  bowls  of  the 
wrath  of  God  into  the  earth. 
2  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out 
his  bowl  into  the  earth ;  and  there 
came  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon 


«  9  :  13  ;  18  :  4  ;  19  :  5. 


«  15  .1.      X   14:10;  15  :  7. 
2   Exod.  9  :  9-11 ;  Deut.  28  :  35. 


8:7;  Isa.  8  :  22. 


vision  of  the  first  four  bowls,  the  visions 
of  the  final  group  of  three. 

In  the  first  division  we  have  the 
bowls  emptied  on  the  earth,  the  sea, 
the  springs,  the  sun  (ver.  2-9) ;  in  the 
second,  the  bowls  are  emptied  on  the 
throne  of  the  beast,  upon  the  Eu- 
phrates, upon  the  air,  and  great  Bab- 
ylon falls  (ver.  11-21). 

1-9.  The  first  four  bowls. 
These  four  bowls  have  reference  to  the 
earth  and  its  immediate  surroundings. 
The  earth,  the  sea,  the  waters,  the  sun, 
become  sources  of  plagues.  All  of 
these  are  a  necessity  to  the  physical 
life  of  man ;  here  they  are  touched 
successively  with  God's  blighting 
power. 

1.  This  verse  is  introductory,  the 
commission  is  given  to  the  seven  angels 
to  fulfil  their  mission.  This  verse 
shows  that  the  work  of  the  angels  is 
not  a  mere  revengeful  putting  forth  of 

Eower,  but  is  the  work  of  Jehovah 
imself.  Heard  .  .  .  temple.  The 
voice  is  that  of  God  himself.  The 
people  on  the  earth  struggle  in  vain 
unless  God  come  to  their  assistance. 
God  now  interposes  in  their  behalf. 
Milton  calls  upon  God  to  interpose  on 
behalf  of  his  persecuted  saints : 

Avenge,  O  Lord,  thy  slaughtered  saints, 

whose  bones 
Lie  scattered  on  the  Alpine  mountains 

cold. 

Go  .  .  .  ways,  rather,  Go  ye.  The 
temple  filled  with  smoke  (i5  : 8)  pre- 
vents the  entrance  of  any  person  there, 
God  alone  dwells  there;  it  is  his  voice 
that  the  seer  hears.  Vials,  rather, 
bowls.  These  have  in  tliem  the  wrath 
of  God.  A  holy  God  must  have  the 
power  to  exercise  wrath.  There  may 
be  a  restraint  during  a  time  of  proba- 
tion; during  a  period  of  the  ripening 
of  the  harvest,  there  conies  a  time  for 
the  manifestation  of  the  wrath.    Pun- 


ishments do  not  come  in  their  fulness 
until  iniquities  have  also  reached  their 

fulness      (Geu.    15  ;  16  ;     comp.    Rev.    14  :  18). 

God  permits  sin  and  wrong-doing  to 
continue  and  grow,  but  he  does  not 
approve.  His  existence  is  a  continued 
protest  against  all  wrong.  He  bears 
patiently  with  it;  but  shows,  at  the 
last,  his  disapproval,  and  sends  his 
judgments.  Upon  the  earth,  rather, 
into  the  earth.  The  expression  is  more 
intense  than  simply  to  cast  something 
on  the  surface.  The  same  expression 
is  used  in  8  :  5,  where  the  angel  casts 
fire  into  the  earth.  The  angels  waiting 
expectantly  to  know  his  will,  proceed 
at  once  to  perform  their  mission.  As 
the  scene  takes  place  in  vision,  John 
beholds  them  standing  in  such  a  rela- 
tion to  the  earth  that  they  can  pour 
their  bowls  into  it. 

2.  The  first  bowl.  The  first  .  .  . 
earth.  The  angel  takes  a  position,  in 
the  vision,  from  which  he  may  do  as 
bidden.  In  ver.  1  the  term  earth  is 
used  as  a  general  description  of  the 
entire  world,  the  earth  and  the  sea 
embracing  all.  Here  it  is  used  for  the 
part  occupied  bj'  man,  the  part  opposed 
to  sea.  And  .  .  .  sore,  rather,  a^id 
it  became  a  noisome  and  griei'ous  sore. 
The  historical  foundation  for  this  is 
found  in  the  sixth  plague  (Exod.  9  :  lo), 
when  ulcers  came  upon  the  Egyptians. 
The  world  beast,  mentioned  in  13  :  11, 
came  up  out  of  the  earth.  This  beast 
is  explained  by  many  to  mean  the 
Antichrist,  mainly  centered  in  the 
papal  apostasy.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
we  are  to  find  a  symbolic  or  spiritual 
meaning  in  the  terms  here  employed. 
The  rather  may  we  simply  take  the 
general  teaching  that  God  attacks  every 
part  of  man's  surroundings,  the  founda- 
tions of  his  existence.  The  earth  and 
springs  and  sun  constitute  the  physical 
essentials  of  human  life  and  happiness. 
To  destroy  them  is  to  destroy  life,  to 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


313 


the  men  *  which  had  the  mark  of  the 
beast,  and  upon  them  ^  which  wor- 
shipped his  image. 
3  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his 
vial "  upon  tlie  sea  ;  aud  <i  it  became  as 
the  blood  of  a  dead  man:  i^aud  every 
living  soul  died  iu  the  sea. 


the  men  who  had    the  mark  of   the 
beast,  aud  who  worshiped  his  image. 

And  the  second  poured  out  liis  bowl 
inW)  the  sea ;  and  it  became  blood,  as 
of  a  dead  man  ;  and  every  living  soul 
died,  the  things  that  were  iu  the  sea. 


h  13  :  14. 


d  Eiod.  7  :  17-21. 


infringe  on  their  operations  is  to  place 
limitations  on  life.  Under  these  figures 
John  means  to  assert  that  God  makes  a 
warfare  upon  man  that  cannot  be  re- 
sisted. The  liistorical  aud  allegorical 
interpretations  vary  exceedingly,  and 
are  unsatisfactory.  The  second  beast 
compelled  the  earthly  minded  to  re- 
ceive the  mark  of  the  first  beast  in 
their  right  hand  and  in  their  forehead, 
and  to  make  and  worship  the  image  of 
the  beast.  By  the  retributive  power 
of  the  divine  justice  the  ungodly  men 
have  another  mark  put  upon  them, 
ulcers  and  sores.  This  is  not  to  be 
taken  literally.  We  cannot  take  the 
sixth  vision  of  this  series  in  a  literal 
way,  nor  can  we  this.  All  are  founded 
on  the  same  plan,  all  are  to  be  inter- 
preted in  the  same  way.  The  meaning 
is  that  God  begins,  through  the  seven 
plagues,  to  make  life  unbearable  to  the 
ungodly,  causing  those  who  found  their 
enjoyment  iu  certain  modes  of  life,  to 
find  these  sources  of  enjoyment  turned 
into  mockeries.  They  worshiped  the 
beast  aud  had  his  mark ;  God  gi  ves 
them  ulcerous  sores,  painful,  noisome. 
God  is  stronger  than  the  beast ;  he  puts 
his  mark  upon  the  worshipers  of  the 
beast.  For  the  mark  see  13  :  15 ;  14  : 
9.  The  first  bowl  teaches  that  God 
will,  in  time,  openly  make  the  lives  of 
those  identified  with  Satan  and  world- 
liuess  intolerable  and  loathsome  even 
to  themselves.  God  will  curse  their 
blessings.  God  could  make  every  sin- 
ful life  pliysically  burdened  as  was  the 
life  of  Job  (Job  2  :  7).  God  will  make 
life  as  burdensome  as  if  he  were  to 
touch  men's  bodies  with  painful  sores. 
There  may  not  be  any  physical  afflic- 
tion to  make  this  vi.sion  come  true  in 
its  completeness,  for  oftentimes  the 
severest  punishments  are  not  material, 
but  mental.  Remorse,  disappointment, 
the  sense  of  guilt,  the  certain  fearful 
looking  for  of  judgment  (Heb,  lo  :  27), 
these  are  more  intolerable  than  mere 
bodily  sufferings. 


3.  The  second  bowl.  Without  a 
break  the  second  angel  performs  his 
mission.  This  bowl  is  emptied  into 
the  sea.  This  vision,  with  the  former, 
comprehends  the  entire  surface  of  the 
earth.  Those  who  find  a  spiritual 
meaning  in  all  these  terms  interpret 
the  sea  to  mean  the  worldly  life  of 
States  and  nations,  the  impulses  and 
passions  of  the  mas.ses  of  the  people. 
On  this  theory  the  land  stands  for  the 
fixed  order  of  nations,  alluding  es- 
pecially to  the  Jewish  nation,  the  sea 
standing  for  the  restless  mass  of  outside 
Gentile  nations.  It  is  out  of  the  sea 
that  the  ten-horned  beast  arises  (i3 :  1). 
Without  giving  the  term  sea  any 
metaphorical  meaning,  it  may  be  re- 
garded as  embracing  with  the  term 
earth  (ver.  2)  the  whole  life  of  man. 
God  will  make  the  whole  life,  the  en- 
tire worldly  existence  of  the  ungodly 
burdensome  to  him.  He  will  find  no 
rest  anywhere.  On  sea  and  on  land 
God  will  be  his  enemy.  Became 
.  .  •  man,  rather,  it  became  blood  as 
of  a  dead  man.  In  8  :  8  one-third  of 
the  sea  became  blood,  here  all  is 
changed  into  blood.  It  is  not  simply 
blood,  but  the  clotted  offensive  blood 
of  a  dead  man,  horrible  to  look  upon. 
The  sea,  which  ordinarily  is  a  scene  of 
beauty  and  grandeur,  health-giving,  a 
means  of  pleasure  and  business  asso- 
ciation, is  changed  into  a  thing  cor- 
rupt and  corrupting.  It  is  no  longer  a 
source  of  help,  but  a  hindrance  and  a 
curse.  As  a  result,  every  .  .  .  died, 
rather,  every  living  soul  died,  even  (he 
things  that  were  in  the  sea.  In  8  :  9 
one-third  died,  here  it  was  the  reign  of 
a  universal  death.  For  a  historical 
foundation  of  this  vision  see  Exod.  7  : 
20,  the  first  plague  in  Egypt.  Pharaoh 
was  an  illustration  of  the  world  power 
of  his  day;  God  took  from  him  the  u.se 
of  the  Nile,  in  which  he  trusted.  The 
teaching  of  this  bowl  is  that  God  will 
so  afflict  the  ungodly  as  if  he  should 
change  the  material  sea  into  a  noisome 


314 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


4  And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his 
vial  'upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of 
waters  ;  sand  they  became  blood. 

5  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters 
say,  ""Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord, 
■which  art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be. 


4  And  the  third  poured  out  his  bowl 
into  the  rivers,  and  the  fountains  of 

5  the  \v;iter.s  ;  and  it  became  blood.  And 
1  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  say- 
ing, Righteous  art  thou,  who  art,  and 
who  wast,  the  holy  One,  because  thou 


/  8  :  10,  11. 


g  Exod.  7  ;  20. 


ft  15  :  3. 


i  1  :4,  8;  4  :8;  11  :  17. 


mass  of  clotted  blood ;  that  what  Lad 
been  a  source  of  blessing  should  become 
a  fearful  curse.  In  this  manner  God  can 
make  the  social  life,  the  political  life, 
the  business  relations  of  men,  the  ties 
binding  society  together,  these  things 
essential  to  the  well-being  of  man,  God 
can  make  them,  through  the  perverted 
hearts  of  men,  become  a  source  of  un- 
told woes  to  men.  Many  events  in  his- 
tory will  be  found  that  find  their  pro- 
j)hetic  desci'iptiou  in  this  vision.  It 
will,  however,  serve  its  best  purpose 
by  allowing  it  to  have  only  a  general 
meaning  that  God  can  cause  that  things 
of  beauty,  and  things  on  which  they 
depend,  shall  become  sources  of  horror 
and  hostility.  It  shall  be  ill  with  the 
wicked ;  this  the  vision  teaches  in  a 
most  forcible  but  figurative  way.  John 
does  not  aim  to  write  history  or  give 
minute  details.  Where  he  is  silent  we 
may  not  seem  to  be  wise. 

4, 5.  The  third  boivl.  The  entire  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  land  and  sea,  having 
been  put  under  a  curse  in  the  two  pre- 
ceding bowls,  God's  anger  now  rests 
upon  specific  portions  of  their  physical 
life.  Vial,  boiol,  upon  rivers  and 
fountains,  rather,  into.  Something 
of  the  same  kind  took  place  in  con- 
nection with  the  third  trumpet,  when 
the  third  part  of  the  waters  were  made 
bitter,  and  many  died  from  the  efi'ects. 
Here  all  the  waters  are  turned  into 
blood.  The  statement  is  that  it  be- 
came blood,  not  that  they  were  changed 
into  blood.  Meyer  suggests  that  the 
blood  flowed  into  the  streams,  render- 
ing them,  of  course,  unfit  for  use.  The 
historical  foundation  for  this  is  found 
in  Exod.  7  :  20,  when  the  Nile  was 
turned  into  blood.  We  may  not  at- 
tempt to  find  any  prophetical  allusion 
to  any  definite  event  in  any  part  of 
the  world's  history.  In  Egypt  God 
touched  one  part  of  nature  after  an- 
other, making  use  of  nature  to  bring 
Pharaoh  into  subjection,  cutting  on 
one  avenue  of  enjoyment  and  life  after 
another,  so  tliut  he  was  compelled  to 


surrender.  In  like  manner  here,  in  a 
figurative  way,  John  sees  God  making 
the  life  of  the  ungodly  exceeding  bitter 
by  changing  the  things  on  which  they 
depended  for  life  and  enjoyment,  into 
sources  of  loathing.  The  reference  is 
not  to  literal  rivers  and  fountains,  but 
to  things  in  the  life  as  essential  to  them 
as  these  are  to  the  physical  life.  God 
caused  the  proud  heart  of  Pharaoh  to 
melt  into  submission,  the  heart  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  to  become  humble. 
God's  retributive  laws,  whereby  sin 
becomes  its  own  punishment,  have 
often  rendered  life  so  liurdensome  that 
it  has  not  seemed  worth  living ;  hope 
departed  from  life.  It  is  a  picture  like 
this  that  John  brings  before  us.  The 
angel  who  presides  over  the  waters  is 
the  first  to  recognize  the  righteousness 
of  the  manifestation  of  the  divine 
Miath.  Those  who  interpret  the  angel 
of  the  waters  to  mean  the  angel  who 
poured  tlie  bowl  into  the  waters,  are 
incorrect.  Meyer  contends  that  a  defi- 
nite angel  is  meant,  to  whom  has  been 
assigned  this  province  of  nature,  just 
as  in  Daniel  a  particular  angel  is  put 
in  charge  of  a  definite  people  (nan.  lo  : 
13-21).  It  is  better  to  regard  the  angel 
as  purely  a  symbolic  being  who  is  in- 
troduced in  this  scenic  representation 
as  the  voice  of  the  waters  themselves. 
The  waters  themselves,  upon  whom  the 
judgments  have  come,  respond  to  the 
judgment  that  it  is  just.  Even  the 
enemies  of  God  will,  in  the  end,  admit 
the  justice  and  equity  of  God's  moral 
administration.  The  words  of  the  an- 
gel are,  Thou  .  .  .  judged,  rather, 
Righteovs  art  thou  ichich  art,  and 
irhich  wast,  thou  holy  One,  because  thou 
didst  judge.  God  is  holy  in  nature, 
and  tlierefore  righteous  in  his  dealings 
with  men.  The  expres.sion,  and  shalt 
he,  describing  God,  is  to  be  omitted, 
for  tlie  reason  that  God  has  now  come, 
is  manifested  in  judgment.  Special 
cmpliasis  is  laid  in  this  book  upon 
God's  perfect  righteousness,  inasmuch 
as  so  often   his  dealings  as  judge  are 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


315 


6  because  thou  hast  judged  thus.  For 
I' they  have  shed  the  blood  'of  siiiuts 
and  prophets,  "and  thou  hast  given 
them  blood  to  drink ;  for  they  are 
worthy. 

7  And  I  heard  another  "out  of  the 
altar  say,  Even  so,  Lord  God  Almighty. 
•  true  and  righteous  are  tliy  judgments. 

8  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his 
vial  p  upon  the  sun  :  i  and  power  was 
given  unto  him  to  scorch  men  with 


6  did.st  tlius  judge  ;  because  they  poured 
out  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets, 
and   thou  hast  given  them    blood  to 

7  drink  :  they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard 
tlie  altar  saying.  Even  so,  Lord  God, 
the  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are 
thy  judgments. 

8  And  the  fourth  poured  out  his  bowl 
on  the  sun ;  and  it  was  given  to  it  to 


&  6  :  10,  II ;  13  :  15 ;  17:6;  Matt.  23  :  31,  35.     (  11  :  18 ;  18  :  20.     m  Isa.  49  :  26.     n  6  :  9. 
0  13  :  10 ;  11  :  10 ;  19  :  2.      p  6  :  12 ;  8  :  12.      {  9  :  IT.  18 :  11  :  18 ;  Isa.  66  :  16. 


represented.  The  almightiness  of  God 
is  less  dwelt  upon  than  his  holiness 
and  righteousness. 

6.  This  verse  is  an  anticipation  of 
18  :  20-24,  where  Babylon  is  destroyed  ; 
it  shows  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
turning  the  waters  into  blood.  Shed 
>  .  .  drink,  rather,  poured  oat  the 
blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and  blood 
thou  hast  given  them  to  drink.  Thi.s 
reveals  a  time  of  persecution  for  God's 
people  and  God's  leaders  among  men, 
for  which  God  now  sends  a  punish- 
ment in  kind.  They  had  shed  blood, 
they  must  now  drink  blood.  They 
persecuted  God's  people ;  God  now 
punishes  them  on  account  of  his  peo- 
ple. Prophets.  This  alludes,  not  to 
Old  Testament  prophets  as  such,  but 
to  the  interpreters  and  unfolders  of 
God's    will    in    the    New    Testament 

times.         (See     Eph.    4   :    11.)        Fot     .     .     . 

worthy,  rather,  they  are  worthy.  The 
ungodly  have  merited  their  punish- 
ment. God's  people  shall  walk  in 
heaven  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy 
(3  :  *) ;  these  are  worthy  of  penalty. 
God  always  judges  according  to  char- 
acter. No  person  will  be  saved  on 
account  of  his  works,  but  no  person 
will  be  saved  apart  from  his  works. 
Every  person  suffering  eternal  loss 
will  be  deserving  of  it. 

7.  Heard  .  .  .  altar,  rather,  I 
heard  the  altar.  The  altar  itself,  in 
the  vision,  speaks.  Tiiis  is  the  altar 
mentioned  in  6  :  t),  under  which  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs  were  resting. 
They  had  cried  unto  God  for  the  exert- 
ing of  his  retributive  power.  Now 
that  it  has  come  they  .see  tliat  God's 
judgments  are  true  and  righteous.  He 
is  ijraised  as  the  almighty  God,  whose 
actions  correspond  with  his  holy  char- 
acter and  his  promises;  he  is  true.    In 


ver.  5  the  ungodly  recognize  God's 
righteousness ;  here  the  church  of 
Christ  recognizes  his  righteous  deal- 
ings. The  prayers  and  sacrifices  of- 
fered on  the  altar  often  seem  powerless 
to  bring  about  results.  But,  in  the 
end,  the  prayers  will  be  an.swered,  and 
the  sacrifices  find  acceptance.  The 
altar  is  a  source  of  great  power  with 
God,  and  in  the  end  in  the  affairs  of 
the  world.  From  the  days  of  righteous 
Abel  the  blood  of  all  tlie  martyrs  has 
cried  for  retribution,  and  God's  law  is 
that  blood  is  the  punishment  for  shed- 
ding blood. 

8.  The  fourth  bowl.  Men,  that  is, 
the  ungodly  portion  of  the  world,  have 
been  touched  in  all  parts  of  their  life 
and  surroundings,  represented  by  the 
land,  the  sea,  the  waters.  Now  God 
touches  the  .sun,  the  source  of  life  and 
heat  and  motion.  Upon  the  sun. 
In  the  fourth  trumpet  (a :  u)  the  third 
part  of  the  sun  was  affected  ;  here  the 
entire  body  of  the  sun  is  touched. 
There  is  a  growing  intensity  in  the 
judgment  as  we  come  toward  the  end. 
We  find  a  historical  basis  for  this  vision 
in  Exod.  10  :  21-23,  where  the  sun  re- 
fu.sed  to  give  its  light,  and  darkness 
settled  down  on  Egypt.  Here,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  sun  has  added  power, 
and  scorches  and  burns  men  with  its 
intense  heat.  Give  unto  him,  rather, 
unto  it,  that  is  the  sun.  Notliing  could 
be  more  intoleral)h'  than  a  burning, 
scorching  sun,  that  should  wither  and 
torture  men  and  things.  Those  who 
find  a  spiritual  meaning  in  all  the 
terms  emi)loyfd,  interpret  this  vision 
as  depicting  the  abuses  of  revelation, 
compared  to  the  sun,  wdierebj'  tlie 
teachings  of  revelaticm  become,  through 
their  perversion,  a  source  of  peril  and 
death.     In  this  way  God's  best  gifts, 


316 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


9  fire.  And  men  were  scorched  with 
great  heat,  and  '  blasphemed  the  name 
of  God,  which  hath  power  over  these 
plagues :  '  and  they  repented  not  '  to 
give  him  glory. 


9  scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were 
scorched  with  great  heat,  and  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God,  who  has  the 
authority  over  these  plagues ;  and  they 
repented  not  to  give  him  glory. 


■  Ver.  11,  21 ;  Isa.  8  :  21. 


»  9  :  20  ;  Exod.  8  :  15  ;  Dan.  5  :  22,  23. 


«  11  :  13 ;  14  :  T. 


salvation  by  faith,  the  wideness  of 
God's  mercy,  the  freedom  from  the 
law  as  a  means  of  salvation — these  all 
may  be  perverted  into  agencies  for 
destruction.  Others  interpret  the  added 
power  of  the  sun  to  indicate  a  fearful 
oppressive  tyranny  on  the  part  of  the 
rulers  of  the  people.  Without  attempt- 
ing to  find  any  special  meaning  in  this 
vision,  it  will  have  a  large  teaching  for 
us  of  God  punishing  men  in  all  parts 
of  their  life — mental,  spiritual,  social, 
political,  just  as  if  in  the  physical 
world  he  were  to  add  a  fierce  power  to 
the  sun  in  the  heavens.  If  God  were 
to  darken  the  sun,  all  life  would  soon 
perish.  If  God  were  to  make  the  sun 
a  fiery  furnace  it  would  soon,  in  like 
manner,  destroy  all  men  and  all  life. 
In  some  way  like  this  God  will  bring 
his  retributive  powers  to  bear  upon  the 
wicked  in  all  the  parts  and  surround- 
ings of  their  existence,  in  the  last 
days. 

9.  They  were  scorched  with  heat.  As 
a  result  they  blasphemed  .  .  .  God, 
rather,  blasphemed  the  name  of  the 
God.  Back  of  the  plagues  they  recog- 
nized God.  Instead  of  turning  to  God 
in  repentance  and  obedience  they  blas- 
phemed God,  reproached  him,  hardened 
their  heart  with  an  additional  hatred. 
It  is  implied  that  the  sun  has  this 
added  scorching  power  on  account  of 
their  increased  wickedness.  While 
suffering  under  this  heavy  visitation 
they  add  to  their  wickedness  by  a 
growing  impiety  and  hardness  of  heart. 
For  a  like  effect  of  punishment  see 
9:2;  for  the  opposite  eflect,  the 
changed  heart  on  account  of  God's 
retribution,  see  11  :  13.  There  is  no 
power  in  punishment  as  such  to  trans- 
form the  heart.  Pharaoh  constantly 
grew  more  fixed  in  his  purpose  to  resist 
God  with  each  added  plague.  Even 
when  he  submitted,  for  a  time,  the 
heart  was  not  radically  changed.  Pun- 
ishment in  hell  will  have  no  tendency 
to  make  it  a  heaven.  Only  God's 
Spirit,   and  the  thorough    repentance 


for  sin  because  it  is  sin,  can  work  out 
a  change  in  the  inner  life.  Byron 
writes  of 

Souls  who  dare  look  the  Omnipotent 

tyrant  in 
His  everlasting  face  and  tell  him  that 
His  evil  is  not  good. 

Penalty  did  not  lead  to  repentance,  so 
that  God  might  be  recognized  as  such 
and  receive  their  homage.  Not  to 
worship  God  is  a  mark  of  the  hardened 
heart. 

The  general  sense  in  these  four 
visions  is  obvious :  the  men  whose 
souls  continued  to  reject  the  truth  that 
they  might  continue  to  live  in  con- 
formity with  the  plans  of  the  world, 
would  find  the  entire  circle  of  worldly 
powers  and  influences  turned  into  in- 
struments of  destruction.  From  the 
world  in  its  settled  state,  from  the  con- 
vulsions and  agitations  of  the  world, 
from  those  things  that  naturally  con- 
tribute to  comfort,  from  all  these  tor- 
menting and  injurious  effects  would 
come.  These  recurring  visitations  of 
disaster,  with  increasing  power,  would 
show  clearly  that  nothing  could  be 
gained  by  opposing  God ;  they  would 
show  how  helpless  the  world  is  to 
oppose  God  when  he  rises  in  his  might ; 
they  Mould  show  that  the  world,  in  its 
sin,  has  against  it  the  holiness  and 
might  of  God.  God's  penalties  come, 
of  necessity,  against  wrong-doing  be- 
cause it  deserves  punishment ;  if  rightly 
used  penalties  would  lead  to  an  opened 
vision  of  the  moral  nature,  and  a  re- 
turn to  God  in  humility  and  repent- 
ance. 

10-21.  The  last  three  bowls. 
We  now  pass  from  the  judgments  upon 
material  things  to  the  judgment  upon 
the  spiritual  foes  and  forces.  A  like 
transition  occurs  at  the  fifth  seal  («  :  »), 
and  at  the  fifth  trumpet  (9  :  i),  when 
the  bottomless  pit  was  opened.  Here 
the  throne  of  Satan's  agent  in  the 
world  is  smitten  (ver.  10-21).  Satan's 
power  is  mighty,  but  not  almighty. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


317 


10  And  the  fifth  angel  pouied  out  liis 
vial  "  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast ;  »  aud 
his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness ; 
J  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for 

11  pain,  aud  'blasphemed  the  God  of 
heaveu   because   of   their   pains   and 

u  13  :  2  ;  17  :  9,  17,  18.  x  9  :  : 


10  And  the  fifth  poured  out  his  lx)wl  on 
the  throne  of  the  beast ;  and  liis  king- 
dom   became    darkened ;     and    they 

11  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and 
blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven,  be- 


y  11  ;  10;  Zech.  14  :  Vi. 


10.  The  fifth  howl.  Seat  of  the 
beast,  rather,  throne.  The  dragon, 
that  is,  Satan,  gave  his  throne  to  the 
beast  (13  ;  2).  Satan  planned  to  do  his 
work  among  men  through  the  agency 
of  the  beast,  the  great  world  powers, 
the  spirit  of  worldliness  in  whatever 
shape  it  be  found  ;  it  is  to  exercise  his 

Eower.  There  is  a  real  power  exercised 
y  Satan  on  the  earth,  represented  by 
throne.  Satan  is  called  the  god  of 
this  world  (2  Cor.  4 :  4).  To  pour  out 
the  bowl  upon  the  throne  of  the  beast 
is  to  send  judgments  upon  the  agencies 
of  Satan  in  the  world,  whereby  their 
effectiveness  and  power  are  restrained. 
In  all  coiuitries  Satan  does  his  work, 
but  he  may  work  with  special  effective- 
ness in  particular  places  or  countries 
where  his  strongholds  are.  (Comp.  2 :  13. ) 
There  is  a  noticeable  advance  over  the 
fifth  trumpet,  where  the  hosts  of  the 
bottomless  pit  issue  to  torment  men. 
Here  the  king  himself  is  attacked  and 
plagued.  By  throne  no  particular  city 
is  meant,  but  the  ruling  agencies  of 
Satan  in  the  world,  wherever  they  are 
found,  the  actual  center  of  his  entire 
earthly  influence.  If  Satan  be  en- 
trenched in  the  selfishness  and  aggran- 
dizement of  the  great  world  powers, 
in  politics  whereby  laws  are  corrupted, 
in  social  intercourse  whereby  the  spir- 
itual life  is  weakened,  in  business  rela- 
tions so  that  the  good  are  hindered  in 
tlieir  material  life  (i3  :  17);  wherever 
Satan  has  his  throne  tlie  plague  comes 
upon  his  rule.  Kingdom  is  dark- 
ened. The  historical  allusion  is  to 
Exod.  10  :  21,  where  darkness  came 
upon  Egypt  with  the  result  that  busi- 
ness must  stop,  social  intercourse  be 
interfered  with,  and  joy  depart  from 
life.  The  figure  here  is  that  of  a  dark- 
ness as  of  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  coming 
upon  a  kingdom  with  all  its  attendant 
ills.  It  is  as  if  the  blighting  eliects  of 
a  moral  bewilderment  and  a  joyless 
condition  should  settle  upon  Satan's 
dominion  on  the  earth.  If  an  outward 
darkness  prevailed,  disorder,  confusion, 


and  crime  would  increase,  health  would 
pass  away.  Here  John,  in  vision,  sees 
confusion,  disorder,  unrest,  disunity  of 
action  coming  upon  Satan's  kingdom 
in  the  world.  Moral  darkness  is  al  waj's 
an  incident  and  picture  of  sin ;  God's 
kingdom  is  light,  while  Satan's  king- 
dom is  darkness.  Satan,  as  the  prince 
of  darkness,  is  smitteh  with  the  plague 
of  darkness.  The  main  thought  here 
is  that  of  the  confusion  and  weakness 
that  result  from  the  disappearance  of 
that  element  of  life  by  which  enterprise 
and  conquest  are  made  possible.  Satan's 
kingdom  suffers  an  eclipse  whereby 
weakness,  alarm,  aud  panic  ensue. 
Gnawed  .  .  .  pain.  The  darkness  is 
itself  a  plague,  but  the  pain  and  sores 
cannot  result  from  darkness  unless 
hunger  and  famine  set  in  as  the  result 
of  a  darkened  condition  of  life.  It  is 
better  to  regard  the  pains  and  the  sores 
as  occasioned  by  the  second  bowl  (>"er. 
2).  The  effect  of  the  first  bowl  did  not 
pass  away  when  the  second  plague 
came  upon  them.  These  last  plagues 
are  not  separated  from  each  other  by  a 
distinct  dividing  line,  but  they  are 
cumulative,  each  one  heaped  upon  the 
preceding.  Each  one  added  to  the  pre- 
ceding its  own  distress  and  torment. 
We  cannot,  therefore,  understand  these 
plagues  in  any  literal  way,  nor  can  we 
refer  them  to  distinct  historical  events. 
Jesus  joins  the  gnashing  of  teeth  with 
the  punishment  of  hell,  occasioned 
partly  by  pain  and  by  the  disappoint- 
ment of  their  ho])es  mingled  with  their 
rage.  Meyer  notices  that  these  plagues 
are  more  intense  than  tlie  plagues  in 
the  former  series,  inasmuch  as  each 
one  is  comliined  with  the  preceding. 
In  this  view  the  f(mr  preceding  plagues 
may  be  yet  operative  while  the  fifth  is 
in  progress. 

11.  The  effect  of  the  fifth  plague  is 
the  same  as  in  the  fourth  plague  (ver. 
9).  Heaven.  Inasmuch  as  the  dark- 
ness has  come  upon  them  from  God, 
the  ligiit  being  hidden,  they  reproach 
the   God  of  heaven.    They  recog- 


318 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


their  sores,  and  repeuted  not  of  their 
deeds. 
12  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  liis 
vial  »upou  the  great  river  Euphrates  ; 
band  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up, 
« that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  tlie  east 
might  be  prepared. 


cause  of  their  pains  and  their  sores ; 
and  they  repented  not  of  their  works. 
12  And  the  sixth  poured  out  his  bowl 
upon  the  great  river,  the  Euphrates; 
and  its  water  was  dried  up,  that  the 
\vay  of  the  kings,  who  come  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  might  be  prepared. 


b  Isa.  42  :  15;  Jer.  50  :  38-40  ;  51  : 


Isa.  11  :  11,  12,  16;  Zech.  10  :  6-11. 


nize  the  work  as  the  work  of  God ; 
they  notice  his  might  and  his  holiness, 
but  they  hate  him  and  blaspheme  him. 
They  regard  the  pains  simply  as  pains, 
not  as  the  fruits  of  their  own  sinning. 
J.  A.  Smith  thinks  that  this  vision  has 
reference  to  the  Roman  Antichrist,  the 
papacy.  Fairbairn  thinks  that  the 
comfortless,  ignorant,  deluded,  and  en- 
slaved condition  of  papal  kingdoms 
generally  during  the  dark  ages,  formed 
the  most  extensive  and  striking  exem- 
plification of  the  vision.  It  is  wiser 
not  to  attempt  to  fix  upon  any  definite 
announcement  as  portrayed  in  the 
vision.  It  is  better  to  regard  it  only 
in  a  general  way,  as  a  prophecy  in  out- 
line of  what  may  find  illustration  in 
many  countries  in  many  ages,  but  find- 
ing its  fullest  meaning  in  the  disasters 
upon  the  wicked  in  the  last  periods. 
For  these  plagues  are  the  last  plagues 
(15 ;  1)  which  God  reserves  for  the  last, 
that  he  may,  through  them,  utterly 
break  down  the  power  of  the  ungodly. 
12.  The  s'i.vth  bowl.  And  the  sixth 
angel.  Omit  angel,  as  also  in  ver. 
3,  4,  8,  10.  Great  river  Euphrates, 
rather,  the  great  river,  the  river  Eu- 
phrates. We  have  met  with  this  name 
before  in  9  :  14.  It  had  great  signifi- 
cance for  the  Jewish  people,  for  it  was 
the  dividing  line  between  their  nation 
and  the  formidable  kingdoms  of  Assyria 
and  Babylon.  To  them  it  was  The 
River.  John  notices  in  the  vision  the 
size,  the  location  of  the  river,  and  the 
kings  prepared  to  cross  it.  Hence  he 
recognizes  it  as  the  ri^er  Euphrates. 
It  was  from  the  Euphrates,  in  the  sixth 
trumpet  (a  ;  '''-21),  that  the  countless 
hosts  of  Satan  came  to  destroy  the 
third  of  men.  The  river  was  a  defense 
to  Israel,  preventing  the  irreligion  and 
idolatry  of  the  countries  beyond  from 
flowing  over  and  destroying  the  life  of 
the  chosen  people.  In  this  vision  the 
water  thereof  Avas  dried  up.  The 
purpose  of  this  drying  up  was  that 
.  .  .  prepared,  rather,  that  the  way 


might  be  made  ready  for  the  kings  that 
came  from  the  sun  rising.  Who  are 
these  kings?  whence  came  they?  for 
what  purpose?  Are  they  hostile  to 
Christ  or  friends  of  Christ?  It  is  held 
by  some  that  these  kings  are  friendly 
to  God's  cau.se,  representing  the  con- 
version of  the  Jewish  people  to  Christ. 
This  is  argued  from  the  use  of  the  ex- 
pression stin  rising,  which  ajipears 
also  in  7  :  12  ;  and  from  the  drying  up 
of  the  river,  which  elsewhere,  as  at  the 
Red  Sea  and  Jericho,  was  in  behalf  of 
Israel.  But  it  is  better  to  regard  them 
as  a  part  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  (ver. 
1*)  gathered  together  for  the  mighty 
conflict  against  God.  It  is  in  harmony 
with  the  spirit  of  the  last  plagues, 
which  are  full  of  the  wrath  of  God 
that  brings  destruction  to  the  foes  of 
God.  Nowhere  here  do  we  find  the 
friends  of  God,  but  the  enemies  only. 
The  meaning  of  the  vision  is  that  the 
enemies  of  God  find  nothing  in  their 
way  that  proves  to  be  a  hindrance  to 
them  in  their  march.  The  great  river 
Euphrates  is  to  them  just  as  if  it  were 
dried  up  before  them.  In  days  when 
there  were  almost  no  bridges,  a  great 
river  presented  a  mighty  obstacle  to 
armies.  Almost  all  the  danger  for  cen- 
turies for  the  Israelitish  people  came 
from  beyond  this  river.  Hence  the  dry- 
ing up  of  this  river,  in  vision,  is  seized 
upon  as  a  type  of  the  removal  of  all  hin- 
drances to  the  gathering  together  of 
the  enemies  of  Christ.  These  kings 
come  as  types  of  all  the  forces  from 
every  quarter  to  make  war  upon  Christ's 
cause.  They  come  as  kings  against 
the  one  who  is  in  reality  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords  (is  :  i«).  They 
appear  as  leaders  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  whole  earth,  instruments  of  the 
dragon  and  the  beast,  who  go  to  make 
war,  not  against  Babylon,  but  against 
believers. 

13.  This  verse  reveals  the  means 
employed  by  Satan  and  his  agents  to 
overthrow  God's  cause  on  the  earth. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


319 


13  And  I  saw  three  ■>  unclean  spirits  like  I  13  And  I  saw  coming  out  of  the  mouth  of 
frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  'the  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of 
dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  'the  |       false  prophet,  three uucleau  spirits  like 


d  2  Thess.  2  :  9-11 ;  1  Tim.  4:1-3;  1  John  4  :  1-3. 


e  12  :  3,  9. 


/  19  :! 


They  embrace,  in  reality,  all  that  can 
rise  up  against  Christ  and  his  church. 
John  sees  the  tilings  noted  in  this 
verse  ;  he  hears  nothing,  but  the  mean- 
ing is  plain.  The  three  great  and 
abiding  Ibes  of  Christ  are  the  dragon, 
the  beast,  tlie  false  prophet.  Back  of 
all,  and  first  of  all,  is  the  dragon  stand- 
ing for  Satan.  Satan  is  not  all-power- 
ful or  all-knowing,  h\ii  he  is  revealed 
as  a  being  of  great  power,  full  of  wiles, 
of  great  master-mi  ndedness  and  malice. 
The  beast  is  that  fearful  monster  rising 
out  of  the  sea  with  its  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns  (i!"  =  i).  He  is  the  figure  of 
the  world's  l)usiness  and  power,  the 
world's  governments,  and  the  system 
of  outward  things  that  Satan  can  make 
use  of  to  oppose  Christ.  It  may  be 
worldliness,  tyrannj',  politics,  persecu- 
tion. The  false  prophet  is  the  second 
beast  rising  out  of  the  earth  with  its 
two  horns  (is :  n).  It  is  plausible,  de- 
ceptive, lamblike  in  appearance,  but 
beastlike  in  nature  and  in  alliance. 
It  works  in  behalf  of  the  first  beast. 
It  stands  for  the  education,  the  polish 
and  culture,  the  science  and  knowl- 
edge, the  philosophy  and  sophistry, 
and  especiallj'  for  the  false  conceptions 
of  religion,  the  combination  of  religion 
with  worldliness  and  unspirituality. 
These  three  are  pictures  of  all  that 
Satan  does  by  means  of  all  his  agencies 
in  the  world.  These  are  not  persons, 
not  literal  thing.s,  they  are  pictures  of 
the  great  currents  of  influence  that 
Satan  makes  use  of  to  pervert  Christ's 
true  religion,  and  to  break  down 
Christ's  cause  in  the  world.  Three 
unclean  spirits.  These  do  not  refer 
to  tliree  definitepersons,  as  even  Luther 
thouglit.  They  are  pictures,  in  vision, 
of  all  the  forms  of  Satan's  working, 
especially  toward  the  end.  Satan  stirs 
up  men  to  a  hatred  of  the  truth,  to  a 
distrust  of  God,  to  a  love  for  present 
and  seen  things.  He  tempted  the  first 
parents  to  a  dislike  of  God  on  account 
of  the  limitations  of  life.  This  is  the 
spirit  that  issues  from  Satan's  mouth. 
'The  beast  and  false  prophet  emit  un- 
clean spirits.    The  meaning  is  that  the 


powers  and  forces  of  the  world,  the 
learning  and  science  of  the  world,  the 
seeming  religion  that  is  mainly  out- 
ward, that  is  devoid  of  spiritual  power, 
these  are  Satan's  instruments  for  lead- 
ing people  astray  from  God.  The  un- 
cleauuess  may  not  be  utter  sensuality. 
Satan  may  work  equally  well  through 
a  refined  selfishness,  a  life  that  rests  on 
its  own  righteousness  and  denies  the 
saving  power  of  Christ  (Rom.  lo :  3).  In 
the  New  Testament  we  read  much  of 
unclean  spirits,  demoniacal  beings  at 
work  from  Satan  and  for  Satan,  tortur- 
ing men  (Mark  i  :  25;  s :  ii).  Frogs. 
In  the  Egyptian  plagues  the  frogs  went 
everywhere  (Kxo.i.  s  :  3).  They  were 
regarded  as  unclean,  low,  and  loath- 
some. These  agencies  employed  by 
Satan  are  unclean,  because  they  speak 
against  the  spread  of  God's  holiness  in 
the  world.  The  mouth  from  which  the 
frogs  issue  is  the  symbol  of  persuasion, 
appeal,  reason,  enticement.  Lying 
reasons  will  be  given  for  the  service  of 
Satan  and  opposition  to  God.  All 
three  powers  combine  in  their  last  at- 
tempt. Oratory  and  poetry,  the  fine 
arts  and  paintings,  light,  literature, 
and  the  drama,  per.seeution  and  politics, 
governments  and  business,  all  may  be 
employed  by  Satan  for  his  work.  The 
wonder-working  power  of  science,  the 
pride  of  learning,  the  spirit  of  law- 
lessness and  anarchy,  may  unite  to  lift 
up  the  heart  of  man  against  God  and 
his  rule.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  in 
Chicago  in  the  last  years  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  the  name  of  God  has 
been  eliminated  from  the  school  books, 
so  that  the  young  minds  may  not  l)e 
favorably  impressed  on  the  side  of  God 
in  their  formative  years.  There  is 
needed  but  the  development  of  this 
spirit  to  create  the  reality  of  that  seen 
in  vision  by  John.  Satan  begets  in- 
fidelity; the  beast  puts  man  above 
God  ;  the  false  prophet  teaches  delu- 
sions and  deceptions  in  the  place  of  the 
truth.  Christ  himself  is  the  entire 
truth.  This  is  the  satanic  trinity  over 
against  the  divine  trinity  of  Father, 
Son,  Spirit. 


320 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


14  false  prophet,  e  For  they  are  the  spirits 
of  devils,  h  working  miracles,  ivhich  go 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to 
'the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
Almighty. 


14  frogs;  for  they  are  spirits  of  demons, 
working  signs,  which  go  forth  upon 
the  kings  of  the  whole  habitable  earth, 
to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  the 
great  day  of  God,  the  Almighty. 


g  Ver.  13 ;  1  Kings  22  :  19-23.  ft  13  :  13,  U ;  19  :  20 ;  2  Thess.  2  :  9. 

f  19  :  19 ;  20  :  8 ;  Isa.  31  :  1-8 ;  Zeph.  1  :  14  ;  Zech.  U  :  1-3. 


14,  The  acts  of  the  evil  spirits  are 
announced.      Spirits    .   .   .  devils, 

rather,  spirits  of  demons  working  si^ns. 
As  we  see  the  contest  in  the  world,  it  is 
men  through  wliom  Satan  works.  But 
back  of  the  outward  appearance  and 
forces  are  evil  inlluences,  the  direct 
outcome  of  evil  agencies,  d  e  m  ons. 
The  New  Testament  speaks  elsewhere 
of  signs  wrouglit  by  evil  agencies  in 
behalf  of  falsehood:  "All  power  and 
signs  and  lying  wonders  with  all  de- 
ceivableness  of  unrighteousness"  (2 
Thess.  2  :  9).  They  are  not  real  divine 
signs,  but  lying  wonders ;  just  as  spir- 
itualism is,  in  its  claims,  a  mocking 
imitation  of  Jesus'  revelations  from 
the  unseen  world.  Their  mission  is  to 
go  forth  .  .  .  world,  rather,  to  go 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  whole  world. 
Their  mission  is  like  that  of  the  lying 
spirits  in  1  Kings  22  :  19-22.  Power  is 
lent  them  from  the  satanic  world,  that 
they  may  win  the  hearts  of  men,  blind- 
ing and  deluding  them.  These  bad 
agencies  get  hold  of  the  ruling  forces, 
and  enlist  them  on  the  side  of  evil. 
They  will  not  all  openly  avow  them- 
selves the  allies  of  Satan,  but  under 
deceptive  guises  they  will  work  eti"ect- 
ively  for  him.  Under  the  plea  of 
liberty  there  will  be  the  claimed  license 
for  evil;  the  Lord's  Day  is  changed 
into  a  holiday,  ignoring  its  spiritual 
claims;  purity  is  derided  by  stigma- 
tizing it  as  narrow-mindedness.  A 
materialistic  philosopliy  denying  the 
existence  of  the  soul,  the  future  life, 
the  claims  of  an  eternal  morality  will 
be  a  strong  ally  of  Satan.  Tlie  pur- 
pose of  the  assembling  is  to  .  .  . 
Almighty,  rather,  unto  the  tvar  of  the 
great  day  of  God  the  almighty.  So  the 
Standard  Revised  version,  (comp.  20 : 8.) 
It  is  not  a  battle,  as  though  there  were 
but  a  single  contest,  but  a  war,  a  long- 
continued  struggle,  a  long  contest  be- 
tween the  forces  of  good  and  evil.  This 
contest  may  continue  for  centuries.  It 
has   been   a   prevalent  misconception 


that  the  reference  is  to  a  single  decisive 
battle,  as  it  were.  The  proper  reading 
gives  us,  on  the  one  side,  all  false  views 
of  life,  all  satanic  agencies,  false  re- 
ligions, persecutions,  and  on  the  other 
side  Jesus  Christ,  with  all  his  multi- 
plied agencies  at  work  against  them. 
In  this  contest,  however  long  it  may 
continue,  however  unequal  may  seem 
the  struggle  at  times,  the  only  issue  can 
be  that  of  an  utter  victory  for  the 
Lamb,  the  Son  of  God.  Kings.  This 
term  stands  for  the  leadership  of  the 
forces  against  Christ,  the  organized  op- 
position. Whole  Avorld.  This  shows 
the  world-wide  character  of  the  con- 
flict. It  is  not  limited  to  a  definite 
locality  or  country.  In  all  parts  of  the 
world  there  will  be  an  outbreak  of  sin, 
men  making  war  upon  God's  cause, 
upon  the  church,  the  holy  ordinances, 
the  Bible,  the  Lord's  Day,  the  su- 
premacy of  Christ,  the  spirituality  of 
Christ's  religion.  That  great  day 
is  another  designation  for  the  last 
period  of  the  world's  history,  approach- 
ing the  day  of  final  judgment.  It  is  a 
time  when  God  will  so  overwhelm 
wrong-doers,  and  will  so  manifest  his 
own  power,  that  the  period  will  be 
known  as  his  day.  In  like  manner 
that  time  when  Satan  seemed  to  have 
the  supremacy  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
when  Jesus  was  under  the  power  of 
death,  was  called  "  your  hour  and  the 
power  of  darkness"  (Luke  22 :  6S).  Often- 
times, now,  the  age  seems  to  be  under 
the  power  of  Satan ;  but,  in  that  period, 
it  will  be  seen  by  all  to  be  the  great 
day  of  the  almighty  God.  For  this 
day  all  other  days  were  made. 

i5.  This  verse  is  parenthetical,  in- 
troduced as  a  word  of  counsel  and  ap- 
peal to  the  saints.  It  is  in  reality  the 
voice  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  leader  and 
shepherd  of  his  people,  though  spoken 
by  John.  The  coming  referred  to  is 
the  second  final  personal  appearance  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Many  preparatory 
comings  have    been    noticed,   but  all 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


321 


15  *  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  '  Blessed 
is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his 
garments,  lest  he  wallc  uaked,  and 
they  see  his  shame. 

16  ""And  he  gathered  them  together 
iuto  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  "  Armageddon. 


\'i  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Happy  is 
he  that  watches,  and  keeps  his  gar- 
ments, that  he  may  not  walk  naked 
and  they  see  his  shame. 

10  And  they  gathered  them  into  the 
place  which  is  called  iu  Hebrew,  Har- 
Magedou. 

m  19  :  19 ;  Ezek.  39  :  17  ;  Joel  3  :  9-U. 


I  Luke  n  :  39,  40. 

n  Judg.  5  :  19;  2  Kings  23  :  29,  30;  Zech.  12  :  11. 


were  anticipatory  and  preparatory  to 
this.  Thief.  This  term  suggests  sud- 
denness ou  his  part  and  unprepared- 
uess  on  their  part.  To  the  ungodly, 
confident  of  victory,  "  the  coming  will 
be  as  sudden  and  unexpected  as  it  will 
be  unwelcome."  To  the  Christian 
also,  in  this  day,  when  the  forces  of 
evil  are  so  outspoken  and  defiant,  there 
might  naturally  be  a  faint-heartedness 
as  to  his  coming.  He  may  come  soon  ; 
his  coming  will  be  at  any  time,  unex- 
pected (Matt.  24  :  43  ;  2  Peter  3  :  10).    Shame. 

The  figure  is  that  of  a  man  with  his 
clothing  on,  so  that  if  the  thief  should 
come  the  man  will  be  girded  for  meet- 
ing him,  prepared  for  his  coming.  The 
Christian  must  always  be  clothed  upon 
with  the  garments  of  pardon,  the  jus- 
tified life,  a  daily  sanctification  that 
will  issue  in  holiness  in  the  life  to 
come.  Having  put  on  Christ  at  conver- 
sion and  in  his  baptism,  he  must  walk 
after  Christ  («»'.  3  :  S7).  The  shame 
does  not  mean  an  utter  loss  of  the  soul, 
but  denotes  a  certain  loss  of  standing. 
Having  heard  the  voice  of  the  Captain 
of  their  salvation  (ueb.  2 :  lo),  the  hearts 
of  the  saints  must  be  full  of  confidence 
and  peace.  Above  the  din  of  the  con- 
flict, the  raging  of  the  sea  of  human 
passions  and  hatreds,  is  the  voice  of 
Jesus,  "Peace,  be  still."  There  arises 
the  assurance  of  ultimate,  certain, 
abiding  triumph. 

16.  He  gathered  them,  rather, 
they  gather  them.  The  reference  is  to 
three  unclean  spirits  at  work  in  the 
hearts  of  men.  They  meet  at  Arma- 
geddon, rather,  Har-3Iagedon.  The 
place  of  the  conflict  is  mentioned,  but 
the  description  of  the  contest  does  not 
occur  until  19  :  19-21.  This  is  in  ac- 
cord with  the  structure  of  the  book  ;  it 
is  needful  to  know  the  entire  book  in 
order  to  understand  definite  parts.  We 
are  told  that  it  is  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  that  it  is  called  by  this  name. 
We  are  invited,  therefore,  to  think 
either  of  the  meaning  of  the  word  it- 


self, its  etymological  meaning,  or  its 
association  with  the  events  of  Hebrew 
history.  Har  means  mountain ;  Ma- 
gedon  is  that  extensive  plain  in  the 
central  part  of  Palestine,  the  plain  of 
Esdraelun.  Here  took  place  that  de- 
cisive conflict  between  the  Canaaiiites_ 
on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Israelites* 
under  Deborah  and  Barak  on  the  other. 
The  victory  here  gave  rise  to  the  tri- 
umphant song  of  Deborah  (Judg-  5 :  ly). 
Here  the  enemies  of  God's  people  were 
completely  routed.  It  was  to  thein  a 
synonym  of  triumph,  the  discomfiture 
of  their  foes.  Its  remembrance  w  as  to 
them  an  inspiration  in  the  dark  hours 
of  their  national  life.  Here  also,  iu 
later  years,  the  people  of  Israel  w  ere 
overcome  in  a  conflict  with  the  Egyp- 
tians, when  Josiah,  their  pious  leader, 
was  slain  (2  Kings  23  :  29).  This  defeat 
is  spoken  of  in  the  lamentation  given 
in  2  Chrou.  35  :  25.  The  prophet  Zech- 
ariah  also  alludes  to  it  in  his  prophecy 
(12  :  9).  The  reference  here  cannot  be 
to  this  disastrous  conflict  when  Josiah 
fell,  for  this  meant  disaster.  The  refer- 
ence must  be  to  the  first  struggle  men- 
tioned, when  the  national  life  was  pre- 
served and  the  nation's  enemies  were 
utterly  defeated.  To  the  Hebrew  mind 
Megiddo,  in  the  days  of  Deborah,  was 
the  symbol  of  victory.  It  is  so  used 
in  this  place.  The  three  unclean  spi  rits 
gather  their  forces  together  in  a  spir- 
itual plain  of  Megiddo.  Through  tlieir 
deceptive  words  the  assembled  kings 
confidently  hope  for  a  triumph.  But,  in 
in  God's  purpo.se,  it  is  to  be  to  them  what 
it  was  in  the  olden  days  of  their  hi.story. 
John,  in  his  early  Galilean  life,  lived 
in  sigiitof  the  plain  and  the  mountains 
of  Megi<ldo.  From  his  home  he  could 
see  the  sun  resting  on  these  mountain- 
tops.  In  the  vision  he  sees  these  same 
mountain-tops.  He  recognizes  them 
as  the  familiar  sights  of  liis  Galilean 
life.  It  is  to  this  definite  place  the 
enemies  of  God  are  led  and  the  con- 
flict is  joined.    Into  a  place  called, 


322 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


17  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  I  17  And  the  seventh  poured  out  his  bowl 
his  vial  into  tlie  air;  and  there  came  on  the  air;  and  there  came  forth  a 
"  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  |       great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  from 


o  Isa.  66  :  6. 


rather,  into  the  place  u'kich  is  called. 
John  seeing  the  mountain  in  vision, 
knowing  who  God  is  in  his  great  power, 
remembering  the  incidents  of  Hebrew 
history,  sees  that  the  issue  must  of 
necessity  be  a  signal  victory  for  the 
Lamb.  In  the  fulfilment  of  the  his- 
tory no  definite  place  in  Palestine,  or 
elsewhere,  is  thought  of.  Everything 
is  used  in  its  symbolic  sense.  The 
term  Euphrates  does  not  mean  the 
river  of  that  name.  If  the  river  of 
that  name  had  entirely  disappeared  in 
the  days  of  John,  or  if  it  were  to  dis- 
appear in  our  days,  the  projihecy  would 
lose  none  of  its  force.  It  is  used  in  its 
symbolic  meaning,  that  of  the  barrier 
that  separated  the  Israelitish  people 
from  the  countless  numbers  and  irre- 
sistible might  of  the  heathen  peoples 
living  on  the  other  side.  Jehoshaphat 
means  "  Jehovah  judges."  When  the 
prophet  Joel  mentions  that  the  nations 
will  be  gathered  together  in  the  valley 
of  Jehoshaphat,  it  is  not  meant  that 
they  will  be  literally  a.ssembled  here 
(3:2).  It  has  the  broader  meaning 
that  Jehovah  will  gather  the  nations 
together  and  judge  them.  The  literal 
meaning  disappears  in  the  larger  and 
symbolic  meaning.  In  like  manner 
here  the  term  Har-Magedon  means  that 
in  the  final  and  long-continued  conflict 
between  the  powers  of  tlie  Lamb  and 
of  Satan,  the  issue  must  be  favorable 
to  the  cause  of  Christ.  In  this  figura- 
tive way  it  is  announced  that  another 
song,  like  that  of  Deborah,  may  be 
sung  when  the  conflict  is  over.  AVc 
have  in  our  language  a  phrase  of 
.similar  import,  "  It  will  be  a  Waterloo 
for  them,"  meaning  tliereby  that  an 
overwhelming  defeat  will  be  theirs. 
Har-Magedon  means  a  spiritual  Water- 
loo for  Satan.  Similarly  Swete  :  "  Me- 
giddo  fitly  symbolizes  the  world-wide 
distress  of  the  nations  at  the  over- 
throw of  their  kings  in  the  final 
war." 

17-21.  The  seventh  bowl. 

17.  The  seventh  angel.  Omit 
angel.  This  bowl  is  emptied,  not 
upon  any  definite  object,  as  in  the  six 


preceding  bowls,  but  into  the  air, 

rather,  upon.  Some  take  this  term  as 
a  metaphorical  description  of  the  king- 
dom of  Satan,  inasmuch  as  Satan  is 
called  the  prince  of  tlie  power  of  the 
air  (Kiih.  2:2).  If  this  were  so,  the 
meaning  would  not  vary  much  from 
the  teaching  of  the  fifth  bowl,  which 
was  emptied  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast 
(ver.  10).  The  term  air  is  made  use  of, 
not  because  of  any  supposed  connection 
between  the  air  and  evil  spirits,  but 
with  reference  to  the  air  as  that  region 
on  which  the  earth  immediately  de- 
pends for  life,  the  region  from  which 
descends,  in  ordinary  times,  the  most 
blessed  and  genial  influences,  but  from 
Avhich,  when  things  are  disarranged, 
come  the  most  severe  disturbances, 
fraught  with  ills  of  all  kinds,  dangers, 
and  death.  As  God  has  already  loucheu 
with  his  blighting  power  the  §arth,  in 
its  land  and  sea  and  springs,  and  the 
sun  above,  there  remains  only  one  ele- 
ment essential  to  life  and  happiness 
that  is  untouched,  the  air  about  them. 
The  sea  has  become  a  festering  mass  of 
blood,  the  sun  burns  them,  the  springs 
are  blood,  now  the  air  they  breathe  is 
touched,  and  becomes  a  curse  to  them. 
Everything  about  them  becomes  their 
enemy,  just  as  if  the  all-embracing  air 
were  changed  into  a  source  of  ill  to 
them.  They  lean  on  earth  and  sun  and 
air  for  their  very  life,  and  they  all,  in 
turn,  like  serpents,  sting  them.  It  is 
a  striking  and  feaiful  picture  of  the 
encompassing  elements  of  every  kind 
turning  against  them.  Everything 
that  makes  up  life,  friendship,  social 
ties,  business  relations,  political  asso- 
ciations, all  become  hurtful  to  them. 
Straightway  came  a  great  voice 
out  of  .  .  .  throne,  rather,  out 
of  the  temple,  from  the  throne.  The 
voice  is  that  of  God  speaking.  It  is 
the  great  voice  of  Ciod ;  it  is  from 
the  temple  where  God  dwells;  it  is 
from  the  throtte  on  which  God  sits.  It 
was  God  who,  at  the  beginning  (>«.  i), 
gave  the  command  to  the  seven  angels. 
Fittingly  now  lie  speaks  wlien  they 
have  done  his  work.    The  utterance  is, 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVEL7VTION 


323 


heaven,  from  the  throne,  saying,  rit 
is  done. 
18  And  1  there  were  voices,  and  tlum- 
ders,  and  liglitnings;  'and  tiiere  was 
a  great  earllaqualwe,  "such  as  was  not 
since  men  were  upon  the  cartli,  so 
mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great. 


18  the  throne,  saying.  It  is  done.  And 
there  were  lightnings,  and  voices,  and 
tlumders;  and  there  was  a  great  eartli- 
quake,  such  as  was  not  since  there 
were  men  ou  the  earth,  so  mighty  an 


p  21  :  6  ;  Ezek.  39  :  8  ;  Dan.  12  :  7-13. 


J  8:5;  11  :  19. 


11  :  13;  Isa.  29: 


«  Dan.  12  :  I. 


It  is  done.  This  does  not  mean  I 
merely  that  the  seven  angels  have  ac- 
complished what  was  put  upon  them  ; 
that  would  assuredly  he  unworthy  the 
announcement  by  God  himself.  Rather 
it  means,  the  consummation  of  all 
things  has  now  come,  the  end  has  been 
reached,  the  fulness  of  God's  wrath 
has  been  poured  out.  It  is  the  distinct 
announcement  that  the  warfare  and 
plans  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet,  have  come  to  an  end, 
final  and  irreversible.  It  is  the  finish- 
ing of  the  mystery  of  God  spoken  of  in 
10  :  7.  When  Jesus  came  to  the  close 
of  his  life,  he  said,  "It  is  finished," 
meaning  not  simply  that  his  life  was 
ended,  but  that  his  work  of  expiation, 
his  plans  involving  the  reconciliation 
of  the  human  race,  his  complete 
manifestation  of  God,  these  were  now 
finished.  In  like  manner  the  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  the  ungodly  world 
have  now  come  to  a  close. 

18.  The  eSects  of  the  plague  on  the 
air  are  now  seen.  Through  the  dis- 
turbances in  the  air  come  naturally 
thunderings,  storms,  cyclones,  destruc- 
tion. Instead  of  being  balmy  and  life- 
giving,  the  air  has  become  a  source  of 
alarm  and  peril  to  men.  Voices  .  .  . 
lightnings,  rather,  lightnings,  and 
voices,  and  thunders.  Toward  the  con- 
clusion of  the  series  of  the  seals  there 
was  an  earthquake,  and  nature  had 
great  convulsions  («:  12-15).  Toward 
the  conclusion  of  the  series  of  the 
trumpets  also  was  an  earthquake  (n  : 
13).  Here  for  a  third  time,  in  the  series 
of  the  bowls,  are  great  convulsions  in 
nature,  symbols  and  prophecies  of  great 
convulsions  in  the  real  world  where 
man  lives,  the  intellectual,  moral, 
social,  and  spiritual  worlds.  Tiiat 
these  visions  may  receive  a  real  fnltil- 
ment  it  is  not  needful  to  think  that 
there  will  be  any  actual  convulsions  in 
the  material  world.  Everything  is 
seen  in  vision,  is  a  picture  of  some  real 
thing  that  shall  come  to  pass.  Through 


the  thunders  and  heavingsof  the  stable 
earth,  the  shaking  of  things  seemingly 
immovable,  John  sees  tliat  great  de- 
structions and  convulsions  will  take 
place,  aftecting  man  on  every  side. 
Great  systems  of  unbelief  will  crumble 
and  fall ;  great  falsehoods  will  be  seen 
to  be  untruths  ;  great  delusions  will  lose 
their  hold  on  men  ;  great  agencies  for 
wickedness  will  give  way  before  God's 
spiritual  revelations  of  himself.  In 
11  :  19,  when  the  seventh  trumpet 
sounded,  there  were  like  destructive 
forces  in  nature  and  an  earthquake. 
But  as  is  seen  in  this  entire  series, 
when  contrasted  with  the  series  of  the 
trumpets,  the  effects  here  are  more 
serious  and  complete  in  their  results. 
Emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  earthquake. 
Great  earthquake  ...  great, 
rather,  great  earthquake,  such  as  was 
not  since  there  were  men  upon  the  earth, 
so  great  an  earthquake,  so  mighty.  In 
11  :  13,  at  the  resurrection  of  the  wit- 
nesses, before  the  seventh  trumpet 
sounded,  an  earthquake  shook  the  city 
and  one-tenth  fell,  and  many  were 
V)rought  to  repentance.  Here,  at  a 
later  period,  the  entire  city,  represent- 
ing the  organized  opposition  to  God, 
falls.  There  have  been  many  convul- 
sions in  the  histoiy  of  the  race,  when 
the  forces  organized  against  Christ 
have  met  with  disasters.  The  wide 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  the  Kef- 
ormation,  the  growth  of  the  mission- 
ary enterprise,  the  enlarged  desires 
for  the  training  of  the  young,  all  these 
might  be  fittingly  portrayed  as  earth- 
quakes whereby  Satan's  kingdom  was 
weakened.  The  future  has  in  store 
yet  mightier  movements  for  righteous- 
ness, and  mightier  judgments  for 
wickedness.  It  has  been  noted  that 
this  scene  of  judgment  is  described  in 
a  sevenfold  way,  therel>y  indicating  its 
completeness  and  finality.  We  iiave 
(1)  the  lightnings  and  voices  and  thun- 
ders; (2)  a  great  earthquake;  (3)  the 
great  city  destroyed;  (4)  the  cities  of 


324 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


19  And  tthe  great  city  was  divided  into 
three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  na- 
tious  fell:  and  "great  Babylon  ^came 
in  remembrance  before  God,  y  to  give 
unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the 
fierceness  of  his  wrath. 

20  And  ^  every  island  tied  away,  and 


19  earthquake,  so  great.  And  the  great 
city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and 
the  cities  of  the  nations  fell ;  and  Bab- 
ylon the  great  was  remembered  before 
God,  to  give  to  her  the  cup  of  the  wine 

20  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath.  And 
every  island  fled  away,  and  mountains 


:  5.  y  U:10;  Isa.  51  :  17-23  ;  Jer.  25  :  15,  16 ;  51  :  6,  etc. 

z  6:  14;  Isa.  2  :  14-17. 


the  nations  foil ;  (.5)  Babylon  the  great 
is  rememliered ;  (6)  every  island  flees 
away  ;  (7)  a  great  hailstorm.  Every- 
thing tends  to  heighten  the  sublimity 
of  the  last  scenes  of  judgment. 

19.  The  great  city  is  the  symbol 
of  the  organized  and  concentrated  op- 
position to  God.  The  city,  as  opposed 
to  the  country,  is  the  center  of  a  highly 
complex  organized  society,  fertile  in 
resources  and  power,  where  botli  good- 
ness and  badness  reach  a  full  develop- 
ment. Cities  have  always  been  the 
centers  of  the  world's  civilization  and 
power;  men  flocked  to  them.  The 
great  cities  dominated  the  great  world 
empires.  Rome  was,  in  reality,  the 
Eoman  Empire.  Nineveh  and  Bab- 
ylon summed  up  in  themselves  the 
Assyrian  and  Babylonian  empires.  In 
this  verse  and  in  the  following  chap- 
ters the  city  appears  as  Babylon.  The 
overthrow,  here  mentioned,  is  given  in 
detail  in  these  chapters.  In  the  Old 
Testament  Jerusalem  is  the  symbol  of 
God's  kingdom,  "the  city  beautiful 
for  situation."  Mount  Zion  stands  for 
the  heavenly  life.  To  enter  into  the 
hill  of  the  Lord  is  a  symbol  of  entrance 
into  the  after  blessed  life  (ps.  i5  :  i). 
The  position  occupied  by  Babylon,  in 
history,  as  a  great  opposing  force,  ma- 
king war  upon  the  chosen  people,crush- 
ing  them  and  taking  them  into  captiv- 
ity, this,  in  the  corresponding  spiritual 
sphere,  is  occupied  by  the  organized 
wickedness  of  the  Christian  era.  T/ie 
great  city  stands  here  as  the  synonym 
of  whatever  is  opposed  to  God — wick- 
edness, disbelief,  unbelief,  sensuality, 
apostasy,  embracing  all  who  are,  in 
reality,  hostile  to  Chri.st.  Three 
parts.  This  does  not  mean  that  one- 
third  of  the  city  fell,  but  that  it  Avas 
broken  up  into  parts,  disorganized, 
and  thrown  into  confusion,  and  thus 
more  effectually  destroyed.  The  entire 
city,  in  all  its  three  parts,  falls.  In 
this  respect  it  differs  from  the  judgment 


in  11  :  13,  where  one-tenth  of  the  city 
fell.     Cities  of  the  uations.     As 

Babylon,  regarded  as  the  center  of  the 
world's  heathenism  and  opposition  to 
God,  fell,  so  in  like  manner  all  the 
forces  and  powers  in  subordination  to 
it  and  in  affiliation  with  it,  fell.  Just 
as  in  actual  war  the  fall  of  a  capital 
city,  like  Babylon,  involves  the  fall  of 
all  the  allied  places  in  the  empire,  so 
here  the  fall  of  the  central  stronghold 
of  the  opposition  to  God  involves  the 
fall  of  every  affiliated  agency.  In  this 
way  it  is  set  forth,  under  the  figure  of 
a  military  campaign,  that  the  organ- 
ized kingdom  of  Satan  in  the  world 
will  be  utterly  overthrown  from  its 
center  to  its  circumference.  There  is 
a  beastlike  power  in  the  world,  hav- 
ing a  throne  (is :  2),  making  war  on 
the  saints  (is :  ');  this  beast,  this  Bab- 
ylon is  to  be  overthrown.  And  great 
.  .  .  God,  rather,  and  Babylon  the 
great  was  remembered  in  the  sight  of 
God.  This  expression  sums  up  the 
preceding  statement.  The  great  city, 
Babylon,  comes  before  God,  to  make 
use  of  a  luiman  expression,  for  a  visita- 
tion of  judgment.  For  a  time,  even 
for  centuries,  it  seems  that  God  has  no 
holy  remembrance  ;  there  comes  a  time, 
as  here,  when  God's  holy  nature  asserts 
itself.  This  passage  is  also  an  antici- 
patory statement  of  what  will  fill  up 
chapters  XVII  and  XVIII.  The  cup 
has  been  already  introduced  in  14  :  10 ; 
the  wrath  of  God  is  severe,  as  shown 
by  the  term  fierceness. 

20.  The  figure  is  now  changed  from 
tliat  of  a  fierce  armed  contest  to  that 
of  convulsions  in  nature.  Every 
island  .  .  .  found.  As  in  the 
sixth  seal  (« ;  u),  everything  in  nature 
seems  to  be  rushing  to  destruction. 
The  fixed  landmarks,  islands  and 
mountains  disapi>ear.  If  i.slands  were 
actually  swallowed  up  by  the  ocean,  if 
mountain  ranges  were  to  disappear, 
we  would  naturally  think  that  nature 


Ch.  XVI.] 


REVELATION 


325 


21  the  mountains  were  not  found.  •And 
there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of 
heaven,  every  stone  about  tlie  weight  of 
a  talent:  aud  ^meu  blasplieiued  Go<l 
because  of  "the  plague  of  the  hail; 
for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding 
great. 


21  were  not  found.  And  great  hail,  as  of 
a  talent's  weight,  comes  down  out  of 
heaven  on  men  ;  and  men  blasphemed 
God  on  account  of  the  plague  of  the 
hail ;  because  its  plague  is  exceeding 
great. 


a  8:  7;  11  :  19;  Josh.  10:  11. 


c  Exod.  9  :  23-25. 


was  giving  way  and  a  universal  ruin 
was  impending.  Convulsions  in  the 
business,  political,  social,  and  moral 
worlds,  under  God's  direction,  would 
in  like  manner  compel  the  thought 
that  a  new  era  wa.s  impending,  the  old 
systems  giving  way  under  the  power 
of  God's  judgments.  It  does  not  at  all 
follow  that  when  God's  severest  judg- 
ments come,  aud  organized  wicked- 
ness breaks  down,  that  any  physical 
changes  such  as  are  here  described 
will  take  place.  We  are  dwelling  in 
this  book  in  the  domain,  not  of  the 

Ehysical  world  and  material  forces, 
ut  in  the  spiritual  world.  The  forces 
that  are  meant  are  the  spiritual  agen- 
cies under  God's  control  and  guidance. 
21.  And  .  .  .  talent,  rather,  And 
great  hail,  every  stone  about  the  weight 
of  a  talent,  comefh  down  out  of  heaven 
upon  men.  From  the  air,  touched 
with  the  plague  (ver.  n),  comes  this 
great  storm  of  hail.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, hail  is  frequently  the  symbol  of 
severe  afflictions,  calamities,  misfor- 
tunes. We  find  allusions  to  hail  in 
Isa.  30  :  30  ;  Ezek.  13  :  11.  "  Thus  a 
great  hail  became  the  symbol  of  divine 
wrath  against  the  foes  of  Israel  (comp. 

I8».  38:2:    Ezek.  38  :  22)  "  (SWETE).    An  au- 

cient  writer,  Diodorus  Siculus,  speaks 
of  hailstones  being  incredibly  great 
that  were  only  one-sixtieth  the  size  of 
a  talent.  A  talent  weighs  about  fifty 
pounds.  Joseph  us  speaks  of  stones 
thrown  by  the  Roman  catapults  weigh- 
ing a  talent,  very  destructive  in  their 
effects.  The  figure  here  is  of  the 
strongest  kind,  hailstones  of  such  a 
nature  as  would  destroy  all  vegetation, 
trees,  the  material  civilization,  life 
itself.  Everything  is  on  a  vast  scale ; 
what  God  does,  whether  in  mercy  or 
punishment,  is  done  in  a  godlike  way. 
God,  at  times,  has  helped  his  cause  by 
storms,  nature  thus  helping  the  super- 
natural (Josh.  10  : 1-10).  In  time  to  come 
there  will  be  great  convulsions  in  na- 
ture, spoken  of  by  Jesus  (M«tt.  21 :  29). 


Those  not  struck  l)y  the  hail,  did  not 
repent,  but  blasphemed  God.  Re- 
pentance, instant  and  complete,  ought 
to  have  been  theirs;  but,  as  revealing 
the  utter  hardness  of  heart,  they  re- 
proach God.  Nothing  can  show  more 
plainly  the  utter  aud  fixed  hardness  of 
the  heart  than  this  ;•  punishment  only 
hardens  the  heart  the  more.  The  hail 
fell  ui^on  men,  a  term  used  here  in  a 
bad  sense,  meaning  persons  whose  por- 
tion is  in  this  life,  men  of  an  earthly 
nature.  Milton  describes  Satan  and 
the  spirits  of  the  lost  as  growing  more 
hard  and  bitter  in  heart,  surrounded 
by  the  fires  of  hell.  This  is  not  poetry 
or  exaggeration,  but  is  in  accord  with 
the  Scripture  teachings  and  with  human 
experience.  For  an  unlike  scene,  see 
11  :  13.  When  hail  came  upon  the 
land  of  Egypt,  God  drew  a  dividing 
line  between  his  friends  and  his  foes  so 
that  no  hail  fell  upon  the  Israelites 
(Exod.  9  :  26).  God  knows  how  to  keep 
his  own,  both  in  this  life  and  in  the 
next. 

Note  1.  The  meaning  of  Har- 
Magedon.  Many  fanciful  notions 
have  been  entertained  concerning  the 
conflict  that  takes  place  at  Har-Mage- 
don.  It  has  been  conjectured  by  many 
that  this  vision  predicts  and  portends 
an  actual  armed  conflict  in  days  to 
come,  at  some  definite  locality.  Many 
have  connected  this  conflict  in  some 
way  with  Mohammedanism,  inasmuch 
as  the  historical  place  mentioned  is  in 
the  domain  of  the  Turkish  Empire. 
Others  have  located  the  scene  of  this 
conflict  in  our  own  countrj',  and  in 
some  definite  part  of  it.  But  all 
thoughts  of  an  armed  conflict  must  be 
utterly  dismissed  from  the  mind,  either 
in  the  plain  of  E.sdraelon  or  elsewhere. 

Megiddo  or  Magedon  was  situated  six 
miles  from  Carmel,  at  the  southwestern 
edge  of  the  great  central  plain  of 
Palestine,  the  present  Leijun.  Conder 
places  it  at  the  present  Mejedda,  ten 


326 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVI. 


miles  from  Jenin.  This  plain  has  been 
one  of  the  great  battlefields  of  the 
world ;  here  empires  rose  and  fell. 
Stanley  calls  it  the  great  battlefield  of 
Palestine.  Here  armies  from  the  days 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  to  Napoleon  met 
each  other  in  conflict.  Near  this  plain 
also  was  the  larger  part  of  our  Lord's 
earthly  ministry.  Here  on  this  plain 
took  place  four  critical  events  in  He- 
bz'ew  history.  Here  took  place  the 
great  victory  of  Barak  over  the  Ca- 
naanites  (Juflg.  *.  s);  the  victory  of 
Gideon  over  the  Midianites  (Judg.  7). 
Here  also  came  two  great  disasters — 
the  death  of  Saul  (i  sam.  si  :  s),  and  the 
death  of  Josiah  {'f  Kings  23  :  29).  As  na- 
tions long  keep  in  memory  the  places 
associated  with  critical  periods  of  the 
national  life,  Megiddo  became  inter- 
woven with  the  successes  of  Barak  and 
Gideon.  When  John  sees  in  vision 
the  well-known  features  of  Megiddo 
with  the  associated  mountaiuj  notices 
the  assembling  groups  of  hostile  kings 
gathered  from  all  quarters,  gathered 
to  assail  and  overcome  the  Redeemer 
and  his  cause,  he  instinctively  asso- 
ciates with  the  scene  the  impending 
victory.  Here  at  Megiddo  will  appear 
a  divine  Barak,  a  divine  Gideon.  An 
entirely  new  and  enlarged  conception 
is  given  to  this  vision  and  its  teachings 
by  the  disijlacing  of  the  term  battle  by 
the  term  war.  It  is  not  a  definite, 
short,  decisive  action  that  is  here 
spoken  of,  but  a  long-continued  strug- 
gle, denominated  a  war.  On  the  one 
side  are  the  three  allied  forces  of  the 
dragon,  the  beast,  the  false  prophet. 
They  are  summoned  by  the  three  un- 
clean spirits  that  proceed  out  of  the 
mouths  of  the  three  great  foes.  These 
foes  are  not  material  and  physical,  but 
moral,  intellectual,  spiritual ;  they  pro- 
ceed out  of  the  mouth.  Here  gathered 
together  are  all  kinds  of  wickedness, 
uncleanness,  sensuality ;  the  forces  of 
the  great  world  powers  with  their  at- 
tractiveness and  persecution,  worldli- 
ness,  unbelief,  disbelief;  learning  with 
its  false  philosophies,  outward  forms  of 
religion,  ritualism,  claiming  a  magical 
power,  new  forms  of  deception  —  all 
these  combine  against  the  Redeemer 
and  his  cause.  In  the  closing  days  of 
the  nineteenth  century  assaults  were 
made  on  the  Christian  system  under 
the  guise  of  science.     Atheistic  views 


of  evolution  and  materialism,  a  view 
of  nature  that  admits  of  no  super- 
naturalism,  have  blinded  the  minds  of 
many.     False   systems  of  philosophy, 

E  an  theism,  mingling  God  with  nature, 
ave  led  others  astray. 
This  conflict  is  world-wide  in  its 
range.  There  is  no  place  or  age  where 
Satan  does  not  stir  up  enmity  against 
the  cause  of  Christ.  This  vision  is, 
therefore,  only  a  figurative  way  of  de- 
claring that  Satan  will  make  a  supreme 
and  world-wide  etfort  to  destroy  the 
power  of  Christ,  making  use  of  all 
agencies.  What  we  have  yet  seen  of 
the  virulence  of  his  attacks,  the  de- 
ceptive agencies  employed,  may  be  as 
nothing  to  what  will  be  revealed.  The 
hearts  of  men  sometimes  fail  them  for 
fear;  they  put  forth  their  hands  to 
steady  the  ark.  But  with  Jesus  Christ 
is  victory  in  the  end.  Nothing  can 
withstand  the  truth  and  the  power  of 
Christ.  He  is  life  itself;  he  is  the 
truth  itself ;  he  has  all  power  in  heaven 
and  on  earth.  When  the  smoke  and 
din  of  the  conflict  are  over,  it  will  be 
seen  that  Christ  reigns  supreme,  and 
that  his  enemies  are  under  his  feet. 
In  this  book  the  familiar  names  of 
Babylon,  Jerusalem,  Euphrates, 
Sodom,  Egypt,  Megiddo  are  not  used 
in  their  physical  sense,  but  as  standing 
for  certain  well-known  moral  concep- 
tions. We  misuse  the  teaching  of  the 
book  to  make  it  teach  history  or  geog- 
raphy. This  vision  teaches  (1)  a 
world-wide  conflict  between  the  forces 
of  Christ  and  Satan;  (2)  a  contest  in 
nature  like  that  which  took  place  at 
Megiddo  in  the  Old  Testament  times ; 
(3)  a  struggle  growing  in  intensity  as 
the  ages  go  on  ;  (4)  a  struggle  that  ends 
in  a  complete  and  final  victory  for 
Christ.  It  is,  therefore,  in  correspond- 
ence with  the  New  Testament  teach- 
ing everywhere  that  there  comes  a  time 
when  He  whose  right  it  is  to  reign  will 
reign  in  acknowledged  supremacy. 

"  The  fancy  of  Guiikel  that  the  refer- 
ence is  not  to  Megiddo,  but  to  an  old 
myth,  though  accepted  by  Bousset  and 
by  Cheyne  (JE'hc.  Bibl.,  I.  c.)  does  not 
merit  serious  consideration  "  (SWETE). 

Note  2.  Meaning  of  the  seven 
BOWLS.  The  series  of  the  bowls  con- 
stitutes the  last  of  the  three  great  series 
that  makeup,  with  their  accompanying 


Ch.  XVI.] 


KEVELATION 


327 


and  supplementary  visions,  this  entire 
book.  In  some  respects  they  resemble 
the  other  series.  This  series  has  re- 
semblances to  the  otliers:  (1)  in  the 
number  of  the  visions — seven.  This 
indicates  a  completeness  in  the  series; 

(2)  in  the  division  into  two  groups,  a 
group  of  four  and  a  second  group  of 
three.  The  dividing  line  is  very 
marked  in  all  three  series;  (3)  the 
visions  have  a  continuing  eS'ect.  The 
first  bowl  does  not  exhaust  all  its 
effects  before  the  second  begins.  In 
the  sixth  bowl  the  sores  of  a  preceding 
bowl  are  noticeable.  It  is  perhaps 
true  in  all  the  series  that  the  results  of 
each  vision  continue  into  the  next, 
and  pexhaps  through  all  the  succeeding 
visions. 

There  are  dissimilarities  between  this 
series  and  the  preceding  series.  This 
is  noticed  (1)  in  the  growing  intensity 
of  the  plagues  here  mentioned  in  con- 
trast with  the  penalties  in  the  trum- 
pets. In  the  trumpets  only  one-third 
of  the  sea,  the  waters,  and  the  trees 
were  touched.  Here  the  entire  sea 
and  all  the  springs  become  blood. 
This  entireuess  of  the  plague  is  brought 
out  in  a  marked  manner.  (2)  These 
are  the  last  plagues.  Others  were  in- 
itiatory, these  are  the  last  in  order  of 
time.     They  introduce  the  final  stage. 

(3)  The  pouring  out  of  the  bowls  takes 
place  in  the  most  speedy  and  con- 
tinuous manner.  There  are  no  breaks 
in  the  procedure.  It  is  as  if  God  were 
now  in  haste  to  break  down  all  oppo- 
sition. 

(4)  No  saving  or  regenerating  char- 
acter rests  in  these  last  plagues.  The 
only  effect  is  to  aggravate  the  hardness 
and  bitterness  of  the  heart.  In  other 
parts  of  the  book,  at  an  earlier  stage, 
sufferings  at  times  brought  thoughtful- 
uess  and  repentance,  (see  ii  :  is.)  in 
this  series  penalties  lead  to  blasphemy. 
(5)  These  plagues  have  in  them  many 
reminiscences  of  the  ten  plagues  in 
Egypt.  At  that  time  Jehovah  and 
Pharaoh  were  in  conflict.  Jeliovah 
was  bent  on  bringing  out  his  people 
into  a  land  of  promise.  At  this  period, 
God  is  about  to  break  down  the  latter- 
day  Pharaohs  of  every  kind.  Hence 
he  makes  use  of  his  plagues  to  crush 
opposition.  In  this  case,  as  in  that, 
only  hardness  of  heart  resulted.  The 
second  and  third  plagues  remind  us  of 


the  first  plague  in  Egypt.  The  first 
plague  here  reminds  us  of  tiie  sixth 
plague  in  Egypt.  The  entire  chapter 
is  full  of  expressed  and  implied  allu- 
sions to  the  Old  Testament  times. 

Fittingly  these  plagues  are  contained, 
not  in  vials,  but  in  broad,  open  bowls 
from  which  the  contents  may  be 
emptied  entire  at  once.  The  two  fol- 
lowing chaj)ters  belong,  in  reality,  to 
this  series,  inasmuch  as  tliey  are  but 
the  full  explanation  of  the  nature  and 
destruction  of  Babylon  mentioned  in 
ver.  19.  Nothing  is  more  impossible 
than  to  interpret  ihesc  plagues  literally, 
or  to  attempt  to  liiid  in  the  records  of 
history  the  definite  events  to  which  they 
refer.  If  they  are  uiiderstood  as  giving 
general  princij)les  of  the  divine  gov- 
ernment they  are  exceedingly  valuable 
and  luminous  with  lessons  of  warning 
and  guidauce  for  the  church. 


Practical  Remarks. 

1.  It  is  in  great  mercy  that  God  re- 
strains his  wrath  that  men  may  repent. 
An  instant  and  full  punishment  would 
mean  a  universal  destruction.  God's 
poured-out  wrath  means  a  judgment  be- 
gun. The  emptied  bowl  of  God's  wrath 
means  an  utter  destruction  and  hope- 
lessness (ver.  1). 

2.  The  angels  obey  at  once.  Prompt- 
ness in  service  is  a  secret  of  the  angelic 
service.  We  pray  tbat  God's  will  may  be 
done  on  earth  as  in  heaven.  The  prayer 
answered  means  whole-hearteduess,  glad- 
ness, and  unhesitating  service  (ver.  2). 

3.  The  mark  of  the  beast,  at  times, 
brings  outward  prosperity  and  enjoyment. 
The  wicked  often  prosper  in  worldly 
affairs  (Ps.  73  : 1-6).  But  God  will,  in  the 
end,  make  a  dividing  line  between  the 
pious  and  the  ungodly.  Wickedness  will 
be  seen  to  he  ungodliness  and  loathsome- 
ness (ver.  2). 

4.  Even  the  men  punished  will  ac- 
knowledge God's  justice.  The  eyes  of 
all  will  be  opened  so  that  they  see  their 
own  character  as  in  God's  sight,  and  will 
confess  his  goodness  and  righteousness 
(ver.  5). 

5.  There  will  be  a  congruity  between  a 
man's  character  and  his  surroundings  in 
the  after  existence.    The  basis  of  judg- 


328 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVII. 


meat  is  worthiness,  not  caprice  or  mere 
power  on  God's  part  (ver.  6). 

6.  Sometimes  God  delays  and  men  mis- 
understand him  (6  :  10).  When  God 
speaks  and  acts,  in  a  final  way,  his  truth 
and  righteousness  are  manifest  (ver.  7). 

7.  The  sources  of  blessings  may  be  turned 
into  a  curse.  The  avenues  of  enjoyment 
may  become  highways  of  sorrow.  The 
memory  that  may  miui.ster  highest  pleas- 
ure, may  be  full  of  stings  for  the  soul,  the 
sense  of  lost  opportunities,  of  blighted 
lives,  of  possibilities  that  cannot  be 
realized  (ver.  8). 

8.  Punishment  and  pain  will  not,  in 
themselves,  work  out  repentance.  Pun- 
ishment, if  there  is  an  ugly  and  impeni- 
tent heart,  will  create  additional  bitter- 
ness against  God.  There  is  a  tremendous 
power  in  the  human  will  whereby  God's 
goodness  and  God's  punishments  work 
out  results  contrary  to  the  design  of  these 
agencies  (ver.  9). 

9.  Evil  is  sometimes  concentrated  in 
men  and  in  places.  Men  become  the  will- 
ing servants  of  Satan  led  captive  by  him 
(Acts  13  :  10).  Places  may  be  full  of 
Satan's  power  (2  :  13).  Hell  is  that  place 
where  God's  loving-kindness  is  not  found. 
Heaven  is  full  of  God's  presence  and  glory 
(ver.  10, 11). 

10.  Moral  uucleanness  is  the  worst  un- 
cleanness.  Every  age  will  have  its  special 
form,  defiling  the  heart  and  opposing  God. 
Politics,  learning,  position  in  social  life, 
business,  may  be  set  apart  as  consecrated 
or  may  be  satanic  (ver.  13). 

11.  Satan  has  many  delusions  at  work 
in  the  world  to  deceive  men.  It  requires 
wisdom  to  distinguish  between  the  truth 
of  God  and  Satan's  lies.  We  must  test 
every  spirit  by  the  Scriptures  and  by  its 
attitude  toward  Christ  (ver.  14 ;  1  John 
4:1). 

12.  Because  Christ  will  come  in  a  sudden 
and  unexpected  way,  every  one  should 
be  found  watching.  The  believer  cannot 
be  surprised,  for  he  abides  in  Christ.  The 
attitude  of  the  Christian  and  the  church 
must  be,  "Even  .so,  come.  Lord  Jesus" 
(ver.  W;  22  :  20). 

13.  How  many  soever  there  be  of  God's 
enemies,  their  cause  cannot  prosper.  Or- 
ganized wickedness  must  go  down  be- 
cause God  is  God.    He  can  make  use  of 


the  locust,  the  wind,  and  all  agencies 
to  work  out  his  purpose.  Sometimes 
God's  saints  are  discouraged  because 
they  cannot  see  all  God's  assembled 
forces  (ver.  16). 

14.  God's  plans  come  to  a  completion. 
He  leaves  nothing  unfinished,  either  of 
blessedness  for  his  people  or  penalty  for 
his  obdurate  enemies.  His  plans  reach 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  Human 
history  stretches  through  long  periods, 
but  there  comes  a  time  when  another  stage 
begins  (ver.  17). 

15.  Sometimes  events  ripen  slowly,  and 
ages  pass  between  a  promise  and  a  fulfil- 
ment. At  other  times  moral  movements 
go  with  great  rapidity.  Moral  earth- 
quakes can  shatter  bad  institutions  in  a 
moment.  It  is  right  to  pray  that  God 
will  hasten  the  coming  of  his  kingdom 
and  the  breaking  down  of  wickedness 
(ver.  18). 

16.  God  cannot  forget  anything,  for 
memory  is  an  essential  part  of  God's  na- 
ture. If  God  remembers  unforgiveu  sin, 
this  means  a  constant  punishment.  If 
God  remembers  a  faithful  life  and  deeds 
of  righteousness,  this  means  a  blessed 
after  life  (ver.  19 ;  Heb.  6  :  10). 

17.  When  God  rises  up  in  judgment 
nothing  can  stand  before  him.  Every 
sinful  thing  will  flee  from  his  presence  of 
its  own  accord.  Good  people  and  good 
institutions  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
God.  To  them  he  will  say,  "Come,  ye 
blessed  "  (ver.  20). 

18.  God  can  surround  his  people  as 
with  a  wall  of  fire,  so  that  nothing  can 
harm  them.  In  this  life  he  makes  his 
sun  shine  on  the  just  and  the  unjust. 
In  the  days  of  moral  separation  he  will 
discriminate  between  the  holy  and  the 
unholy  (ver.  21). 


Section  8.  Chap.  XVII-XIX  :  10. 
Destruction  of  the  haelot  and 
Babylon.  This  section  is  explanatory 
of  references  in  the  preceding  section. 
In  the  series  of  the  bowls  ("  :  8)  an 
angel  announced,  "Babylon  is  fallen, 
Babylon  is  fallen."  In  16  :  19  it  was 
stated  that  God  had  called  Babylon 
into  remembrance,  implying  that  it 
was  now  God's  plan  to  punish  her.  In 
this  section  we  have  a  full  treatment 


Ch.  XVII.] 


KEVELATION 


329 


The  harlot  sitting  on  the  beast.  Exposition 
of  the  virion. 

17  AND  there  came  ''one  of  the  seven 
angels  which  had  the  seven  vials,  and 
talKed  with  me,  saying  unto  me,  Come 
hither;   «I  will  show  unto  thee    the 


17  AND  there  came  one  of  the  seven 
angels  who  had  the  seven  bowls,  and 
spoke  with  me,  saying,  Come  hither,  I 


d  16  :  1 ;  21  :  9. 


e  16  :  19 ;  18  :  16-19 ;  Isa.  50,  51. 


of  Babylon  itself.  No  passage  in  the  i 
Bible  is  more  graphic  than  that  of  tlie 
destruction  of  this  great  city  in  chap. 
XVIII.  Three  figures  come  before  us 
in  this  section,  the  beast,  the  unclean 
woman,  Babylon. 

This  woman  ia  a  Babylon,  a  great 
and  corrupt  city,  an  oppressor  of  God's 
people,  debauching  nations  by  her  idol- 
atries and  her  commerce.  In  order 
that  he  maj-  present  the  magnitude  of 
the  corrupt  forces  that  wear  the  name 
of  Christ  in  an  unworthy  way,  tlieir 
magnificence,  their  seeming  impreg- 
nability, their  power  over  many  na- 
tions, their  seductions,  he  changes 
from  the  figure  of  the  woman  burned 
in  the  fire  to  that  of  the  destruction  of 
a  great  city,  the  smoke  of  whose  con- 
flagration may  be  seen  from  afar.  John 
presents  the  faithful  church  of  Christ 
under  three  aspects,  the  figure  of  a 
woman  dwelling  apart  (chap.  xii)^a  bride 
adorned  for  lier  husband  (chap,  xix)^ 
the  holy  city  descending  out  of  heaven 
from  God  (21  ■  12).  He  presents  also  the 
unfaithful  under  three  aspects.  This 
element  is  represented  as  "the  great 
city  ";  that  is,  an  unholy  Jerusalem  (n  ■• 
8).  In  17  :  1  it  is  represented  under 
the  figure  of  a  harlot.  In  chap.  XVIII 
it  is  portrayed  under  the  figure  of  a 
great  and  mighty  Babylon  that  is 
arrayed  against  Jesus  Christ.  Against 
the  unclean  woman,  against  the  mighty 
Babylon  is  the  power  of  the  gospel, 
the  unseen  Lamb  that  through  many 
agencies  makes  war  upon  them  and 
overcomes  them  (n  :  u).  The  section 
extends  to  the  time  of  the  closing  of 
the  age. 

One  topic  only,  that  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Babylon,  mentioned  in  14  :  8 ; 
16  :  19,  fills  up  this  portion  of  the  book. 
It  is  something  vastly  important  in 
itself,  and  in  relation  to  the  general 
plan  of  the  book,  because  it  occupies 
so  much  space,  and  it  amplifies  so 
largely  w-hat  has  already  been  men- 
tioned iu  a  conci.se  way.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  impressive  portions  of  the 


book,  presenting,  in  a  graphic  way, 
the  strong  opposition  to  Christ,  the 
means  of  its  overthrow,  the  rejoicing 
on  the  part  of  the  church  at  its  down- 
fall. This  section  forms  a  part  of  the 
series  of  the  bowls  because  it  is  only 
the  explanation  of  what  is  given  in 
16  :  10.  From  chap.  XII  onward  there 
are  presented  first  the  dragon,  an  in- 
carnation, as  it  were,  of  Satan  ;  then 
the  beast,  the  secular  world  power ; 
then  the  false  prophet,  working  for  the 
beast.  In  the  inverse  order  we  have 
the  judgments  of  God  upon  them,  one 
by  one.  We  have  fir.st  the  destruction 
of  the  combined  beast  and  the  fal.se 
prophet,  here  represented  in  the  main 
by  the  unclean  woman.  Then,  finally, 
in  chap.  XX,  we  have  the  destruction 
of  Satan  himself. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  vision  of  Babylon  the 
Great.  In  this  chapter  we  have  two 
main  thoughts.  We  have  first  the 
vision  of  Babylon  under  the  form  of  a 
drunken  harlot  sitting  on  a  beast, 
fearful  in  appearance,  and  controlling 
it.  We  have  secondly,  the  explanation 
of  the  mystery  of  the  bea.st  and  of  the 
woman  by  the  angel.  We  are  left, 
therefore,  not  to  a  human  guessing, 
but  have  a  divine  certitude. 

1-6.  Babylon  is  portrayed 

UNDER  the  figure  OF  A  DRUNKEN 
HARLOT  UPON  A  BEAST. 

1.  And  ...  vials,  rather,  bowls. 
We  are  not  informed  which  one  of  the 
seven  angels  spoke  to  John.  It  is 
pr()l)able  that  it  was  the  seventh,  in- 
asmuch as  it  was  this  one  that  an- 
nounced the  fall  of  Babylon  (is  :  i9). 
The  words  Come  hither  do  not  in- 
dicate any  change  of  place  by  John, 
but  there  is  a  change  in  the  vision  so 
that  it  was  as  if  John  had  gone  into  a 
different  locality.  In  ver.  .3  it  is  said 
that  he  went  "in  spirit"  into  the  wil- 
derness. Who  is  meant  by  the  woman 
will  be  discussed  afterward  in  the  ex- 


330 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XVII. 


judgment  of   fthe  great  whore  sthat 

2  sitteth  upon  many  waters  ;  i"  with  whom 
the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication,  and  "the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  have  been  made  drunlc  with 
the  wine  of  her  fornication. 

3  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit 


will  show  thee  the  judgment  of  the 
great  harlot,  that  sits  on  many  waters ; 
with  wliom  tlie  kings  of  the  earth  com- 
mitted fornication,  and  those  who 
dwell  in  the  earth  were  made  drunken 
with  the  wine  of  lier  fornication.  And 
lie  carried  me  away  in  the  Spirit  into  a 


/  Ver.  4,5;  19  :  2  ;  Isa.  23  :  17  ;  Nahum  3:4.  g  Ver.  15 ;  Jer.  51  :  13.  h  18  : 

i  14  :  8 ;  18  :  3  ;  Jer.  51  :  7. 


planationsas  well  as  in  a  note.  Judg- 
ment .  •  .  whore,  rather,  harlot. 
The  term  harlot  is  in  complete  con- 
trast with  the  figure  of  the  woman 
clothed  in  splendor  in  12  :  1,  and  with 
the  woman  dressed  in  white,  the  Lamb's 
wife,  in  19  :  7,  8.  The  harlot  is  after- 
ward seen  to  be  Babylon  (ver.  5),  but  in 
a  mystical,  figurative  sense.  The  term 
indicates  moral  uncleanness;  a  .spirit- 
ual fornication  involving  idolatry.  In 
three  places  the  term  is  applied  to 
heathen  cities.  The  prevailing  mean- 
ing of  the  term  is  that  of  alienation 
from  the  true  God  and  his  worship. 

(.See    Isa.    1  :  21  ;     Jer.    2   :  20  ;     Ezek.    16  :  15.) 

Waters.  This  term  is  explained  in 
ver.  15,  as  referring  to  peoples,  and 
multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues ; 
that  is,  to  the  entire  world  indicated 
here  by  the  use  of  this  fourfold  ex- 
pression. The  sitting  indicates  the 
authority  and  dominion  possessed  by 
her.  The  figure  itself  is  taken  from 
Jer.  51  :  13.  In  a  figurative  Avay  this 
is  the  declaration  that  the  woman  ex- 
ercises a  world-wide  power  over  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  not  a  civil  domina- 
tion, but  a  corrupt  religious  control. 
This  Scripture  figure  involves  the  ele- 
ments of  hostility  to  God,  and  also 
portrays  an  extensive  exercise  of  power 
over  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

2.  This  verse  introduces  two  features 
of  the  woman,  she  is  vile  in  character 
and  also  drunken.  Kings  of  the 
earth.  The  woman,  on  her  part,  ex- 
hibits uncleanness  of  character,  and 
seduces,  by  her  attractions,  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  The  civil  and  political 
powers  of  the  eartli  are  represented  as 
in  alliance  with,  and  under  the  con- 
trol of,  a  false  religious  spirit.  The 
term  fornication  must  be  used  here 
as  embracing  what  is  false  and  per- 
nicious in  religion.  There  may  be  a 
real  idolatry  when  there  is  no  outward 
idol.  The  more  spiritual  an  idolatry 
may  be,   the    more    specious  and   se- 


ductive it  will  be  over  intelligent 
minds.  The  woman  is  the  tempter, 
leading  the  nations  into  the  support  of 
a  false  worship.  Exemplifications  can 
be  found  everywhere  of  nations  as 
.'iuch  using  their  power  for  impurity 
in  teaching  and  worship.  For  ages 
the  truth  of  God,  as  found  in  the 
Scriptures,  was  completely  suppressed, 
so  far  as  the  outward  expression  was 
concerned,  by  the  political  power  stand- 
ing in  the  defense  of  the  error.  Not 
only  kings,  but  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth,  rather,  they  that  dwell  in 
the  earth,  are  made  drunk,  enticed 
by  the  harlot  with  her  false  teachings. 
This  passage  reveals  a  world-wide  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  the  ungodly, 
so  that  they  are  turned  from  the  truth. 
It  is  just  as  if  they  were  made  actually 
drunken,  and  then  while  drunken, 
■seduced  into  wickedness.  There  is  an 
intoxication,  a  delirium  that  comes 
from  sin.  In  their  wild  earnestness 
the  priests  of  Baal  cut  themselves  (i 
Kings  18  :  28).  Those  who  siu  are  beside 
themselves  (i'«ke  is  :  i') ;  the  opening 
of  the  eyes  of  the  soul  is  the  beginning 

of  the   godly  life   (Acts  26  :  18). 

3.  He.  This  refers  to  the  an^el. 
In  the  spirit.  The  Revised  version 
renders  in  the  Spirit,  meaning  thereby 
the  Holy  Spirit.  We  have  had  the 
same  expression  in  1  :  10,  "I  was  in 
the  Spirit,"  where  the  reference  is  un- 
doubtedly to  the  Holy  Spirit  as  that 
element  under  whose  guidance  the 
entire  book  is  given.  Here  the  thought 
is  different.  It  is  not  meant  that  Joliii 
sees  this  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  but 
that,  without  any  actual  physical 
change,  in  the  domain  of  his  spiritual 
nature,  through  his  mental  imagery 
he  sees  the  following  vision.  The 
vision  takes  a  new  direction ;  he  is 
transported,  as  it  were,  into  a  new 
locality.  The  term  spirit  is  used  in 
this  sense  in  21  :  10;  the  same  thought 
is  expressed  in  other  terms  in  2  Cor, 


Ch.  XVII. ] 


REVELATION 


331 


*into  the  wilderness:  and  I  saw  'a 
woman  sit  upou  a  scarlet  coloured 
beast,  full  of  ™  names  of  blasphemy, 
"having  seven  beads  and  ten  horns. 


wilderness.  And  I  saw  a  woman  sit- 
ting on  a  scarlet  beast,  names  full  of 
blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and 


kl2:6,  U. 


I  Ver.  18 ;  12  :  S. 


n  Ter.  9,  12. 


12  :  2.  Into  the  Avilderness.  Tlie 
Revised  version  translates  into  a  wilder- 
ness, inasmuch  as  the  article  is  omitted. 
It  is  an  open  question  whether  the 
article  should  not  be  inserted  in  the 
translation,  as  Alford  maintains,  on 
grammatical  grounds.  We  had  in 
12  :  6  a  reference  to  a  wilderness  into 
w^hicli  the  woman  fled.  If  the  refer- 
ence is  to  that  wilderness,  it  should  be 
rendered  with  the  article  even  if  it 
were  not  expressed.  The  term  wilder- 
ness reveals  the  judgment  that  is  im- 
pending on  Babylon.  Instead  of  being 
a  center  of  trade,  of  pomp,  of  glory, 
the  center  of  the  world's  power,  the 
city  with  a  crown  on  its  head,  it  is 
portrayed  as  a  wilderness,  a  place  de- 
serted and  lonely.  The  fate  that  has 
come  on  the  Old  Testament  Babylon 
whereby  it  is  now  only  a  heap  of  ruins, 
its  magnificence  changed  into  unsightly 
mounds,  is  that  same  fate  that  will 
come  on  its  New  Testament  namesake, 
the  cause  that  uplifts  itself  against 
Jesus.  By  a  prophetic  foresight  John 
sees  the  coming  desolation,  and  in  this 
manner  indicates  it  in  vision.  He  sees 
in  his  vision  a  woman,  a  beast,  a  wilder- 
ness. Each  word  is  a  prophecy.  The 
woman  is  fully  described  in  the  follow- 
ing verse.  The  beast  is  here  described 
as  to  its  color,  a  scarlet  color ;  as  to 
its  character,  full  of  names  of 
blasphemy ;  as  to  its  appearance, 
having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns  ;  as  to  its  nature,  a  beast. 
As  to  this  beast  the  question  arises 
whether  this  is  the  same  beast  as  that 
described  in  13  :  1,  2.  That  it  is  tiie 
same  beast  is  evident  from  the  follow- 
ing considerations :  (1)  It  has  the  same 
number  of  heads  and  horns.  The  gen- 
eral impression  on  the  mind  is  that  of 
siimeness.  (2)  Here,  as  there,  the  beast 
has  upon  it  the  name  of  blasphemy. 
This  name  is  expressed  in  the  one  case 
upon  the  heads ;  in  the  other  upon  the 
entire  body.  The  beast,  by  its  revealed 
and  open  character,  is  antagonistic  to 
God.  Every  one  looking  upon  it  sees 
the  term  blasphemy.  (3)  The  same 
attitude  is  exhibited  in  13  :  17;   19: 


19,  that  of  hostility  to  the  Lamb  and 
his  cause.  It  makes  war  upon  him 
that  sits  on  the  horse  ;  tliat  is,  the  Ke- 
deemer.  (comp.  n  ;  u  with  i9  ;  20.)  (4) 
Tlie  beast  in  13  :  11  has  a  close  fellow- 
ship vi'ith  the  second  beast,  lamblike 
in  ajjpcarance  and  working  miracles, 
called  also  the  false  prophet,  and  joined 
wuth  this  beast  in  destruction  in  chap. 
XIX.  It  may  be  regarded  as  settled  that 
this  beast  is  the  one  that  appears  in  13  : 
1,  2.  There  are  diSerences  in  descrip- 
tion between  the  two,  but  not  atiecting 
(heir  identity.  (1)  In  13  :  1  the  beast 
has  ten  horns  and  seven  heads;  here 
the  order  is  reversed,  the  beast  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  In  13  :  1 
the  attention  is  called  first  naturally  to 
the  ten  horns,  because  they  emerge 
first  from  the  sea.  When  seen  in  open 
vision,  the  beast  standing  before  us, 
not  in  its  origin,  but  in  its  complete- 
ness, the  first  sight  naturally  is  of  the 
heads.  Admitting  their  sameness,  the 
dill'erence  as  to  the  point  of  view  is 
easily  explained.  (2 )  In  13  : 1  the  heads 
bear  the  name  of  blasphemy ;  here  the 
entire  body  is  covered  with  names  of 
blasphemy.  In  this  is  no  conflict.  It 
is  not  declared,  in  the  first  vision,  that 
the  body  is  not  covered  with  blasphe- 
mous titles,  but  only  that  the  heads, 
W'hen  first  seen,  w'ere  thus  covered.  It 
might  also  be  that  in  the  development 
of  the  beast,  in  subsequent  ages,  the 
hostility  and  lilasphemous  nature  might 
be  more  fully  developed  and  revealed. 
In  this  case  the  two  visions  would  ex- 
hibit the  beast  in  different  stages  of  its 
work.  (3)  The  composite  character  of 
the  beast  is  expressed  in  13  :  2,  but  not 
here.  But  the  omission  here  of  the 
composite  nature  does  not  involve  the 
assertion  of  their  unlikeness;  it  may 
be  composite,  though  not  definitely 
expressed.  (4)  The  color  of  tlie  beast 
in  chap.  XIII  is  not  stated,  tho-igh  the 
dragon  conferring  on  the  beast  liis  own 
power  is  fiery  red  in  color  (!■■'  :  ').  We 
might,  tlierefore,  infer  that  the  beast 
in  chap.  XIII  would  have  this  color. 
The  color  of  this  l^east  is  scarlet,  akin 
to  the  red,   having  the  color  of  the 


332 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVII. 


4  And  the  woman  » was  arrayed  in  pur- 
ple and  scarlet  colour,  Pand  dected 
with  gold  and  precious  stones  and 
pearls,  « having  a  golden  cup  in  her 
hand  f  full  of  abominations  and  lilthi- 

5  ness  of  her  fornication :  » and  upon 
her    forehead    was   a   name    written. 


4  ten  horns.  Andthe  woman  was  clothed 
in  purple  and  scarlet,  and  gilded  with 
gold  and  precious  stone  and  pearls, 
having  in  her  hand  a  golden  cup,  full 
of  abominations  and  the  impurities  of 

5  her  fornication,  and  on  her  forehead  a 


0  18  :  12,  16. 


p  Dan.  11  : 


q  18: 
<  Isa.  3  :  S 


3 ;  Jer.  51  :  7. 
Jer.  3  :  3. 


r  14:8;  Isa.  47  ;  57  :  3-10. 


blood  shed  by  the  woman  and  the 
beast  jointly.  Scarlet  was  the  color  of 
the  imperial  power  of  Rome.  With- 
out affirming  that  the  beast  represents 
Borne,  iu  any  form,  it  may  be  suggested 
to  John,  inasmuch  as  everywhere  in 
the  world  Rome  was  the  world's  great 
and  governing  power,  that  this  beast 
has  an  imperial  power  akin  to  that  of 
Rome.  It  is  dressed  in  its  imperial 
scarlet,  having  its  wide  sway.  It  is 
full  of  names  of  blasphemy ;  the  body 
is  covered  with  them,  signifying  that 
its  entire  nature  is  irreligious.  It  is 
full  of  the  assumption  of  the  divine 
prerogative ;  it  claims  an  alliance  with 
God  in  its  nature,  acts,  and  power. 
The  term  blasphemy  involves  a  claim 
to  act  in  the  divine  name.  The  Caesars 
of  Rome  were  regarded  as  divine 
beings.  Men  like  Caligula  and  Nero, 
monsters  in  iniquity,  were  deified  by 
the  State  religion.  In  English  history 
men  of  unclean  lives,  like  James  II  and 
Henry  VIII,  were  called  defenders  of 
the  faith.  The  beast,  with  its  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  the  terms  seven 
and  ten  indicating  a  completeness  in 
conception  and  power,  stands  as  the 
representative  of  the  worldly  power  in 
any  and  every  age.  It  embraces  As- 
syria, Babylon,  Egypt,  Rome,  and 
powers  yet  unborn  when  John  wrote. 
It  is  a  figure  of  all  worldly  powers  by 
whatever  name  called,  wherever  sit- 
uated. This  subject  will  be  further 
discussed  iu  the  after  vei'ses.  The 
angel  acts  as  an  expositor  in  ver.  7-12. 
4.  Following  the  description  of  the 
beast  we  have  the  description  of  the 
woman.  The  woman  sits  upon  the 
beast.  In  ver.  7  the  beast  carries  the 
woman.  The  thought  here  is  that  the 
woman  occupies  her  place  on  the  beast 
as  a  throne.  She  controls  it  and  makes 
use  of  it  to  carry  out  her  will.  Purple 
and  scarlet.  In  the  most  gorgeous 
robes,  attractive,  significant  of  Oriental 
luxury  and  of  imperial  position,  she 


sits  on  her  throne.  It  is  held  by  some 
that  the  reference  is  direct  to  the  papal 
church,  with  its  cardinals  and  popes 
clothed  iu  purple  and  scarlet.  With- 
out any  doubt  the  church  of  Rome  has 
often  exhibited  the  character  of  this 
woman  clothed  in  scarlet,  but  we  must 
not  limit  the  large  and  universal  teach- 
ing here  to  that  definite  object.  All 
that  is  meant  here  is  that  she  is  clothed 
in  the  highly  colored  robes  of  an  un- 
clean woman.  The  impure  woman  of 
to-day  decks  herself  in  gaudy,  attrac- 
tive attire ;  in  like  manner  this  figura- 
tively unclean  woman  of  the  vision. 
She  makes  claim  to  occupy  a  high 
position,  she  asserts  her  wealth  and 
social  standing.  There  is  the  claim  to 
sovereignty.  This  woman  is  utterly 
unlike  the  woman,  the  bride  of  Christ, 
clothed  in  the  simplicity  and  purity  of 
white  (19:8).  As  a  rule  the  vile 
woman,  seeking  to  allure  others  from 
the  life  of  purity,  will  be  clothed  in  a 
deceitful  splendor.  Peter  counsels  the 
Christian  woman  to  be  modest  in  attire, 
to  be  decked  with  moral  beauty  rather 
than  with  jewels  (i  Peter  3  :  s,  4).  She 
has  in  her  hand  a  golden  cup  .  .  . 
fornication.  She  seduces  Avith  her 
enticements,  presented  in  a  most  at- 
tractive way,  in  a  golden  cup.  AVithin 
it  is  full  of  that  which  morally  in- 
toxicates, leading  astray  from  God. 
Outwardly  beautiful,  the  woman  and 
her  teachings  are  filthiness  in  God's 
sight.  The  enticement  is  to  idolatry, 
to  false  conceptions  of  religion,  to  the 
vices  that  naturally  follow  wrong  con- 
ceptions of  life. 

5.  The  inner  nature  of  the  woman, 
the  essence  of  her  being,  is  brought  out 
iu  this  verse.  Forehead,  name 
written.  Seneca  and  Juvenal,  Boman 
writers  of  the  finst  century,  declare  that 
it  was  the  custom  of  the  harlot  to  mark 
upon  the  forehead  the  manner  of  her 
life.  The  saints  of  God  are  marked 
with  the  seal  of  God  ('  :  s ;  u -.  1),    The 


Ch.  XVII.] 


REVELATION 


333 


'Mystery,  "Babylon  the  Great,  »the 
mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of 
the  earth. 
6  And  I  saw  J  the  woman  drunken 
•  with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  witli 
the  blood  of  "the  martyrs  of  Jesus: 
and  when  I  saw  her,  >>  I  wondered  with 
great  admiration. 


name  written,  MYSTERY,  BABYLON 
TlIK  CKICAT,  THE  MOTHER  Of  THE 
HAKI-OTS  AND  OF  THE  ABOMINA- 
TIOiNS  OF  THE  EARTH. 
G  And  1  saw  the  woman  drunken  with 
the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus ;  and  I 
wondered  when  I  saw  her,  with  great 


t  2  Thess.  2:7.  «  U  :  8.  i  18  :  9 ;  19  :  2;  Nahuni  S  :  4.  y  18  :  24. 

z  13  :  15 ;  16  :  6 ;  Ps.  79  :  2,  3.  a  6  :  9,  10.  5  Pa.  73  :  12,  16. 


worshiper  of  the  beast  had  a  mark 
upon  the  forehead  (is  :  i,  e ;  is  :  20).  In 
neither  case  was  there  any  actual  mark 
as  though  it  were  a  pliysical  marking. 
It  is  a  figurative  way  of  saying  tliat 
the  inner  character  and  the  outward 
life  correspond,  that  God  knows  who 
are  his,  that  Satan  has  his  recognized 
followers.  The  high  priest  had  upon 
the  forehead  a  plate  with  the  inscrip- 
tion, "Holiness  to  the  Lord"  (E-tod. 
28  :  36).  lu  vision  John  sees  the 
woman,  upon  the  forehead  stands  an 
inscription,  Mystery  ...  earth. 
It  is  a  question  whether  the  term 
mystery  is  to  be  taken  as  a  part  of 
the  name,  as  Alford  maintains,  or  that 
it  is  to  be  understood  as  the  key  to  the 
interpretation  of  the  words  following; 
that  they  are  to  be  taken  in  a  figurative 
sense,  not  in  a  plain,  literal  way.  The 
latter  supposition  is  the  more  probable. 
It  is  scarcely  probable  that  the  name 
itself  would  be  declared,  in  this  open 
way,  to  be  unreal.  The  term  mystery 
has  the  same  meaning  as  "  spiritually  " 
in  11  :  8.  Some  would  limit  the  \vords 
upon  the  forehead  to  Babylon  the 
Great,  regarding  the  other  words  as 
explanatory  of  that  term,  and  as  God's 
interpretation  of  what  the  woman 
really  is.  We  have  this  shorter  form 
used  in  14 : 8 ;  16 :  19.  The  term  mystery 
occurs  four  times  in  this  book,  three  of 
whicli  refer  to  Babylon  (10  : 7 ;  n  :  5,  7); 
one  refers  to  the  seven  churches  (1 :  20). 
The  woman  is  called  liahylon  the 
Great,  because  she  occupies  tlie  .same 
position  in  the  world  that  Ba!)ylon,  as 
a  city,  occupied  in  its  day  in  relation 
to  God  and  his  cause.  A  city  like 
Babylon  was  in  reality  the  entire  em- 
pire ;  its  customs,  luxuries,  idolatries, 
sensualities,  were  copied  everywhere. 
Resembling  her  is  this  woman,  the 
mother  of  harlots.  Not  simply 
is  slie  a  harlot,  but  .she  is  a  bearer 
of  harlots  and  'of  moral  abomina- 


tions. She  occupies  a  commanding 
first  place  in  the  world  of  unclean ness, 
and  leads  others  astray.  Her  own 
claims  are  that  she  is  a  religious  teach- 
er ;  but  utterly  apart  from  this  is  God's 
revealed  opinion  staniped  on  the  fore- 
head, that  she  is  vile  in  character,  re- 
joicing in  iniquity,  and  causing  others 
to  sin. 

6.  Her  attitude  toward  the  church 
is  here  exhibited.  It  is  as  if  she  had 
killed  the  witnesses  of  Jesus,  and  in 
her  fury  had  drunk  the  blood ;  or  it 
may  refer  to  the  fuiy  kindled  in  her, 
the  sight  of  the  blood  leading  to  a 
frenzy  of  heart,  and  causing  additional 
bloodshed.  Saints.  This  term  ex- 
presses the  holiness  of  the  people  killed. 
Because  they  were  saints  they  became 
martyrs  ;  that  is,  witnesses  for  Jesus, 
who  counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto 
them.  Both  terms  represent  the  same 
persons  in  different  relations.  The 
killed  belong  to  the  church  of  Christ. 
Wondered  . . .  admiration,  rather, 
iconder.  John  is  full  of  amazement. 
What  causes  the  wonder?  Several 
motives  doubtless  co-operate.  It  would 
be  a  matter  of  sui-prise  to  see  the  alli- 
ance of  a  woman  with  a  beast,  and  the 
l)east  under  her  control.  That  a  beast 
.should  kill  and  destroy  would  be 
natural,  but  that  the  woman  should 
have  a  bea.stlike  nature  would,  at  the 
first  sight,  seem  unnatural.  It  would 
be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  see  in  the 
wilderness  a  woman  engaged  in  this 
work.  Before  this,  in  vision,  he  had 
seen  a  woman  in  the  wilderness  (12 : 6) 
representing  God's  cause  on  the  earth, 
and  under  God's  protection  wliile  there. 
Does  the  woman  in  this  wilderness 
bear  any  relation  to  the  first  woman 
seen  in  the  wilderness  ?  Has  the  church 
of  Christ  become  a  seemingly  corrupt 
tiling?  Is  there  an  organization  call- 
ing itself  Christian,  bearing  this  hal- 
lowed name,  that  is  in  reality  against 


334 


REVELATION 


[Cn.  XVII. 


7  And  the  angel  saifl  unto  me,  Where- 
fore didst  thou  marvel?  I  will  tell 
thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and 
of  the  beast  that  carrieth  her,  which 
hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  iiorns. 

8  "  The  tji'ust  that  thou  sawest  was,  and 
is  not;  and  ''shall  ascend  out  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  and  «go  into  perdition  : 


7  wonder.  And  the  angel  said  to  me. 
Why  didst  thou  wonder?  I  will  tell 
thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of 
the  beast  that  carries  her,  which  has 
the  seven   heads  and  the  ten  horns. 

8  The  beast  that  thou  sawest  was,  and  is 
not,  and  is  about  to  come  up  out  of  the 
abyss,  and  to  go  into  perdition ;  and 


c  13  :  1-11. 


d  11  :7. 


e  Ver.  II ;  13  :  10 ;  18 ;  Dan.  7  :  11 ;  11  :  36,  45 ;  2  Tbesa.  2  :  3-8. 


Jesus,  killing  liis  servants?  In  12  :  ti 
the  woman  stands  for  Christ's  cause  on 
the  earth  ;  here  tiie  woman  stands  for 
the  bitter  foe  of  Christ's  cause.  The 
angel  notes  tiie  per))lexity  in  his  face. 
It  ought  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
men  and  angels  that  any  one  should  be 
against  God,  openly  or  secretly ;  that 
any  one  should  oppose  the  work  of 
Jesus  and  kill  the  servants  of  Jesus. 
All  sin  is  a  surprising  thing  as  well  as 
an  abominable  thing.  "  Who  was  this 
•woman?  What  was  the  meaning  of 
the  beast?  The  seer  had  lost  his 
clue;  he  was  bewildered  by  a  vision  so 
widely  diflerent  from  that  for  which 
he  looked.  An  interpreter  is  needed, 
and  lie  is  at  hand  in  the  person  of  the 
angel  who  had   undertaken  to  act  as 

guide  (blc  ver.  7)  "   (SWliTE). 

7-18.  Explanation  by  the 
angel  op  the  mystery  of  the 
beast  and  op  the  woman.  we 
have  the  explanation  resolving  itself 
into  two  parts:  first,  the  explanation 
of  the  mystery  of  the  beast  h^r.  7-i4) ; 
secondly,  of  the  woman  (ver.  15-18). 

7.  Both  as  to  the  present  and  as  to 
the  future  the  human  mind  unaided 
cannot  fathom  the  hidden  mysteries. 
The  angel  throws  light  upon  both. 
The  explanation  stands  alone  in  the 
book  for  fulness.  From  this  we  may 
infer  the  diliiculty  of  the  teachings 
and  the  importance  of  understanding 
them.  The  two  figures,  the  Avomnii 
and  the  beast,  represent  the  combined 
forces  in  opposition  to  (Jhrist,  con- 
tinuing through  the  centuries  until 
the  close  of  the  age.  We  have  had, 
heretofore,  Satan  and  the  two  beasts 
doing  his  will.  In  the  main,  the 
woman  takes  the  j>lace  largely  of  the 
second  beast,  inasmuch  as  it  would  lie 
impossible  to  combine  both  working  to- 
getiier,  except  through  one  controlling 
mind,  here  represented  by  the  woman. 
We  have  largely  the  same  ground 
covered  as  in  chap.  XIII,  except  that 


here  we  have  revealed  the  fate  that 
befalls  them,  their  utter  destruction. 
In  ver.  3  the  woman  sits  upon  the 
beast ;  here  the  beast  carries  the  woman, 
both  conveying  the  idea  of  tlie  beast 
doing  the  woman's  will.  The  term 
mystery,  in  the  uniform  usage  of  the 
Scriptures,  denotes  something  lying 
beyond  tlie  power  of  the  merely 
natural  apprehension,  and  is  revealed 
only  10  such  as  have  the  mind  of  the 

Spirit.        (Conip.    koDi.  I6  :  S5  ;    1  Cor.  3  :  7-10; 

1  Cor.  15 :  51 :  Eph.  3  : 3,  5.)  John  also,  in 
this  book,  uses  the  term  with  the  same 
meaning,  implying  that  the  real  mean- 
ing is  not  that  which  lies  on  the  sur- 
face, (conip.  1  ;  20;  10 : 7.)  There  would 
have  been  no  my.stery  had  the  power 
referred  to  here  been  simply  an  openly 
ungodly  power,  and  hence  called  Bab- 
ylon. But  there  was  a  deep  mystery 
if  the  power  so  designated  professed  to 
be  the  very  opposite  of  that  which  it 
really  was. 

8.  This  verse  has  been  the  center 
of  many  conflicting  interpretations. 
Four  things  are  affirmed  of  the  beast: 
it  was,  it  is  not;  it  shall  as- 
cend .  .  .  pit,  rather,  is  about  to 
come  up  out  of  the  abyss;  it  shall  go 
into  perdition.  We  have  here  the 
great  world  power  in  several  of  its 
manifestations,  disappearing  and  then 
reappearing  in  a  diflerent  shape.  Was. 
From  the  first  there  was  an  organized 
enmity  ngaiiLst  God,  breaking  out  into 
persccntion,  causing  a  great  enmity 
tow,'u-(l  Christ.  Is  not.  In  some  sense 
the  ))ea.st  ceased  to  exercise  its  beast- 
like nature  for  a  period  of  time.  The 
similarity  l)etweeii  this  beast  and  that 
noticed  in  chap.  XllI  is  worthy  of 
consideration.  In  both  cases  there  are 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  In  both 
cases  all  the  world  wonders  after  the 
beast  (1^  ■  ^:  "  : »).  In  both  cases,  here 
and  in  \Z  :  8,  tho.se  alone  do  not  wor- 
ship the  beast  whose  names  are  en- 
rolled in  the  book  of  life.     In  13  :  3 


Ch,  XVII.] 


REVELATION 


oiiO 


and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  'shall 
wonder,  s  whose  names  were  not  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  life  from  the  founda- 
tion of  tlie  world,  when  they  behold 
the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and 
yet  is. 

And  hhere  is  the  mind  which  hath 
wisdom.  '  The  seven  heads  are  seven 
mountains,  on  which  the  woman  sit- 


they  will  wonder  who  dwell  on  the 

earth,  whose  name  is  not  written  in 
the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  when  tliey  see  the  beast, 
that  he  wiis,  and  is  not,  and  shull 
9  come.  Here  is  the  mind  that  has 
wisdom.  The  seven  heads  are  seven 
mountains,  on  which  the  woman  sits. 


/  13  :  3,  4. 


<7  13  :  8. 


h  13  :  18  ;  Daa.  12  :  10. 


one  of  the  heads  was  slauglitered, 
here  tlie  entire  body  is  regarded  as 
non-existent.  There  came  a  time  in 
the  history  of  the  beast  when  it  Ijecaiue 
as  though  it  was  not.  But  the  beast 
was  not  destroyed.  Tlie  third  stage  in 
the  history  of  the  beast  is,  it  is  about 
to  come  out  of  the  abyss.  In  l.'J  :  4  the 
expression,  "the  deadly  wound  was 
healed,"  corresponds  in  meaning  with 
the  assertion  here  that  it  is  about  to 
ascend  from  the  abyss,  the  recovering 
from  the  suspended  hostility  to  Christ, 
the  entering  upon  a  new  era  of  hostility 
to  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  beast 
will  again  resume  his  sway  in  the 
world  witli  a  fresh  inspiration  of  the 
Satanic  spirit,  more  violent,  more  in- 
tolerant, than  before.  Perdition.  This 
statement  is  not  made  concerning  the 
beast  in  chap.  XIII ;  now,  at  a  later 
stage,  it  is  seen  that  its  end  must  be 
destruction.  The  world  powers  them- 
selves cannot  be  punished  in  the  future 
ages,  but  they  can  be  destroyed  here  so 
far  as  their  influence  is  concerned,  and 
the  persons  controlling  tliem  can  be 
judged  before  the  Imr  of  God.  In  13  : 
3  the  world  wonders  after  the  beast  as 
here,  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth, 
that  is,  the  earthl.y  minded  people. 
The  spiritually  minded,  whose 
names  ...  \ifc,r\xthev,ii!hoseiiame 
hath  not  been  luritten  in  the  book  of  life. 
This  book  h:is  in  it  the  names  of  those 
really  living,  those  whose  lives  are  in 
fellowship  with  God.  They  are  pre- 
served from  perdition  because  tliey  have 
life  in  them.  They  see  the  real  char- 
acter of  the  beast  and  its  rider,  their 
minds  are  not  seduced.  ( For  the  i)ook  of 
life  see  Luke  10:  20;  Phil.  4: 3;  Rev. 20: 
15.)  Foundation.  As  in  13  :  8  there 
is  a  relation  between  the  saved  and  the 
Saviour  that  antedates  the  creation  of 
the  world.  The  creation  was  made  for 
the  saved  man,  not  the  man  for  the 
creation.     Redemption  was  no  sudden 


or  transitory  thought  on  the  part  of 
God,  it  lies  deep  down  in  his  lieart  and 
plans.  It  is  not  possible  that  a  plan 
so  long-reaching  and  so  wide-reaching 
can  be  broken  in  upon  by  the  beast. 
Was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is,  rather, 
Was,  and  is  not,  and  shall  come. 

9.  And  .  .  .  wisdom.  Omit  And. 
Wisdom  is  required  that  we  get  hold 
of  the  teachings  of  the  Spirit.  Wisdom 
is  required  here  that  we  rest  not  in 
literal  fulfilment,  but  may  fathom  the 
mystery  contained  in  the  statement. 
In  13  :  9,  18  is  a  statement  of  the  same 
kind.  Divine  wisdom  is  shown  in  tiie 
explanation.  Seven  heads,  seven 
mountains.  One  figure  gives  way 
to  another  figure.  The  head  is  the 
prominent  part  of  the  body,  the  moun- 
tain stands  forth  conspicuous  above 
the  plain.  According  to  Bil)le  usage 
the  seven  mountains  stand  for  seven 
kingdoms,  for  political  power.  Bab- 
ylon, situated  in  a  plain,  is  called  a 
destroying  mountain  (Jer.  51  :  25).  For 
similar  illustrations  see  Ps.  68  :  16,  17; 
Isa.  40  :  4  ;  Ezek.  35  :  2.  In  like  man- 
ner Daniel  speaks  of  a  stone  l)ecoming 
a  mountain  ;  that  is,  Messiah's  kingdom 
growing  to  be  a  great  ])ower  in  the 
world  (i)nn.  2  :  35).  Tbcse  seven  moun- 
tains are  not  to  be  literally  understood 
as  seven  mountains,  as  though  tlie  seven 
hills  of  Rome  were  meant.  The  num- 
ber seven  itself  is  never  used  in  this 
book  in  a  strict  mathematical  sen.se,  as 
though  it  stood  for  a  real  accurate 
.seven  ;  it  stands  here,  as  everywhere,  a 
symbol  of  completeness,  a  perfect  num- 
ber. In  l.'>  :  3  one  head  was  slaugli- 
tered, but  assuredly  this  does  not  mean 
that  one  literal  mountain  wasdestroyed. 
The  seven  mountains  represent  seven 
political  powers;  that  is,  in  accordance 
with  the  symbols  in  the  book,  it  stands 
for  and  represents  the  entire  system  of 
the  great  world  powers  arrayed  again.st 
Christ.    It  is  not  impossible  that  John, 


336 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVII. 


10  teth.  And  there  are  seven  kings:  five 
are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is 
not  yet  come ;   and  when  he  cometh, 

11  he  must  continue  a  short  space.  And 
the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he 
is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seventh, 
I'  and  goeth  into  perdition. 


10  And  they  are  seven  kings ;  the  five  are 
fallen,  the  one  is,  the  other  is  not  yet 
come ;  and  when  he  comes,  he  must 

11  remain  a  little  time.  And  the  beast 
that  was,  and  is  not,  he  also  is  an 
eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goes 


k  Ver.  8  ;  19  :  20. 


living  in  the  domain  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire, and  inasmuch  as  Rome  at  that 
time  was  the  embodiment  of  the  world's 
great  and  almost  supreme  power,  may 
have  found  in  Rome  an  illustration  of 
the  beast. 

10.  And  there  are  seven  kings, 
rather,  and  they  are  seven  kings.  They 
refers  to  the  mountains  of  the  pre- 
ceding verse ;  these  mountains  stand 
for  kings.  Five  are  fallen.  The 
word  fallen  indicates  a  violent  fall,  as 
when  a  kingdom  is  overthrown.  It  is 
the  term  applied  to  Babylon  itself 
(i*:8).  John  wrote  at  a  time  when 
Rome  was  the  controlling  power  of  the 
world.  It  is  indicated  here  in  the 
vision,  in  a  general  way,  that  a  large 
part  of  the  antagonists  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  have  already  appeared  and 
been  destroyed.  In  the  time  then  pre- 
sent there  was  an  organized  opposition 
to  Christ;  this  opposition  to  Christ 
would  continue  into  the  future.  But 
whenever  and  wherever  any  peoples 
placed  themselves  in  opposition  to 
Christ,  their  downfall  must  come  in 
time.  A  violent  end  will  come  to  all 
peoples  arrayed  against  Christ.  All 
alike,  in  time,  will  meet  their  doom. 
Continue  a  short  space,  a  little 
while.  The  emphasis  rests  on  the 
shortness  of  the  time.  Compare  ver. 
12  for  another  indication  of  a  short 
period.  Centuries  have  passed  since 
John  wrote  this.  We  must  take  this 
description  of  the  short  period  of  time 
as  a  shortness  in  the  divine  conception 
of  things.  Even  one  thousand  years 
are  but  as  yesterday.  God's  days  have 
more  than  twenty-four  hours  in  them. 
The  expressions  in  this  book,  indica- 
ting an  extreme  shortness,  must  be  con- 
strued in  the  light  of  experience  as  a 
short  period  as  compared  with  eternal 
things,  not  as  asserting  an  absolute 
shortness  (i  :  i ;  12  :  12).  The  length  of 
the  period  may  also  be  conditioned  on 
the  faithfulness  of  God's  people.  At 
times  God's  promises  depend  upon  cer- 


tain human  conditions,   so  that   men 
may  restrain  or  hasten  the  fulfilment 

(2   Peter  3  :  12,  R.  V.). 

11.  This  verse  depicts  the  seven  heads 
as  destroyed,  but  the  beast  yet  living. 
The  eighth  form  is  not  represented  as 
one  of  the  heads  transformed  into  an 
eighth,  but  as  a  principle  or  power  that 
springs  out  of  the  seven,  summing  up, 
as  it  were,  the  principle  and  spirit  of 
all.  He  is  not  spoken  of  as  one  of  the 
seven,  but  as  the  successor  and  result- 
ant of  them  all,  springing  out  of  them. 
The  preposition  of  being  here  a  term 
of  origin,  he  springs  out  of  them  all. 
In  the  Greek  the  he  is  emphatic,  allu- 
ding, in  the  view  of  many,  to  some  one 
who  will  sum  up  in  himself  the  spirit 
of  the  Antichrist.  It  is  better  to  re- 
gard this  as  having  allusion  to  the  last 
and  highest  manifestation  of  the  world's 
ungodly  power  in  whatever  shape  it 
appears.  Daniel  speaks  of  a  "little 
horn,"  with  eyes  like  the  eyes  of  a 
man,  and  speaking  great  things  (Dan-  8 : 
9-12).  Paul  speaks  of  a  "  son  of  perdi- 
tion," to  be  destroyed  by  the  coming  of 
Christ  (2  Theas.  2  :  3-8).  It  is  Said  of  this 
eighth  manifestation,  not  that  he  falls, 
but  that  he  goeth  into  perdition. 
He  is  the  final  form  of  the  destructive 
opposition  to  Christ.  It  conies  after  the 
seven ;  the  complete  organized  forces 
arrayed  against  the  Redeemer  is  num- 
liered  an  eighth,  and  represents  the  un- 
godly power  in  its  highest  and  ultimate 
manifestation.  He  does  not  conceive 
of  the  beast  as  living  without  heads, 
that  would  be  a  monstrosity.  He  is 
thinking  only  of  the  ideas  involved, 
the  principle  of  evil  as  existing  after 
the  chief  forms  of  opposition  have 
passed  away.  John  brings  before  us 
tlie  idealized  conception  contained  in 
this  figure  ;  that  is,  the  world  power  in 
the  shape  of  a  beast  with  seven  heads. 
By  these  heads  he  represents,  in  a  figu- 
rative way,  the  successive  forms  of  this 
manifestation.  As  one  by  one  the 
varying  forms  are  destroyed,  the  beast 


Ch.  XVII.] 


REVELATION 


337 


12  And  '  the  ten  lionis  which  thou  saw- 
est  are  ten  kings,  which  have  received 
no  kingdom  as  yet;  but  receive  power 
as   kings   one    hour    with    the    ueast. 

13  These  have  one  mind,  ""and  shall  give 
their   power   and    strength    unto    the 

14  beast.  "These  shall  make  war  with 
the  Lamb,  "and  the  Lamb  shall  over- 
come them :  p  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords, 
and  King  of  kings :  i  and  they  that  are 


12  into  perdition.  And  the  ten  horns 
which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings,  who 
received  no  kingdom  as  yet ;  but  re- 
ceive   authority    as    kings   one    liour, 

13  along  with  the  beast.  These  have  one 
mind,  and  they  give  their  power  and 

14  authority  to  the  beast.  These  will 
make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the 
Lamb  will  overcome  them ;  because 
he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings. 


!  IS  :  1 ;  Zech.  1  :  18,  19,  21. 

m  Ver.  17.            n  16  :  U ;  19  :  19 ;  Dan.  7  :  21,  25  ;  8  :  25  ;  AcU  4  :  26. 

0  Ps.  2:9;  110:5,6;  119 

5-9 ;  Daa.  2  :  « ;  7  :  26,  27.             p  19  :  16 ;  Deut.  10  :  17 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  15. 

q  U  :  1-4 ;  John  15  :  16 ;  1  Peter  2  :  9. 

itself  seems  to  have  a  life  even  when 
the  main  forms  of  an  organized  un- 
godly power  have  passed  away. 

13.  This  verse  deals  with  the  horns. 
These  are  all  centered  upon  the  sev- 
enth head,  growing  togetner  upon  it. 
These  are  tea  kings ;  that  is,  ten 
kingdoms.  By  ten  we  are  not  to  un- 
derstand this  exact  number ;  it  stands 
rather  for  all  the  organized  forces  that 
should  arise  subordinate  to  the  great  or- 
ganized world  powers.  The  number  is 
entirely  symbolical ;  there  may  be,  so 
far  as  the  number  itself  isconcerned,  ten 
or  one  hundred.  However  many  there 
are,  they  are  conceived  of  as  ten — an  en- 
tire number.  It  is  folly  to  attempt  to 
construct  a  list  of  exactly  ten  kingdoms 
that  have  arisen  as  the  fulfilment  of 
this  statement.  No  kingdom  as  yet. 
This  part  of  the  vision  refers  to  days 
beyond  the  period  of  John's  time. 
John  conceives  of  his  own  day  as  em- 
braced in  the  sixth  head  of  the  beast, 
inasmuch  as  five  have  fallen.  Re- 
ceive power,  rather,  authority. 
The  beast  receives  authority  from  the 
dragon  (is  :  4)  ;  the  authority  here 
si)oken  of  comes  from  the  same  source. 
With  the  beast.  This  means  in  sub- 
ordination to  the  beast,  and  also  con- 
terminous with  it.  The  six  heads  all 
ruled  through  and  with  the  beast. 
A.fter  they  fell  the  ten  horns  appear 
on  the  seventh  head,  and  apparently 
they  also  seem  to  be  perpetuated  in  the 
bea.st  as  such,  after  all  the  heads  have 
disappeared.  They  rule  one  hour  ;  a 
short  period.  This  shortness  is  also 
expressed  in  ver.  10.  This  liour  may 
eml)race  centuries ;  we  are  dealing,  not 
with  human  ways  of  reckoning  time, 
but  with  God's  method  of  reckoning. 
Alford  declares  that  these  ten  horns 
stand  for  ten  kingdoms  that  shall  arise 

W 


out  of  the  destroyed  Roman  empire ; 
ten  European  powers  which,  in  the 
last  ages,  in  concert  with  the  Antichrist 
and  in  subordination  to  it,  shall  make 
war  against  Christ.  Similarly  Swete. 
This  is  too  mathematical  an  explana- 
tion of  this  expression,  not  sufficiently 
regarding  the  symbolical  usage  of  the 
entire  book. 

13.  These  have  one  mind.  They 
are  spoken  of  in  the  present  tense, 
although  they  have  not  yet,  in  John'.s 
time,  arisen.  And  shall  give  .  .  . 
beast,  rather,  and  they  give  their  au- 
thority and  poiver  to  the  beast.  They 
have  one  mind,  one  intent  and  pur- 
pose ;  that  is,  to  help  the  beast  in  his 
attack  ui3on  Christ  and  his  cause.  The 
second  beast  had  helped  the  first  beast 
in  a  like  manner  (i3 :  12).  The  harlot 
also  was  in  clo.se  alliance  with  the 
beast  (n  :  3. 1).  The  brute  power  of 
the  world  is  stirred  up  and  helped  by 
the  false  prophet,  the  second  beast ; 
and  by  the  harlot,  a  corrupt  church  ; 
and  by  the  kings  stirred  up  by  the 
false  church  (n  :  2). 

14.  These  shall  make  war  with 
the  Lamb,  rather,  against.  There 
has  been  from  the  first  a  warfare 
against  Jesus,  begun  at  his  birth,  and 
continuing  to  the  present  day.  Tin; 
reference  liere  is  to  a  final  and  convul- 
sive war  against  him.  It  is  alluded  to 
in  19  :  19.  The  Lamb  has  already  been 
introduced  in  this  book  in  chap.  V, 
VI.  He  now  appears  in  his  character 
as  the  conquering  Lord.  They  cannot 
overcome  him  because  of  the  divinity 
of  his  person,  for  .  .  .  kings.  They 
are  kings;  he  is  King  of  kings.  It 
is  foolish  and  futile  for  them  to  wage 
war  against  such  a  person,  so  high  in 
character,  so  mighty  in  power.  It  is 
foolish  and  wicked  to  fight  against  God 


838 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XVII. 


with  him  are  called,  and  choseu,  and 
faithful. 

15  And  he  saith  unto  me,  ^The  waters 
which  thou  sawcst,  where  the  whore 
sitteth,  "are  peoples,  and  multitudes, 

16  and  nations,  and  tongues.  And  tlie 
ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  upon  tlie 
beast,  'these  sliall  hate  the  whore,  and 
shall  make  her  desolate  "and  naked, 
and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  ^^  burn  her 


and  they  who  are  with  him  are  called, 

15  and  elect,  and  faithful.  And  he  says 
to  me,  The  waters  which  thou  sawest, 
where  the  harlot  sits,  are  peoples  and 
multitudes,  and  nations  and  tongues. 

16  And  tlie  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest 
and  the  beast,  these  will  hate  the 
harlot,  and  will  make  her  desolate  and 
naked,  and  will  eat  her  flesh,  and  will 


r  Ver.  1 ;  Isa,  8:7;  17  :  12,  13.  s  13  :  7,  8. 

u  18  :  16,  17  ;  Kzek.  16  :  37-U. 


t  Jer.  50  :  41,  42. 


(Acts  5:39).  Jehovah  shall  laugh  at 
his  discomfited  foes  (ps.  2  :  4).  Jesus 
fights  and  overcomes,  not  only  iu  him- 
self, but  also  in  and  through  his  serv- 
ants who  are  his  allies.  And  they 
.  .  .  faithful,  ratlier,  and  they  also 
shall  overcome  that  are  with  him,  called 
and  chosen  and  faithful.  In  all  his 
ministry  upon  the  earth  Jesus  works 
through  and  by  means  of  his  faithful 
men  and  women.  They  are  his  wit- 
nesses ;  he  blesses  their  labors.  Those 
Avho  receive  tliem,  receive  him  (Matt. 
10  :  40).  Those  who  are  faithful  work- 
ers with  Christ  will  share  in  the  glory 
of  his  triumph,  it  is  their  victory  as 
well  as  his.  No  one  will  be  forgotten 
by  him  iu  the  hour  of  triumph.  They 
are  described  in  a  threefold  way  — 
called,  chosen,  faithful.  A  person  may 
be  called,  but  not  chosen  (Matt.  22 :  u).  A 
person  may  l)e  chosen,  but  not  faithful 
to  the  highest  degree  (Luke  19  :  le,  is). 
These  three  terms  indicate  the  highest 
kind  of  Christians.  Every  Christian 
may  be  one  of  this  kind,  realizing 
Christ's  ideal.  Jesus  was,  in  his  earthly 
ministry,  a  patient  sufferer.  lie  is 
now  a  patient  Saviour.  He  will  be 
manifest,  in  time,  as  a  royal  monarch. 
He  will  be,  in  manifestation,  what  he 
is  in  character. 

The  second  part  of  the  explanation 
by  tlie  angel  begins  here.  Having 
spoken  of  the  beast  the  author  now 
gives  some  additional  particulars  con- 
cerning the  woman  not  mentioned 
before. 

1.5.  The  angel  speaks  of  the  uni- 
versal sway  of  the  woman.  In  tlie 
wilderness  John  sees  in  the  vision 
many  Avaters,  the  meaning  of  wliich 
is  given.  As  tlie  woman  is  spoken  of 
as  Babylon,  it  is  fitting  to  associate 
with  this  name  many  waters,  inasmuch 
as  that  city  was  situated  on  the  Eu- 


phrates. In  chap.  XIII  the  beast  arose 
out  of  the  sea  with  its  mighty  waters. 
These  waters  passionate,  stirred  by  the 
wind,  form  a  picture  of  lier  domain. 
The  four  terms,  as  elsewhere  in  this 
book,  signify  her  widespread  sway. 
Jehovah  sits  above  the  waters  and 
reigns  as  king  (ps.  29  :  10).  By  a  mock- 
ing imitation  of  God's  wide  rule  she 
claims  also  a  like  wide  rule. 

16.  And  the  ten  .  .  .  beast, 
rather.  And  the  ten  hori^s  that  thou 
sawest  and  the  beast.  John  is  now  be- 
holding, in  the  vision,  a  time  when  the 
seven  heads  have  passed  away,  and  the 
ten  horns  and  the  beast  continue  (^er. 
11).  The  horns  and  the  beast  itself  are 
represented  as  yet  existing.  It  is  the 
last  stages  of  the  history  of  the  church. 
The  great  organized  forces  have  been 
broken  down,  but  the  principle  of  evil 
yet  remains.  These  have  one  mind ; 
but  that  mind  is  now  turned,  in  a  de- 
structive way,  upon  the  harlot,  fulfilling 
thereby  God's  vengeance  upon  her. 
Four  statements  are  made  concerning 
her  fate.  (1)  They  shall  hate  the 
whore,  rather,  the  harlot.  It  is  not 
stated  what  will  lead  to  this  changed  at- 
titude. She  has  been  described  as  sitting 
upon  the  beast,  ruling  it.  The  fate  of  the 
woman  was  not  revealed  in  the  vision 
itself,  it  is  now  made  known  as  an 
added  feature.  The  hatred  is  the  source 
of  the  results  that  follow.  (2)  Deso- 
late and  naked.  She  who  liad  found 
allies  and  willing  servants  in  the  beast 
and  liorns,  now  finds  herself  deserted 
by  them.  She  is  deserted  by  all. 
Naked.  She  is  stripped  of  her  gaudy 
clothing  and  her  power.  (3)  Eat  her 
flesh.  In  the  original  this  term  is 
in  the  plural,  indicating,  perhaps,  the 
masses  of  her  flesh,  the  body  having 
grown  Heshy  by  luxuriant  living.  All 
her  power  she  loses  at  once.     The  Old 


Ch.  XVII.] 


REVELATION 


339 


17  with  fire,  y  For  God  hath  put  in  their 
hearts  to  fulfil  his  will ;  aud  to  agree, 
aud  ^ive  thoir  kingdom  unto  the  beast, 
» until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  fiil- 

18  filled.  Aud  the  woman  which  thou 
sawest  » is  that  great  city,  which  reigu- 
eth  over  the  kiugs  of  the  earth. 


17  burn  her  up  with  fire.  For  God  put 
it  iuto  thoir  hearts  to  do  his  will,  even 
to  do  his  jjurpose,  and  to  give  thuir 
kingdom  to  the  beast,  until  the  words 

18  of  God  shall  be  accomplished.  And 
the  woman  whom  thou  sawest  is  the 
great  city,  w^hich  has  a  kingdom  over 
the  kings  of  the  earth. 


y  Prov.  21  :  1 ;  2  Tliess.  2  :  11. 


z  10  :  7  ;  Prov.  19  :  21 ;  Isa.  46  :  10.  11. 


a  1«  :  3 ;  16  :  19. 


Testament  makes  use  of  this  expres- 
sion, "  to  eat  the  fle.sh,"  meaniug  injury 
to  person  and  the  despoiling  of  property 
(Pa.  27 :  2).  (4)  Bum  her  with  fire, 
rather,  buDi,  utterly  ivith  fire.  Tlii.s 
was  the  Old  Testament  punishment  for 
fornication  (Lev.  20 -.  u).  What  a  con- 
trast between  tlie  harlot  now  and  in 
her  queenly,  reigning  state.  She  re- 
mains a  harlot  still,  but  a  destroyed 
harlot.  It  is  again  and  again  declared 
by  one  angel  after  another  that  judg- 
ment must  come  on  the  woman,  on 
Babylon  (18:1,4-20,21-24),  We  shall 
find  it  wise  not  to  attempt  to  locate  our 
age  in  the  prophetic  scheme.  Nor 
may  we  attempt  to  locate  in  history 
the  definite  events  which  will  be  the 
perfect  fulfilment  of  this  vision.  We 
ojay  find  many  illustrations  of  the 
general  principles  here  given,  with 
this  we  should  be  content.  The  gen- 
eral principle  is  true  tliat  all  unholy 
alliances  will  fall  to  pieces,  that  no 
weapon  formed  against  God  will  pros- 
per, that  guilty  men  will  turn  upon 
each  other,  that  God  will  make  use  of 
wicked  men  to  bring  punishment  upon 
other  wicked  men,  that  God  rules  and 
overrules,  making  even  sinful  men 
work  out  his  own  righteous  plans. 

17.  This  verse  gives  an  insight  into 
the  divine  plan.  The  nations  that 
spoil  the  harlot,  act  from  their  own 
motives.  Back  of  all  these,  over  and 
above  them  all,  is  God.  For  expresses 
the  divine  purpose  that  was  operating 
in  and  through  these  secular  rulers, 
the  ten  horns.  God  hath  put,  rather, 
did  put.  The  pa.st  tense  here  is  made 
use  of  to  express  the  future.  Hearts 
.  .  .  agree,  rather,  hearts  to  do  his 
mind  and  to  come  to  one  mind.  They 
had  no  thought  of  God  iu  their  mind, 
their  purpose  was  not  to  glorify  hira. 
But  God,  far  above  them,  had  his  plan 
to  strip  the  harlot  of  her  beauty  and 
her  power.  All  unconsciously  they 
carry  out  his  purpose.    In  planning  to 


do  their  own  will,  they  did  also  God's 
will.  For  a  like  use  of  malice  and 
treachery  so  that  they,  in  the  end, 
served  God's  purpose,  see  the  case  of 
Joseph  and  his  brotliers  (<ii;u-  45  =  s).  It 
is  better  to  do  God's  will  in  love  tlian 
to  be  used  in  a  kind  of  piechanical  way. 
Beast.  It  is  not  meant  tiiat  it  was 
God's  approving  design  to  have  them 
serve  the  beast ;  he  never  approves  of 
wrong-doing,  for  he  is  holy.  This  ex- 
pression must  be  taken  in  connection 
with  the  next  phra.se,  until  .  .  .  ful- 
filled, ratlier,  accomplished.  It  is 
God's  purpose  that  his  words,  his 
threats,  his  promises  of  a  universal 
sovereignty,  the  triumph  of  his  cause 
should  be  accomplished.  In  God's 
permission  the  horns  served  the  beast 
until  the  time  came  for  the  powers, 
represented  by  the  horns,  to  turn  upon 
the  woman  and  rend  her.  God  can 
work  upon  and  through  his  enemies 
without  intruding  upon  their  freedom 
of  will  or  destroying  their  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility, or  taking  away  the  sense 
of  guilt.  It  is  the  wicked  motive  that 
makes  the  guilt.  It  was  God's  pur- 
pose that  Bal)ylon  should  fall ;  it  had 
been  so  predicted,  it  must  come  to 
pass.  We  see  that  this  result  was 
brought  about,  not  directly  by  bis  holy 
agencies,  but  indirectly  through  wicked 
agencies,  working  out  at  the  same  time 
their  will  and  his  will.  God  can  make 
the  wratli  of  man  to  serve  him  (p». 

76  :  10). 

18.  This  verse  forms  the  transition 
to  the  next  chapter,  in  which  the  figure 
of  the  woman  is  dropped,  and  Babylon 
takes  her  place.  Both  refer  to  the  same 
thing.  Sometimes  she  is  a  woman,  a 
harlot,  corrupting  the  world.  And 
then  she  is  a  city,  great  in  size,  .sov- 
ereign, full  of  enticements.  Reign- 
eth.  Babj'lon  liad  long  since  fallen. 
In  .John's  day  Rome  was  the  great  city 
of  tlie  world,  having  the  widest  sway. 
He  may  have  had  Rome  in  mind.     In 


340 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


both  figures  there  is  the  symbol  of  an 
evil  power.  The  two  greatest  seducing 
forces  in  the  world  may  be  a  city  re- 
splendent with  outward  attractions, 
and  a  woman  beautiful  in  person  and 
attire,  but  corrupt  in  lieart.  Both  of 
these  John  uses  to  depict  the  attractive 
powers  that  make  war  upon  the  Re- 
deemer in  all  the  ages. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Unfaithfulness  to  God  begins  in  small 
ways,  and  grows  insensibly.  What  Satan 
cannot  do  by  violence  he  often  succeeds 
in  doing  through  the  allurements  of  the 
world.  Worldliness  is  more  dangerous 
than  persecution.  It  is  a  monstrous  thing 
for  a  woman  to  become  a  harlot.  It  is 
equally  monstrous  for  a  follower  of  Christ 
to  become  faithless  to  Christ  (ver.  1). 

2.  Causing  others  to  sin  is  a  deeper 
wrong  than  the  sinning  itself.  This  was 
the  sin  of  Jeroboam  (1  Kings  22  :  52).  No 
one  can  go  astray  himself  without  lead- 
ing others  astray.  It  is  impossible  for  a 
man  to  shut  in  his  influence  so  as  not  to 
help  or  hinder  others  (ver.  2). 

3.  The  bride  and  the  Lamb  are  joined 
together ;  the  harlot  and  the  beast  are 
joined  together.  The  true  Christian  and 
the  true  church  find  delight  in  Christ ; 
the  apostate  Christian  and  the  apostate 
church  find  a  delight  in  the  world. 
Worldliness  and  godliness  are  the  ex- 
tremes of  life  (ver.  3). 

4.  Sin  may  present  a  gaudy  attire. 
Piety  may  be  clothed  in  rags  and  dwell 
in  caves  of  the  earth  (Heb.  11 :  38).  But 
it  is  better  to  follow  Christ  in  rags  than  to 
be  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen  and 
live  in  hell  afterward  (ver.  4 ;  Luke  16  : 
19,  23). 

5.  We  must  not  look  simply  on  the  out- 
side, the  gold  covering,  but  see  what  is 
inside.  Hypocrisy,  wickedness,  abomina- 
tions do  not  become  morally  beautiful 
because  they  are  presented  in  enticing 
ways.  Sin  in  a  gold  cup  is  more  seductive 
than  in  an  earthen  jar  (ver.  4). 

6.  It  is  a  great  help  to  Christ  when  his 
people  wear  his  name  up)on  the  forehead, 
present  him  openly  to  men.  It  is  a  help 
to  all  when  sin  openly  announces  itself 
as  sin  (ver.  f)). 

7.  To  be  a  martyr  is  to  be  a  witness. 


Every  age  needs  living  witnesses.  There 
may  be  no  call  to  stand  by  the  stake,  but 
there  is  a  great  opportunity  to  live  in  such 
a  way  as  to  commend  Christ  to  others. 
More  courage  is  required  to  stand  alone, 
to  brave  a  corrupt  public  opinion  than  to 
suft'er  the  loss  of  property  (ver.  6). 

8.  What  is  beyond  the  power  of  our 
reason  to  understand  we  may  accept.  It 
is  not  unreasonable  to  accept  teachings 
on  the  authority  of  Jesus.  It  is  irrational 
to  make  our  knowledge  the  measure  of 
our  belief.  The  teachable  mind  God  will 
teach  (ver.  8,  7). 

9.  God  safeguards  his  people.  He  guides, 
guards,  preserves,  saves.  He  ministers 
help  in  the  inner  life,  and  by  the  con- 
straints and  restraints  of  his  providence 
(ver.  8;  Luke  22:  31). 

10.  The  census  enrolls  the  names  of  the 
physically  living.  The  church  roll  regis- 
ters the  names  of  the  professedly  regen- 
erate. The  book  of  life  has  the  names  of 
tho.se  who  are  really  and  spiritually  alive 
(ver.  8;  Luke  10  :  20). 

11.  There  is  sufficient  light  in  the  Scrip- 
tures to  make  plain  the  path  to  life  for 
the  honest  inquirer.  The  hard  places 
will  be  illuminated,  at  times,  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  by  earnest  study,  by  an  interpret- 
ing providence.  Some  Scriptures  will 
remain  unsolved  until  time  explains 
them,  some  will  not  be  plain  until  the 
light  of  eternity  falls  upon  them  (ver.  9). 

12.  The  great  kingdoms  that  once 
flourished  are  now  dead.  They  perished, 
as  a  rule,  through  their  wickedness  and 
forgetfulness  of  God.  Whatever  opposes 
Christ  miist,  in  the  end,  come  to  an  end 
(ver.  10). 

13.  Jesus  is  Lord  as  well  as  Saviour.  He 
is  strong  as  well  as  tender.  We  must  not 
forget,  misled  by  his  forbearance,  that  he 
is  judge  and  Lord.  In  his  presence  all 
kings  are  but  as  the  dust  of  the  earth. 
How  should  men  fear  to  disobey  him 
(ver.  14). 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  fall  of  Babylon.  In  chap. 
XVII  we  had  the  picture  of  the  un- 
clean woman  riding  upon  the  beast. 
The  process  of  destruction  of  God's 
foes  has  already  begun.  The  judgment 
upon  Babylon  has  a  fearful  prominence 


Ch.  XVIIL] 


REVELATION 


341 


The  /aU  of  Babylon.    Lamentation  over  her 
on  eartii. 

18    AND  *  after  these  thiugs  I  saw  an- 
other angel  come  down  from  heaven, 
having  great   power;   "and  the  earth 
2  was  lightened  with  his  glory.    And  he 


18     AFTER  these  things  I  saw  another 

angel    coming   down  out  of    heaven, 

having  great  authority  ;  and  the  earth 

2  was  lightened  with  his  glory.    And  he 


J  17 : 1. 


c  Ezek.  43  :  2 ;  2  Tbess.  2  :  8. 


assigned  to  it.  Its  fall  is  brought  to  a 
close  before  the  war  against  the  kings 
of  the  earth ;  together  with  the  beast 
and  false  propliet  it  is  brought  upon  the 
stage,  in  the  subsequent  chapters.  We 
deal,  in  this  chapter,  with  figures  and 
illustrations  of  outward  things.  But 
these  outward  things  are  but  symbols 
of  moral  and  spiritual  forces  at  work 
in  the  world.  Wrongs  are  put  down 
and  truth  established  in  the  earth, 
not  by  mechanical  means,  not  by  earth- 
quakes, convulsions,  and  wars,  but  only 
by  the  prevalence  of  the  truth,  by  the 
might  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  this 
chapter  we  have  the  same  vision  that 
we  nad  in  the  last,  but  under  another 
figure.  It  is  no  longer  a  woman,  un- 
clean, unfaithful,  with  intelligence  and 
a  perverted  will,  but  a  city  large, 
dominant,  unclean,  a  center  of  luxury, 
a  source  of  corruption.  It  is  unclean, 
as  in  the  former  case,  but  the  teaching 
of  degeneracy,  the  clean  woman  having 
given  place  to  unclean ness,  this  is  not 
emphasized.  Babylon  filled  a  large 
place  in  Old  Testament  history.  At 
one  time  it  was  the  mistress  of  Western 
Asia,  a  city,  world-ruling  in  its  sway, 
magnificent  in  its  material  aspect. 
There  looms  up  in  vision,  before  John, 
such  a  city,  mighty,  splendid  in  ap- 
pearance, but  destined  to  go  down. 
We  have  the  prophetic  announcement 
of  its  fall  {•'"■  i-s);  the  summons  to  the 
Lord's  people  to  leave  it  (^er.  4-8);  the 
world's  lamentation  over  its  fall  {''«'■ 
9-20) ;  the  suddenness  and  irremediable- 
ness  of  its  fall  (ver.  21-24). 

1-3.  The  fall  of  Babylon  an- 
nounced. We  have  met  with  the 
term  Babylon  before  (1*  :  « ;  17  : 5).  Its 
destruction  has  already  been  foretold 
(1* :  8).  John  does  not  here  see  the  de- 
struction of  the  city ;  the  announce- 
ment is  made  by  an  angel.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice  that  nowhere  does  a 
judgment  come  without  the  distinct 
association  of  the  judgment  with  sin 
and  guilt.  God  is  not  at  all  the 
almignty  God,  apart  from  a  shining 


holiness  of  nature  that  is  compelled  by 
its  own  holiness  to  assert  itself  in 
punishment. 

1.  After  these  things.  This  vision 
comes  after  the  preceding  in  order  of 
time.  But  it  is  evident  that  the  book 
is  not  built  up  on  a  chronological  plan, 
for  it  is  stated  in  ver.  5  that  the  city 
has  not  yet  fallen,  after  the  assertion 
that  it  is  fallen.  And,  omit.  Another 
angel.  This  distinguishes  this  angel 
from  the  one  introduced  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter.  Some  regarding  especially 
the  phrase,  come  down  from 
heaven,  distinguish  this  angel  from 
the  one  announced  in  10  :  1.  Three 
statements  are  made  concerning  this 
angel:  (1)  the  source  whence  it  came, 
heaven  ;  (2)  its  rank,  having  great 
power,  rather,  authority;  (3)  its 
splendor,  lightening  the  earth. 
The  coming  from  heaven  shows  the 
certainty  of  the  events  predicted,  also 
the  holiness  of  the  punishment.  It  is 
fanciful  to  refer  this  appearance  to 
Jesus  or  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  Luther, 
introducing  the  Eeformation.  The 
great  authority  is  shown  in  the  an- 
nouncement itself,  and  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  tlie  city,  as  tltough  the  angel 
were  the  means  of  the  fall.  It  would 
be  unfitting  for  an  inferior  angel  to 
come  with  so  great  an  announcement. 
There  are  gradations  in  the  higlier 
order  of  beings,  as  in  nature  and  in 
tlie  heavens.  In  like  manner  there 
will  be  gradations  among  the  saved 
(Luke  19  :  17,  18).  Tlic  liist  Statement  is 
taken  from  Ezek.  -13  :  2.  The  earth 
became  liiniinous  with  the  glory  of  the 
angel.  The  entire  earth  will  be 
brightened  with  the  enlarging  knowl- 
edge of  God,  the  manifestation  <if  Gml's 
holiness,  the  disai)pearance  of  the  dark- 
ening powers  of  wickedness.  There 
is  a  symbolic  statement  of  this  teach- 
ing— God  purposes,  as  the  result  of  his 
power  anil  holiness,  to  overthrow  ut- 
terly the  spiritual  Bal)jlon,  and  this 
will  be  as  though  the  earth  were  filled 
with  light. 


342 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice, 
saying,  d  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  and  «is  become  the  habitation 
of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul 
spirit,  and  fa  cage  of  every  unclean 
3  and  hateful  bird.  For  all  nations 
shave  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the 
earth  have  committed  fornication  with 
her,  iiand  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance 
of  her  delicacies. 


cried  with  a  strong  voice,  saying. 
Fallen,  fallen,  is  Babylon  the  great, 
and  is  become  a  habitation  of  demons, 
and  a  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit, 
and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hate- 
3  ful  bird.  Because  bj*  the  wine  of 
the  wrath  of  her  fornication  all  the 
nations  have  fallen  ;  and  the  kings  of 
the  earth  committed  fornication  with 
her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
became  rich  by  the  power  of  her 
luxury. 


d  14  :  8.  e  Isa.  13  :  19-22  ;  Jer.  51  ;  37.  /  Isa.  U  :  23. 

ft  Ver.  11,  15;  Isa.  «  :  15. 


S  14  :  8  ;  17  :  2. 


\ 

,  ,  .  bird,  rather,  hold.  The  unclean 
bird  inhabits  the  place  of  pollution 
and  filth.  Through  these  expressions 
John  emphasizes  the  utter  ruin  of  the 
place,  and  depicts  its  ruins  as  centers 
of  uncleanness,  moral  filth,  where  the 
unclean  spirits  and  birds  find  a  fitting 
abode.  Isaiah  has  a  like  picture  in 
13  :  21.  See  the  prophecy  concerning 
Babylon  in  Jer.  50  :  39. 

3.  This  verse  assigns  the  reason  for 
its  fall.  The  city  sowed  sin,  it  reaped 
judgment.  For  .  .  .  fornication, 
rather,  For  by  the  %vme  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication  all  the  nations  are 
fallen.  The  words  are  a  reminiscence 
of  17  :  2.  The  city  has  proved  a  curse 
to  other  nations,  leading  them  astray 
by  her  uncleanness.  The  complete- 
ness of  her  wrong-doing  is  shown  by 
her  enticements  to  three  classes,  na- 
tions, kings,  merchants.  She  has 
poisoned,  by  her  seductions,  the  na- 
tional life,  political  authorities,  the 
business  relations  of  men.  Abun- 
dance of  her  delicacies,  rather, 
by  the  power  of  her  wantonness.  The 
picture  is  that  of  a  great  city  making 
all  tributary  to  her  through  her  traffic. 
Rome  has  been  and  is  called  by  many 
Babylon,  on  account  of  its  haughtiness, 
its  cruel  spirit  in  persecution,  its  vast 
power  in  the  past  over  nations  and 
kings.  There  is  a  wide  contrast  here 
between  the  former  splendor,  attract- 
ing all  nations,  and  her  present  con- 
dition, the  dwelling-place  of  unclean 
birds  and  beasts.  Her  sin  is  that  of 
greed,  of  gluttonous  living,  of  ungod- 
liness. 

4-8.  The  summons  to  the  godly 
TO  LEAVE  THE  CITY.  We  have  here 
another  stage  in  the  sacred  drama.  A 
vision  meets  us  that  shows  us  that  the 
city  has  not  yet  been  destroyed.    The 


3.  Cried  .  .  .  voice,  rather,  cried 
with  a  mighty  voice,  that  it  might  sound 
through  every  part  of  the  great  city. 
In  a  real  way  Jonah  went  through 
Nineveh  announcing  its  fall  (Jonah  a :  4). 
Babylon  .  .  .  fallen,  rather.  Fallen, 
fallen  is  Babylon  the  great.  The  key 
to  this  statement  is  found  in  the  last 
verse  of  the  preceding  chapter,^  "  and 
the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that 
great  city."  The  city  is  the  woman 
under  another  aspect.  Having  used 
the  figure  of  the  unclean  woman  to 
show  her  uncleanness  and  her  degen- 
eracy, in  a  manner  wliich  could  not 
be  shown  by  the  figure  of  a  city,  he 
now  passes  to  another  figure,  that  of  a 
city,  to  show  its  greatness,  its  luxury, 
its  profligacy,  and  the  sudden  and  ir- 
remediable downfall.  Through  this 
entire  chapter  the  figure  is  rigorously 
and  perfectly  kept  hold  of.  It  is  a 
figure  very  striking  and  bold.  The 
term  fallen  shows  the  certainty  of  the 
prophecy.  It  is  as  though  it_  were 
already  completed.  The  repetition  of 
the  words,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Saviour's 
"  verily,"  is  very  impressive.  It  is  the 
death  knell  of  the  ungodly  system. 
The  following  expressions  show  how 
profound  the  desolation  is,  the  .  .  . 
devils,  rather,  habitation  of  demons. 
Tlie  great  city  is  conceived  of  as  a  mass 
of  ruins,  where  the  demons  that  de- 
light in  calamity  and  desolation  dwell. 
Jesus  speaks  in  a  figurative  way  of 
evil  spirits  traversing  desert  places 
(Matt.  12 :  43).  The  Arabians  of  to-day 
regard  all  the  mounds  of  deserted  cities 
as  inhabited  by  evil  spirits.  Hold 
.  .  .  spirit.  The  word  rendered  hold 
means  a  cage  or  prison.  Unclean 
spirits  love  unclean  and  foul  places, 
hence,  figuratively,  they  are  said  to 
dwell  here  as  in  a  prison  house.    Cage 


Ch.  XVI  IL] 


REVELATIOX 


343 


4  And  I  heard  another  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  ■  Come  out  of  her,  my 
people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of.  her 
sins,  and  tluit  ye  receive  not  of   her 

5  plagues.  ''For  her  sins  have  reached 
unto  heaven,  and  'fiod   huth  rcmeni- 

6  bered  her  iniquities.  ■"  Rewanl  hereven 
as  she  rewarded  you.  and  double  unto 
her  double  according  to  her  works : 
"in  the  cup  which  she  hath  filled  "fill 


4  And  I  heard  another  voice  out  of 
heaven,  saying.  Come  out  of  her,  my 
]>eople,  that  ye  have  no  fellowship 
with  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not 

Ti  of  her  plagues.  Because  her  sins  clave 
togetlier  even  to  lieaven,  and  God  re- 

6  membered  her  iniquities.  Reward  her 
as  she  also  rewarded,  and  double  the 
double  according  to  her  works ;  in  the 
cup  which  she  mingled,  mingle  for  her 


t  Isa.  48  :  20 ;  Zech.  2  :  7  ;  2  Cor.  6  :  17  ;  Geu.  19.     *  Gen.  18  :  20,  21 ;  Jer.  51  :  9 ;  Jonah  1  ; 
I   16  :  19.      m   13  :  10 ;  Ps.  137  :  8 ;  Jer.  50  :  15,  29  ;  51  :  24,  49  ;  2  Tim.  4  :  14. 
n  17:4;  Jer.  51  :  7.     o  16  :  19. 


preceding  announcement  must  be 
taken,  therefore,  in  a  prophetic  waj% 
the  certain  doom  i.s  soon  to  follow. 
Before  the  doom  comes  the  people  of 
God  must  be  called  from  the  city. 
This  thought  is  not  a  new  one  in  this 
book,  and  in  the  entire  Scripttires. 
Noah  was  called  out  of  the  world  of 
the  wicked  before  the  flood  came.  Lot 
was  led  out  of  Sodom  because  Jehovah 
could  do  nothing  until  he  had  escaped 
(oen.  19  ;  22).  [t  is  a  part  of  God's  holy 
nature,  when  he  sends  a  judgment  upon 
the  world,  to  draw  a  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  righteous  and  the  wicked 

(Mai.  3  :  18). 

4.  Another  voice.  We  must  not 
understand  this  as  the  voice  of  Christ. 
As  in  other  cases,  it  is  a  symbolic 
representation  of  God's  will.  Come 
.  .  .  her,  rather,  Come  forth  out  of 
her.  There  must  be  an  entire  separa- 
tion, as  when  Pilgrim  fled  from  the 
city  of  destruction.  My  people.  Tlie 
angel  speaks  not  from  himself,  but  for 
God,  whose  he  is.  He  speaks  in  the 
divine  behalf.  Two  reasons  are  as- 
signed, one  arising  from  fear  of  per- 
sonal moral  defilement,  the  other  from 
fear  of  personal  danger.  Not  par- 
takers of  her  sins,  rather,  /lavr  no 
fellowship.  It  is  perilous  to  dwell  in 
the  midst  of  sin,  even  for  tlie  godly. 
Sin  is  contagious?,  enervating  and 
weakening  the  moral  nature.  If  sealed 
with  God's  seal,  even  yet  must  God's 
people  walk  with  care,  watching  over 

the   steps  (7:3;    1  Cor.  5  :  6).       PlagUPS. 

Jeremiah  the  prophet,  announcing  tlie 
fall  of  Bal)ylon,  exhorted  the  people 
to  flee  from  it  (so  :  8 ;  51 : 6).  The  people 
of  Israel  were  exhorted  to  flee  from 
the  tents  of  the  guilty  conspirators 
against  Moaes  (n'"'"-  is  :  28).  Je.sus 
warned  his  own  disciples  to  escape 
from    Jerusalem    when    the    Roman 


armies  encamped  before  the  city  (Matt. 
2+ :  16).  In  God's  ordinary  procedure 
the  sun  and  hail  conie  equally  upon 
all,  regardless  of  character  (Matt.  5  :  45). 
But  when  he  sends  penalties  for  sin  he 
discriminates.  The  Judge  of  all  the 
earth  does  rigliteousness  (Geu.  18  :  25). 
We  find  this  truth  in  many  passages 
(Isa.  48  :  20 ;  52 :  u).  A  wicked  Babylon 
might  feel  that  all  within  her  walls 
were  safe ;  a  righteous  prophet  outside 
might  feel  that  all  in  the  city  would  be 
rightfully  condemned.  Tlie  holy  God 
sees  some  of  his  own  people  in  the  city. 
He  desires  their  separation  and  their 
salvation. 

5.  This  verse  gives  a  reason  for  the 
plagues  that  are  coming.  For  .  .  . 
unto  heaven,  rather,  even  unto 
heaven.  The  figure  is  that  of  sins 
piled  up  until  they  reach  the  heaven. 
Some  sins  are  more  aggravated  than 
others.  Remembered.  The  right- 
eous sometimes  forget  that  God  re- 
members, and  discouragement  comes. 
Tlie  wicked  forget  that  God  remembers, 
and  there  arises  a  comfort  in  sin  and 
increasing  wickedness.  The  remem- 
brance here  indicated  is  the  same  as 
retribution. 

6.  Reward  .  .  .  you,  rather,  Een- 
der  unto  her  even  as  she  rendered.  This 
is  spoken  by  the  angel,  and  is  ad- 
dressed, not  to  the  saints  in  the  city, 
but  to  the  ministries  of  justice  ap- 
pointed by  God  to  act  as  his  agents. 
We  see  in  17  :  16  the  ten  horns  rending 
the  unclean  woman.  According  to  the 
law  of  retribution  in  Exod.  22  :  J,  7,  9, 
she  is  to  receive  double.  (See  nim  jer. 
16 :  18.)  Her  punishment  will  be  in 
proportion  to  her  sins.  See  for  this 
principle  the  words  of  Jesus  in  Luke 
12:47,48.  Compare  also  Isa.  40:2; 
Jer.  17:18.  Ilath  filled,  ratlier, 
mingled.    This  presents,  as  in  Hebrew 


344 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


7  to  her  double,  p  How  much  she  hath 
glorified  herself,  and  lived  deliciously, 
so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her : 
for  she  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a 
1  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall 

8  see  no  sorrow.  Therefore  shall  her 
plagues  come  ■'in  one  day,  death,  and 
mourning,  and  famine  ;  and  'she  shall 
be  utterly  burned  with  lire:  'for  strong 
is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her. 

9  And  "the  kings  of  the  earth,  who 


7  twofold.  By  as  much  as  she  glorified 
herself,  and  lived  luxuriously,  so  much 
torment  and  mourning  give  her;  be- 
cause in  her  heart  she  says,  I  sit  a 
queen,  and  am  not  a  widow,  and  shall 

8  see  no  mourning.  Therefore  shall  her 
plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and 
mourning,  and  famine;  and  she  shall 
be  burned  up  witli  fire ;  because  strong 
is  the  Lord  God  who  judged  her. 

9  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  com- 


p  Isa.  47  : 1-3 ;  Ezek.  28  :  2,  etc.     5  Isa.  47  :  7,  8 ;  Zeph.  2  :  15. 
5  17:16;  Jer.  51  :  58.     t   11  :  17  ;  Job  9  :  19 ;  Isa.  27  :  1 ;  Jer.  50  :  34. 


r  Ver.  10 ; 
M  Ver.  3  ;  17  : 


a.  47  :  9-11. 
;  Kzek.  26  : 


poetry,  the  same  thought  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding statement.  She  gave  the  cup 
of  her  fornication  to  others,  she  will 
be  compelled  to  drink  the  cup  of 
wrath. 

7.  How  much  .  .  ,  heart.  Her 
heart  was  lifted  high  in  boasting;  for 
her  boasting  will  come,  a  correspond- 
ing humiliation.  Her  pride  precedes 
an  utter  destruction.  Deliciously, 
rather,  wantonly.  Luxury  in  living  is 
often  joined  with  a  wantonness  in  life, 
the  one  inducing  the  other.  In  her 
heart.  The  heart  is  the  man ;  what 
a  man  really  thinks,  that  he  is.  There 
is  a  deep-seated  nature  of  sinful  boast- 
ing which  comes  out  in  words  and  in 
actions.  Three  things  formed  the 
foundation  of  the  boasting:  (1)  her 
position  of  honor,  a  ruler,  a  queen 
among  cities.  I  sit  a  queen.  Such 
was  the  literal  Babylon  ;  (2)  she  is  not 
deserted,  exposed  to  poverty,  in  the 
abject  state  in  which  widows  were  in 
the  East,  where  too  often  no  justice  is 
found,  widoAV ;  (3)  her  life  had  not 
been  filled  with  sorrow,  rather, 
mourning,  as  if  for  the  dead.  On  the 
other  hand  her  life  had  been  filled 
with  peace  and  joy.  For  a  mistaken 
estimate  of  life  see  the  words  of  Jesus 
in  3  :  17. 

8.  Therefore  shows  the  moral  con- 
nection between  the  two  verses.  Break- 
ing God's  laws  will  always  bring  a 
harvest,  if  we  wait  long  enough.  She 
was  a  queen,  but  plagues  came  on 
her.  They  come  suddenly  and  in 
triumph,  in  one  day.  Death  causes 
a  widowhood  in  actual  life.  In  like 
manner  here,  as  if  by  the  death  of  a 
husband  or  supporter,  an  utter  destruc- 
tion brings  a  widowhood,  mourning, 
famine,  complete  helplessness. 
Burned.  As  in  actual  warfare  the 
fire  finished   what  the  armv  did  not 


destroy,  so  here  the  destruction  shall 
be  as  if  it  were  burned  with  fire.  Fire 
was  also,  in  certain  cases,  the  punish- 
ment of  the  harlot  (Lev.  20  :  u).  This 
will  happen  in  accordance  with  God's 
moral  laws.  He  is  a  strong  God. 
He  is  a  holy  God,  and  therefore  he 
judgeth,  rather,  judged  her.  God 
will  make  use  of  direct  and  indirect 
agencies  to  serve  his  purpose  in  break- 
ing down  his  foes.  In  18  :  16  we  see 
one  method  of  God's  working  to  de- 
stroy the  unclean  woman,  who  is  also 
Babylon.  God  sent  a  flood,  opened  the 
earth,  struck  a  man  dead.  He  sends 
confusion  to  the  counsels  of  the  wicked, 
frustrates  the  plans  of  the  ungodly, 
adds  new  power  to  the  truth,  gives  in 
larger  measure  the  Holy  Spirit,  blesses 
the  endeavors  of  his  people.  God  has 
pledged  his  word  to  build  up  the  walls 
of  the  holy  Jerusalem,  to  break  down 
the  walls  of  wicked  Babylon. 

9-20.  Lamentations  over  the 
FALL  OF  THE  CITY.  Judgment  is  now 
supposed  to  have  fallen  upon  the  city. 
As  a  result  we  see  the  world  mourning 
over  her  fall.  In  11  :  10  the  world  re- 
joiced over  the  death  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses; here  it  sorrows  over  the  fall  of 
the  harlot,  the  wicked  city.  The 
mourners  are  divided  into  three  classes. 
As  there  are  three  groups  of  visions, 
so  here  are  three  groups  of  mourners, 
embracing  all  those  who  mourn  the 
fall  of  the  city.  The  entire  lament  is 
like  that  of  Jeremiah  over  the  fall  of 
Jerusalem  in  his  lamentation,  though 
the  moral  and  spiritual  tone  is  entirely 
difierent.  The  structure  and  spirit  of 
the  entire  pa!3.sage  are  founded  iipon 
the  lamentation  over  the  fall  of  Tyi'C 
in  Ezek.  26,  27. 

The  mourning  of  the  kings,  ver. 
9,  10. 

9.  Kings.    When  the  harlot  fell  it 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


REVELATION 


345 


have  committed  fornication  and  lived  i 
deliciously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her, 
and  lament  for  her  'when  they  shall  ' 
see  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  standing 
afar  off   for  the  fear  of   her  torment, 

10  saying,   r  Alas !    alas !    that  great  city 
Babylon,  that  mighty  city  !  ^  for  in  one  i 
hour  is  thy  judgment  come.  | 

11  And  «the  merchants  of  the  earth  | 
shall  weep  and  mourn  over  her;  for  j 
no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  | 

12  more:  ^the  merchandise  of  gold, and  sil- 
ver, and  precious  stones,  and  of  pearls, 
and  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  silk, 
and scarlet,and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all 
manner  vessels  of  ivory,  and  all  man- 
ner vessels  of  most  precious  wood,  and 

13  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble,  and 
cinnamon,  and  odours,  and  ointments. 


mitted  fornication  and  lived  luxuri- 
ously with  her,  shall  weep  and  wail 
over  her,  when  they  see  the  smoke  of 

10  her  burning;  standing  afar  off  for  the 
fear  of  her  torment,  saying.  Woe,  woe, 
the  great  city  Babylon,  the  strong  city  ! 
Because  in  one  hour  thy  judgment  is 
come. 

11  Anil  the  merchants  of  the  earth  weep 
and  mourn  over  her,  because  no  one 

13  buys  their  merchandise  any  more ;  the 
merchandise  of  gold,  and  silver,  and 
precious  stones,  and  pearls,  and  fine 
linen,  and  purple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet, 
and  all  citron  wood,  and  every  vessel 
of  ivory,  and  every  vessel  of  most  pre- 
cious wood,  and  brass,  and  iron,  and 

13  marble,  and  cinnamon,  and  amoinum, 
and  odours,  and  oiu'tment,  and  frank- 


;  Ver.  18 ;  19  :  3. 


»  14:  6;  laa.  13  :  19 ;  14  :  4 ;  21  :  9. 
a  Ver.  3  ;  Isa.  47  :  15  ;  Ezek.  27  :  27-36. 


2  Ver.  17,  19  ;  Jer.  51  :  8,  9. 
6  17  :  4. 


was  because  she  was  made  desolate 
through  the  ten  horns  ("  :  ib)  which 
stand,  in  some  way,  for  great  world 
powers,  ungodly  in  their  nature,  yet 
doing  God's  will.  By  kings  here  John 
means  simply  one  class  of  the  many  in 
the  world  who  hate  God's  kingdom, 
who  love  unrighteousness,  and  who 
have  followed  the  false  teachings  of 
the  great  city.  Deliciously,  rather, 
wantonly.  These  have  lived  spirit- 
ually unclean  lives,  denoted  by  the 
terms  fornication  and  wantonness.  It 
usually  happens  that  a  departure  from 
God  leads  to  moral  uncleanness,  as  was 
the  ease  in  Greece  and  Kome,  and  is 
now  true  in  India,  where  licentious- 
ness is  in  many  eases  a  recognized 
feature  of  worship.  Shall  bewail 
.  .  .  her,  rather,  shall  weep  and  be- 
wail over  her.  For  the  effect  of  the 
fall  of  the  Old  Testament  Babylon, 
read  Jer.  50  :  46.  The  sorrow  is  spoken 
of  as  in  the  future. 

10.  The  kings  are  represented  as 
standing  afar  off  lest  they  be  injured 
by  the  conflagration.  It  is  not  sym- 
pathy so  much  as  a  selfish  caring  for 
themselves.  Alas  .  .  .  Babylon, 
rather,  Woe,  woe,  the  great  city  Bab- 
ylon. Something  similar  is  said  of 
Tyre  in  Ezek.  26  :  15,  16.  The  various 
appellations,  great  city,  strong  city, 
show  how  great  must  he  the  power 
that  could  destroy  it,  and  liow  great 
the  guilt  also  that  could  bring  down 
such  a  heavy  judgment.  In  one 
hour.  This  .same  expres.sion  occurs 
iu  17  :  19.    A  few  days  would  suffice 


to  destroy  a  large  city.  God's  judg- 
ments sometimes  come  very  rapidly. 
Great  moral  forces,  by  which  wrongs 
are  overcome  and  right  effected,  often 
accumulate  slowly,  but  work  with 
rapidity  and  force  at  the  last. 

Lamentation  of  the  merchants,  ver. 
11-16.  The  second  group  of  mourners 
is  the  mercantile  class. 

11.  3Ierchants  of  the  earth. 
In  this  case,  as  in  the  case  of  the  kings, 
they  are  people  of  the  earth,  earthly 
minded.  Shall  weep,  rather,  %oeep. 
The  narrative  passes  to  the  present 
tense.  It  is  as  though  the  destruction 
were  drawing  nearer  and  nearer.  A 
great  citj'  like  Babylon  puts  the  whole 
world  under  tribute  for  its  supplies  of 
necessity  and  luxury.  In  ver.  3  the 
merchants  grow  rich  through  traffic 
with  her. 

12,  13.  In  these  ver.ses  we  have  a 
long  list  of  articles  that  were  in  de- 
mand in  a  city  like  Babylon.  AVe  are 
not  called  upon  to  give  a  definite  spir- 
itual meaning  for  each  term  used.  This 
is  not  in  John's  mind.  Objects  such 
as  tliese  would  be  in  constant  demand 
in  such  a  city,  and  as  such  they  are 
named.  Tlie  larger  the  list,  the  more 
impres.sive  is  the  desolation  that  fol- 
lows. We  have^  first,  a  group  of  the 
trea.sures  of  civilized  life,  gold  ... 
pearls;  we  have  next  the  luxurious 
clothing,  fine  linen  .  . .  scarlet;  the 
materials  u.sed  in  costly  dwellings, 
thyine  (sweet  .scented  wood)  .  .  . 
marble ;  aromatics  and  spices,  cin- 
namon .  .  .  frankincense  ;  articles 


346 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


and  frankincense,  and  wine,  and  oil, 
and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts, 
and  slieep ;  and  horses,  and  chariots, 

14  and  slaves,  and  =  souls  of  men.  And 
the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted  after 
^  are  departed  from  thee,  and  all  things 
which  were  dainty  and  goodly  are  de- 

.     parted  from  thee,  and  thou  shalt  find 
'      them  no  more  at  all. 

15  « The  merchants  of  these  things  which 
were  made  rich  by  her,  shall  stand 
afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment, 
weeping    and    wailing,    and    saying, 

16  Alas!  alas!  that  great  city,  'that  was 
clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and 
scarlet,  decked  with  gold,  and  precious 

17  stones,  and  pearls !  s  for  in  one  hour  so 
great  riches  is  come  to  nought. 

And  t  every  shipmaster,  and  all  the 


incense,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine 
flour,  and  wheat,  and  cattle,  and 
sheep ;    and  of   horses,  and    chariots, 

14  and  slaves ;  and  souls  of  men.  And 
the  fruit  that  thy  soul  desired  departed 
from  thee,  and  all  the  dainty  and 
goodly  things  perished  from  thee,  and 

15  they  shall  find  them  no  more.  The 
merchants  of  these  things,  who  be- 
came rich  by  her,  shall  stand  afar  off 
for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  weeping 

16  and  mourning,  saying,  Woe,  woe,  the 
great  city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine 
linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and 
gilded  with  gold  and  precious  stone 

17  and  pearl ;  because  in  one  hour  so 
great  riches  are  made  desolate.  And 
every  shipmaster,  and  every  one  that 


c  Ezek.  27  :  13.  d  Luke  12  :  20  ;  16  :  25.  e  Ver.  3,  11. 

g  Ver.  10 ;  Isa.  47  :  11.  ft  Isa.  23  :  14 ;  Ezek.  27  ; 


/  17  ;  4. 


of  food  and  drink,  wine  .  .  .  flour; 
the  adjuncts  of  toil  and  war,  horses, 
.  .  .  chariots ;  their  attendants, 
slaves,  and   souls   of  men.     The 

articles  are  named  in  a  methodical 
way.  They  show  that  everything  is 
under  tribute  to  supply  the  necessities 
and  luxuries  of  the  great  city.  Some 
have  conceived  of  the  expression  souls 
of  men,  as  indicating  a  traffic  in  the 
spiritual  part  of  man  as  distinct  from 
the  body,  as  though  Babylon  were  deal- 
ing in  the  souls  of  men  as  an  article  of 
merchandise,  and  causing  their  loss. 
But  the  expression  cannot  mean  this. 
The  word  rendered  sou/s  means  as  in 
Ezek.  27  :  13,  persons,  in  this  case  re- 
ferring to  slaves.  The  word  rendered 
slaves  means  literally  bodies,  and  refers 
here,  inasmuch  as  it  is  joined  to  horses 
and  chariots,  to  hired  persons  as  dis- 
tinguished from  slaves.  This  is  the 
view  of  Meyer  and  Alford.  It  is  true 
that  false  systems  of  faith  have  dealt 
in  the  souls  of  men,  beguiling  them 
with  falsities  that  were  ruinous  to  the 
soul.  But  this  is  not  tlie  meaning  of 
this  passage.  We  must  not  crowd  in 
spiritual  meanings,  unless  the  pas.sage 
itself  calls  for  them.  Human  slavery 
was  everywhere,  in  ancient  times,  rec- 
ognized as  an  essential  part  of  society. 
While  Jesus  gave  no  express  com- 
mand forbidding  slavery,  the  spirit 
of  his  teachings  has  everywhere  de- 
stroyed it. 

14.  Ver.  14  is  an  apostrophe  to  the 
doomed  city.  Goodly,  rather,  sump- 
tuous.     Thou    shalt    find,    rather, 


men  shall  find.  Luxurioiisness  and 
gluttony  are  mentioned  as  sins  of  the 
city.  Like  a  dream,  all  the  things 
that  contributed  to  their  pleasure  have 
departed  from  them. 

15, 16.  These  verses  correspond  with 
ver.  9,  10.  They  stand  afar  off  in  self- 
ish fear  of  being  injured  by  the  burn- 
ing city.  They  also  weep,  not  so  much 
in  sympathy,  as  for  the  loss  of  trade. 
Every  incident  mentioned  is  suggestive. 
They  cry  Alas,  rather,  Woe.  The 
city,  pictured  as  a  woman,  is  clothed 
in  the  finest  apparel,  decked  with 
jewelry.  The  material  splendors  alone 
are  mourned  for.  The  scarlet  is  a 
reminiscence  of  17  :  4. 

17,  18.  Come  to  nought,  rather, 
is  made  desolate.  The  one  hour  in- 
volves the  idea  of  suddenness.  It  does 
not  mean  the  one  hour  of  our  time. 
Long  ages  may  even  be  embraced  in 
this  expression.  It  is  easier  to  tear 
down  than  to  build  up. 

The  lament  of  the  shipmasters,  ver. 
17-19.  The  third  class  of  mourners  is 
now  introduced,  that  of  the  sailor 
class.  These  also  lament  the  loss  of 
trade.  Taken  altogether  they  embrace 
the  varied  interests  of  commerce  and 
material  concerns. 

Heretofore  we  had  the  dwellers  on 
land,  now  to  make  the  description 
all-comprehensive,  we  have  all  those 
on  the  sea  or  connected  with  it.  We 
have  four  classes  mentioned  :  (1)  Ship- 
master. In  the  original  the  word 
means  steersman,  but  it  corresponds 
very  nearly  with  our  shipmaster.     (2) 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


REVELATION 


347 


company  iu  ships,  and  sailors,  and  as 
manj'  as  trade  oy  sea,  stood  afar  off, 

18  'and  cried  when  they  saw  the  smoke 
of  her  burning,  sayiiiR,  ''What  city  is 

19  like  unto  this  great  city!  And  'they 
cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried, 
weeping  and  wailing,  saying,  Alas! 
alas !  that  great  city,  wherein  were 
made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea 
by  reason  of  her  costliness!  ™  for  iu 
one  hour  is  she  made  desolate. 

20  "Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and 
ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets ;  for 
»God  hath  avenged  you  on  her. 


t  Ter.  9 ;  Iss.  34  :  10 ;  Ezek.  27  :  30,  31.  *  13  :  4. 

m  Ver.  8.  n  19  :  1-3  ;  Isa.  49  :  13  ;  Jer.  51 


sails  to  any  place,  and  seamen,  and  a.s 
many  as  do  ijusiness  at  sea,  stood  afar 

18  off,  and  cried  out  wlien  they  saw  the 
smoke  of   her  burning,  saying.  What 

19  city  is  like  the  great  city  ?  And  they 
cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried  out, 
weeping  and  mourning,  saying,  Woe, 
woe,  the  great  city,  wherein  all  that 
have  the  ships  in  tlie  sea  became  rich 
by  reason  of   her  costliness;   because 

20  in  one  hour  she  is  made  desolate.  Re- 
joice over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye 
saints,  and  ye  apostles,  and  ye  proph- 
ets; because  God  judged  your  judg- 
ment on  her. 


I  Josh. 7 
0  6: 


6 ;  1  Sam.  4  ;  12 ;  Job  2  :  12 ;  Ezek.  27 :  30- 
10 ;  19  :  2  ;  Lake  U  :  49,  50 ;  18  :  7,  8. 


All  the  company  in  ships,  rather, 
and  every  one  that  sailcth  anyirhere. 
This  embraces  all  who  are  connected 
with  the  management  of  ships.  (.S) 
Sailors,  rather,  mariners.  (4)  Trade 
by  sea,  rather,  gain  their  living.  This 
embraces  fishermen,  and  all.  persons 
in  any  way  gaining  a  livelihood  from 
the  .sea.  It  is  a  picturesque  and  graphic 
description,  giving  in  detail  all  classes 
of  persons  connected  with  the  sea. 
Cried.  We  pa.ss  here  from  the  future 
tense  of  ver.  9,  from  the  present  tense 
of  ver.  11,  to  the  past  tense,  where  the 
destruction  is  looked  at  as  though 
already  in  the  past.  What  city.  The 
same  praise  is  given  to  the  beast  in 
13:4. 

19.  Cast  dust.  This  is  the  Oriental 
expression  of  deepest  sorrow.  The 
same  custom  may  be  observed  in  the 
East  to-day.  Wailing,  rather,  monrn- 
ing.  Alas,  alas,  rather,  Woe,  woe. 
Costliness.  This  refers  to  the  costly 
things  used  by  her,  making  demand 
for  tiie  use  of  vessels.  Desolate. 
This  sad  refrain  is  found  in  ver.  10,  17, 
and  here.  The  desolation  and  its  sud- 
denness are  emphasized.  The  imageiy 
of  the  entire  chapter  is  largely  taken 
from  Ezek.  26,  27,  where  tlie  capture 
and  destruction  of  Tyre  are  spoken  of. 
In  character  Tj're  resembled  Babylon, 
insomuch  that  it  is  called  in  Isa.  24  : 
10  a  city  of  confusion,  that  is,  a  Bab- 
ylon. 

20.  This  verse  stands  in  a  wide  con- 
tra.st  with  the  preceding  ela.sses  of 
mourners.  The  judgment  is  now  re- 
garded as  having  taken  place.  The 
righteous  everywhere,  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  are  called  upon  to  rejoice. 


The  voice  that  speaks  is  that  of  the 
angel.  Heaven  is  called  upon  to  re- 
joice, as  in  13  :  12.  The  believers  on 
earth  are  divided  into  tlnee  classes,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  mourners.  Heaven 
is  also  mentioned  to  show,  in  tins  direct 
way,  that  the  destruction  conies  from 
the  holy  God,  and  is  justified  by  the 
facts  of  the  case.  Saints.  This  is  a 
general  designation  of  all  believers  on 
earth.  They  are  regarded  as  set  apart 
to  God's  service;  they  are  also  thereby 
holy  in  character.  iHoly  apostles, 
rather,  apostles,  prophets.  These  two 
classes  are  mentioned,  embraced  in  the 
general  term  of  saint.s,  because  on 
them  would  fir.st  and  principally  fall 
the  vengeance  of  a  persecuting  worldly 
power.  They  would  feel  especially 
thankful.  If  the  term  prophet  is  used 
in  its  Old  Testament  .sense,  then  the 
vision  has  reference  to  persecutions 
under  both  covenants.  If  it  is  used  in 
its  New  Testament  sense  (Eph.  4  :  lo)  the 
vision  has  reference  to  the  New  Tes- 
tament times  only.  Hath  avenged 
you  on  her,  ratlier,  hath  judged  your 
judgment  upon  her.  God  had  treasured 
up  in  his  mind  all  the  injustice  and 
wiong  done  to  his  saints.  In  now  visit- 
ing upon  Bal)ylon  his  judgment,  it  is 
fittingl.y  called  your  judgment.  Through 
it  God  expresses  his  satisfaction  with 
believers,  and  ju.stifies  their  conduct  in 
opposing  and  condemning  their  great 
foe.  God  seems  to  forget,  but  in  time 
his  judgments  will  be  made  manifest. 
He  identifies  the  wrongs  done  to  his 
people  as  done  to  iiimself.  His  judg- 
ment is,  at  the  same  time,  their  judg- 
ment. This  is  a  legitimate  rejoicing 
in  which  all  holy  men  may  join  over 


348 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


21  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone 
like  a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into 
the  sea,  saying,  pThus  with  violence 
shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown 
down,  and  i  shall  be  found  no  more  at 

22  all.  'And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and 
musicians,  and  of  pipers,  and  trumpet- 
ers, shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in 
thee ;  and  no  craftsman,  of  whatsoever 
craft  he  he,  shall  be  found  any  more  in 
thee ;  and  the  sound  of  a  millstone 
shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ; 

23  "and  the  light  of  a  caudle  shall  shine 
no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  '  and  the  voice 
of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride 
shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee. 
For  "thy  merchants  were  the  great 
men  of  the  earth  ;  'for  by  thy  sorceries 
were  all  nations  deceived. 

24  And  J  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of 
prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that 
» were  slain  upon  the  earth. 


21  And  a  strong  angel  took  up  a  stone 
like  a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into 
the  sea,  saying,  Thus  with  violence 
shall  Babylon  the  great  city  be  cast 
down,  and  shall  be  found  "no  more. 

22  And  the  voice  of  harpers  and  musicians 
and  flute-players  and  trumpeters  shall 
be  heard  in  thee  no  more ;  and  no 
craftsman,  of  whatever  craft,  shall  be 
found  any  more  in  thee,  and  the  voice 
of  a  millstone  shall  be  heard  in  thee 

23  no  more ;  and  the  light  of  a  lamp  shall 
shine  in  thee  no  mure  ;  and  the  voice 
of  bridegroom  and  of  bride  shall  be 
heard  in  thee  no  more ;  because  thy 
merchants  were  the  great  men  of  the 
earth ;  because  by  thy  sorcery  all  the 

24  nations  were  led  astray.  And  in  her 
was  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and 
of  saints  and  of  all  that  have  been 
slain  on  the  earth. 


p 

Exod. 

15: 

5 ;  Jer. 

51: 

63 

64. 

9 

12 

8;  Ezek.  26 

24. 

r 

Isa.  24 

:8 

Jer 

16 

:9 

25 

10 

Ezek 

28 

13. 

8 

Jer 

25 

:  10.            t  Jer. 

7:34. 

«  Isa. 

23 

8,9. 

X 

12:9 

i  13 

:  13-16 

IT 

:2 

5; 

Isa. 

47 

9; 

Nahum  3  :  4 

y 

16 

:6;  17 

:6. 

^ 

Jer 

51 

49; 

Matt. 

23 

35. 

the  downfall  of  the  wicked  (e  ■•  lo). 
Wrong-doing  always  begets  a  fearful 
penalty  (is  :  5-7). 

21-24.  The  fate  of  Babylon 
shown  by  the  stone  cast  into  the 
SEA.  A  third  angel  is  introduced,  the 
first  having  appeared  in  17  :  1,  the 
second  in  18  :  1.  This  mighty  angel  is 
depicted  as  easting  a  great  stone  into 
the  sea,  whereby  is  significantly  shown 
the  utter  and  sudden  desolation  of  the 
city.  He  not  only  performs  the  act, 
but  explains  the  meaning  of  the  act. 

21.  Mighty,  rather,  strong.  Tliis 
is  a  fitting  attribute  of  an  angel  who 
performs  so  great  an  act.  Stone. 
One  has  but  to  read  Jer.  51  :  60-64  to 
see  how  this  reproduces  an  Old  Testa- 
ment scene  in  reference  to  Baljylon. 
What  took  place  there  literally,  takes 
place  here  figuratively  in  reference  to 
the  mystical  Babylon.  The  millstone 
is  not  a  small  one  turned  by  hand  (Matt. 
2t :  41),  but  a  large  one  turned  by  an 
ass  (Mark  9 :  42),  better  fitted  to  symbolize 
the  destruction  of  a  great  city.  The 
angel  adds  the  words:  Thus  .  .  . 
down,  rather.  Thus  vnth  a  mighty 
fall  shall  Bahylon,  the  great  city,  be 
cast  down.  The  imagerj^  here  changes, 
but  without  any  change  in  the  thought 
presented.  In  the  preceding  verses  the 
city  is  destroyed  by  fire  ;  here  it  is,  as 
it  were,  thrown  into  the  sea  and  disap- 
pears from  sight. 


23,  23.  These  verses  dwell  on  the 
desolation  of  the  city.  Pipers,  rather, 
flute  players.     Music  would  die  out. 

(comp.  Isa.  24 :  8.)  In  a  Striking  way  he 
recounts  the  utter  solitude  of  the  place. 
Candle,  rather,  lamp.  All  is  dark- 
ness, family  life  is  extinct,  trade  is 
dead.  (comp.  Jer.  25 :  10.)  Three  reasons 
are  assigned  by  the  angel  for  the  fall 
of  the  city.  (1)  For  .  .  .  earth. 
Those  who  brought  to  Babylon  the 
objects  of  her  luxurious  life,  found  in 
her  wealth  and  extravagance  the 
sources  of  their  own  wealth,  whereby 
they  became  the  great  men  of  the  earth. 
(2)  Sorceries  .  .  .  deceived.  Her 
licentiousness  had  led  astray  nations 
and  kings,  as  she  brought  them  into 
her  service.  The  word  rendered  sor- 
cery means,  in  the  original,  the  love 
potion  given  bj'  a  harlot  to  excite  the 
animal  passions.  It  is  applied  here  to 
any  seduction  to  sinful  living.  The 
third  reason  is  given  in  the  next  verse. 

24.  Here  is  shown  her  hostility  to 
the  saints.  Persecutions  had  killed 
the  prophets,  the  spokesmen  for  God, 
and  the  saints,  the  holy  men,  because 
they  were  holy.  Compare  the  words 
of  Jesus  in  Matt.  23  :  35,  36. 

Swete  takes  Babylon  to  signify  Rome. 
He  explains:  "But  Rome  does  not, 
of  course,  exhaust  St.  John's  concep- 
tion of  Babylon.  His  vi.sion  sounds  a 
note  of  warning,  which  may  well  be 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


REVELATION 


349 


taken  to  heart  by  any  great  metropolis 
which  prostitutes  its  wealtii  ana  in- 
tiueace  to  base  or  self-sueliing  ends.  .  . 
Otlier  ages  may  witness  the  rise  and 
fall  of  otlier  mistresses  of  the  world  not 
less  magnificent  and  depraved" — on 
17  :  18.  Many  recent  commentators 
take  Babylon  to  signify  pagan  Home. 
But  see  Appendix. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  angels  are  a  superior  order  of 
beings,  having  authority,  glorious  in  per- 
son. They  delight  to  serve  God  iu  all 
ways.  How  they  act  for  men  in  daily 
affairs,  influencing  life,  we  may  not  know. 
They  are  helpers  of  God,  servants  of  the 
saints  (ver.  1 ;  Heb.  1  :  14). 

2.  Babylon  was  great,  but  God  was 
greater.  God  is  supremely  holy,  there- 
fore Babylon  went  down  finally  and 
utterly.  We  sometimes  see  how  God 
works  that  we  may  know  the  principles 
on  which,  in  time,  he  will  bring  all  un- 
godliness under  condemnation  (ver.  2). 

3.  Judgments  do  not  come  by  chance. 
They  always  result  from  God's  broken 
moral  laws.  He  keeps  track  of  broken 
laws  and  sinful  lives,  whether  of  men  or 
nations  (ver.  3). 

4.  Christians  are  to  be  a  separate  people. 
A  church  that  goes  down  to  the  world 
will  lose  its  spirituality,  and  have  no 
power  to  lift  the  world  up  (ver.  4). 

5.  The  Christian  must  not  desert  the 
world,  but  leaven  it  by  his  presence.  He 
must  take  an  interest  in  men,  living  close 
to  them  that  he  may  lift  them  up  (ver.  4). 

6.  God  remembers  unpardoned  iniqui- 
ties. There  is  a  blessed  forgetfulness  in 
God  in  that  he  remembers  pardoned  sins 
no  more  (Jer.  31 :  34).  They  are  as  if  they 
had  not  been.  God's  remembrance  is  the 
foundation  for  an  equitable  administra- 
tion of  justice  in  the  future  life  (ver.  5). 

7.  The  law  of  increase  is  one  of  God's 
laws.  A  man  reaps  more  than  he  sows. 
God  will  graciously  reward  his  people  ac- 
cording to  their  works.  Sins  also  will 
bring  a  recompense  of  reward.  God  does 
not  retaliate,  but  he  has  so  framed  his 
moral  laws  that  what  a  man  sows  that  he 
also  reaps  (ver.  6). 

8.  Pride  of  heart  goes  before  destruc- 
tion. Nebuchadnezzar's  pride  brought 
him  to  the  condition  of  the  beast  of  the 


field.  The  man  who  humbles  himself 
shall  be  exalted.  Sin  always  blinds  a 
man  to  the  real  condition  of  his  heart 
(ver.  7). 

9.  Notliing  is  too  hard  for  God.  He  is 
strong  and  holy.  Therefore  judgments 
come  from  his  administration.  Pharaoh 
resisted  God  and  failed.  Every  pharaoh 
must  fail,  whoever  he  be  (ver.  8). 

10.  The  cause  of  mourning  should  be, 
not  the  punishment,  but  the  sin  from 
which  the  punishment  comes.  Sin 
mourned  over  will  .secure  pardon.  Pun- 
ishment mourned  over  brings  no  change 
of  heart,  but  adds  only  additional  sorrow. 
The  sorrow  of  the  world  works  death  ; 
the  godly  sorrow  works  life  and  peace 
(ver.  9). 

11.  Sometimes  God  works  with  great 
rapidity  and  suddenness.  He  patiently 
waits  for  years  and  then,  in  a  moment, 
the  judgment  comes.  In  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye  the  living  will  be  changed  (1 
Cor.  15  :  52).  When  he  comes  in  judg- 
ment, none  can  hinder  (ver.  10). 

12.  If  riches  consist  of  outward  and 
material  things  only,  they  must  be  tem- 
porary. Fire  or  storm  may  destroy  them. 
Abiding  riches  are  unseen  (ver.  12,  13). 

13.  If  a  good  man  fall  he  will  rise  again. 
Even  seven  falls  will  not  destroy  him 
(Prov.  24  :  16).  His  fall  may  even  prove 
a  blessing  to  him  and  to  others  (Luke  22  : 
32).  The  fall  of  the  wicked  is  absolute 
and  final  (ver.  14  ;  1  John  2  :  11). 

14.  In  troubles  God  is  with  his  people 
to  share  their  troubles  with  them.  The 
wicked  are  quite  apt  to  stand  afar  ofl 
when  their  friends  come  under  God's 
judgments.  They  can  be  of  no  help 
(ver.  15). 

15.  Outward  adornments  and  beautiful 
possessions  are  not  wrong  in  themselves. 
Riches  and  power  are  not  wrong.  When 
outward  things  minister  to  pride,  and 
cause  men  to  forget  God,  they  will  soon 
give  place  to  garments  of  mourning.  The 
rich  man  changed  places  with  the  beggar 
in  rags  (ver.  16 ;  Luke  16  :  19-23). 

16.  If  nations  are  punished,  they  must 
be  punished  in  the  present  existence,  for 
they  have  no  resurrection.  God  does 
deal  with  nations  that  do  not  do  his  will. 
Heavy  penalties  come  on  nations  that 
traffic    in    unrighteousness.     God    has  a 


350 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


The  fall  oj  Babylon— Fourfold  joy  and 
praise  in  heaven. 
19     AND  after  these  things  "I  heard  a 
great  voice  of  much  people  in  heaveu, 
saying, 


19     AFTER  these  things,  I  heard  as  it 
were  a  great  voice  of  a  great  multitude 


a  11  :  15 ;  18  :  20. 


judgment  day  for  nations  in  the  present 
life  (ver.  19). 

17.  The  saints  do  not  rejoice  in  mis- 
fortunes to  the  ungodly.  They  ought  to 
rejoice  at  the  downfall  of  the  plans  of  the 
ungodly,  and  the  triumph  of  righteous- 
ness. When  God  introduces  a  triumphant 
righteousness,  the  saints  cannot  help  re- 
joicing (ver.  20). 

18.  All  the  prophecies  in  the  Bible  must 
be  fulfilled.  Nothing  can  stand  against 
God's  word.  Nature  will  help  bring  to 
pass  the  supernatural  prediction.  Wicked 
men  will  unconsciously  bring  the  promise 
to  pass.  Jesus  proclaims  his  word  as  more 
enduring  than  the  laws  of  nature  (ver. 
21;  Mark  13:  31). 

19.  A  great  change  takes  place  for  the 
wicked  when  God  comes  in  judgment. 
The  rich  man  takes  his  place  in  a  world 
of  torment.  The  rich  farmer  leaves  all 
to  others  (Luke  12  :  20).  Music,  luxury, 
and  enjoyment  give  way  to  darkness, 
wretchedness,  and  pain  (ver.  22). 

20.  Two  places  will  have  no  candles. 
Heaven  will  need  none,  for  all  is  light. 
God's  presence  makes  constant  sunshine. 
Hell  will  have  none,  for  the  outer  dark- 
ness dwells  there.  No  joy  or  light  comes 
there  at  all  (ver.  23). 

21.  The  blood  of  the  martyrs  has  been 
the  seed  of  the  church.  None  have  lived 
more  really  after  their  death  than  those 
who  were  faithful  unto  death.  But  God 
will  hold  guilty  those  who  laid  violent 
hands  on  his  witnesses.  In  our  day  wit- 
nesses are  needed  more  to  live  for  Christ 
than  to  die  for  him  (ver.  24). 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

1-10.  A  SONG  OF  TRIUMPH  OVER 
THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON.  In  this 
chapter  we  have  two  leading  thoughts. 
The  first  is  the  song  of  rejoicing  over 
the  fall  of  Babylon.  The  second  is 
tlie  destruction  of  the  other  foes  of 
Christ  and  his  church,  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet.    The  song  of  this 


chapter  is  the  natural  outcome  and 
conclusion  of  the  two  preceding  chap- 
ters, in  which  an  account  is  given  of 
the  destruction  of  the  unclean  woman 
and  of  the  great  Babylon.  It  ought 
fittingly  to  be  joined  to  chap.  XVIII. 
In  18  :  6  an  appeal  is  made  to  God's 
holy  agencies  to  punish  the  city,  and 
then  the  heavens,  with  their  holy  in- 
habitants, are  called  upon  to  rejoice. 
Here  we  have  heaven  opened  to  us 
that  we  may  behold  the  rejoicing  there. 
Heaven  and  earth  are  close  togetlier,  in- 
asmuch as  that  which  takes  place  here 
interests  the  world  above.  We  must 
not  infer  from  the  pictorial  represen- 
tation here  that  the  rejoicing  will,  in 
a  historical  and  actual  way,  take  place 
before  the  other  enemies  are  destroyed. 
In  this  book  the  three  series  of  visions 
run  side  by  side,  so  that  all  the  series 
are  in  process  of  fulfilment  at  the  same 
time.  In  like  manner,  there  is  a  con- 
stant warfare  waged  against  all  the 
foes  of  Christ.  In  a  vision  we  can  see 
only  one  teaching  at  a  time.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  there  is  always  the 
manifestation  of  God's  opposition  to 
the  unclean  woman,  the  beast,  and 
false  prophet.  In  18  :  14,  before  the 
fall  of  the  great  city,  it  is  stated  that 
there  exists  a  war  between  the  Lamb 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth.  We  must 
not  expect  to  find  in  this  chapter  a 
precise  and  orderly  manifestation  of 
the  steps  by  which  God  will  subjugate 
the  world  with  its  powers  to  himself. 
Following  the  destruction  of  the  harlot 
there  comes  naturally  an  enlarged  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel  in  winning  souls 
from  sin,  the  renewed  power  of  the 
true  church,  and  the  preparation  of 
the  bride  to  meet  her  Lord.  The  mar- 
riage of  the  Lamb,  the  close  intimacy 
of  the  redeemed  people  with  the  Re- 
deemer, comes  naturally,  as  Ave  hasten 
toward  the  closing  scenes  of  this  holy 
drama. 

1.  Omit  And.  This  takes  place  in 
close  connection  with  the  preceding. 
Heard  .  .  .  heaven,  rather,  heard, 
(US  it  were,  a  great  voice  of  a  great  mul- 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


351 


*>  Alleluia! 
"  Salvation,  and  glory,  and  honour,  and 
power,  unto  the  Lord  our  God  : 
2  For  "itrue  and  righteous  are  his  judg- 
ments:—« for  he  hath  judged  the  great 
whore, 

Which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with  her 
fornication, 


in  heaven,  saying.  Hallelujah  ;  the 
salvation,  and  the  glory,  and  the 
power,  are  our  Go<l's  ;  because  true  and 
righteous  are  his  judgments;  because 
he  judged  the  great  harlot,  who  cor- 
rupted the  earth  with  her  fornication, 


b  Ps.  150  :  1. 


c  4:11;  7:  10,  12;  12:  10. 


d  15  :  3;  16  :  7. 


titade.  The  term  heaven,  as  used  here, 
does  not  necessarily  mean  the  region 
beyond  the  grave,  but  rather  the  col- 
lection of  the  righteous,  the  spiritual, 
the  unworldly,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
heaven.  Miriam  sung  over  the  triumph 
at  the  Red  Sea  (exo.j.  15).  Deborah 
sung  when  the  Israelites  triumphed 
over  the  Canaanites  (Judg.  5).  The  be- 
ginning of  Luke's  Gospel  is  full  of  the 
songs  of  rejoicing  at  the  successive  dis- 
closures of  the  plan  of  redemption. 
In  this  book  we  have  a  succcssiou  of 
songs.  Every  new  disclosure  of  God's 
power  and  mercy  calls  for  a  song.     In 

4  :  18  we  have  a  song  at  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  entire  sacred  drama;    in 

5  :  9  the  creation  bursts  into  song  when 
the  Lamb  takes  the  book  from  the 
hand  of  the  Father ;  in  7  :  10  and  11  : 
15  there  is  rejoicing  when  God's  hand 
falls  heavily  at  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet ;  in  15  :  3  there  is  a 
song  at  the  introduction  of  the  vials; 
in  16  :  5  we  have  a  song  at  the  pouring 
out  of  the  third  bowl.  The  song  is  an 
intelligent  recognition  of  the  progress 
of  God's  cause.  There  is  a  wide  con- 
trast between  the  lamentations  of  chap. 
XVIII  and  the  praises  of  this  chapter. 
It  is  an  index  of  the  moral  character 
to  know  what  gives  occasion  for  re- 
joicing. Alleluia,  rather,  Hallelujah. 
This  means  "Praise  to  Jehovah."  It 
is  fouml  in  the  New  Testament  in  this 
book  alone  (^er.  3,  i,  6).  Some  have  in- 
ferred from  its  use  here  now  for  tlie 
first  time,  that  it  signifies  that  the 
Jews,  making  use  of  this  Old  Testa- 
ment expression,  have  now  l)een  con- 
verted to  Christ  and  join  in  the  song. 
This  interpretation  lays  an  undue 
stress  upon  the  expression.  We  move, 
in  this  book,  among  Old  Testament 
expressions  and  figures.  The  expres- 
sion here  means  simply  that  now,  when 
the  cause  of  Christ  has  received  a  final 
and  supreme  evidence  of  God's  favor, 
that  the  heart  finds  it  a  fitting  tribute 


of  praise  to  a  covenant-keeping  Je- 
hovah, God  over  all.  Salvation  .  .  . 
God,  rather,  salvation  and  glory  and 
power  belong  to  our  God.  In  the  Greek, 
the  definite  article  stands  before  each 
term,  making  it  more  impressive.  God 
has  now  wrought  out  a  salvation  for 
Ids  cause  as  a  whole,  as  well  as  for  his 
people  one  by  one.  Salvation  is  here 
used  in  a  large  sense  as  involving  the 
removal  of  all  things  tliat  resist,  and 
the  introduction  of  all  blessed  agencies. 
He  is  a  God  whose  glory  shines  in  and 
through  his  power.  God's  moral  ex- 
cellencies awake  their  praise. 

2.  For  shows  that  the  praise  pro- 
ceeds from  moral  considerations. 
True,  righteous.  The  term,  trite, 
does  not  mean  the  opposite  of  false- 
hood, but  the  opposite  of  that  which 
has  only  an  appearance.  Christ  is  the 
truth ;  that  is,  not  only  veracity,  but 
reality,  as  opposed  to  a  .seeming.  The 
foundation  of  God's  government  is  not 
his  almightiness,  but  his  truth  and 
righteousness.  Whore,  rather,  harlot. 
Corrupted.  The  imperfect  tense  of 
this  verb  shows  that  it  was  the  con- 
tinuous manner  of  the  harlot  to  work 
corruption.  Earth  shows  the  world- 
wide extent  of  the  destroying  work. 
Two  crimes  are  laid  to  her  charge, 
seduction  and  persecution.  The  figure 
has  been  changed  here  to  that  of  the 
unclean  woman  as  in  cliap.  XVII. 
What  she  did  in  shedding  blood  has 
now,  in  God's  retributive  power,  come 
back  upon  her  again.  The  corruption 
of  the  harlot  was  the  seed,  the  judg- 
ment of  God  is  the  ripened  harvest. 
The  term  judgment  cannot  be  defined 
accurately.  In  tliis  book,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  nature  of  the  visions, 
every  act  of  judgment  is  pictured  in 
an  outward  way.  But  it  is  not  of  ne- 
cessity any  outward  penalty.  It  in- 
volves rather  all  the  dealings  of  God 
in  his  providence,  and  all  intellectual, 
moral,  and  spiritual  agencies  by  which 


352 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


And  fhath  avenged  the  blood  of  his 
servants  at  her  lumd. 

3  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia! 

And  8  her  smoke  rose  up  for  ever  and 
eTer. 

4  And  ""the  four  and  twenty  elders 
and  the  four  beasts  fell  down  and 
worshipped  God  that  sat  on  the  throne, 
saying,  '  Amen,  Alleluia ! 

5  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  throne, 


and  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants 

3  at  her  hand.  And  a  second  time  they 
said,  Hallelujah.    And  her  smoke  goes 

4  up  forever  and  ever.  And  the  twenty- 
four  elders,  and  the  four  living  crea- 
tures, fell  down  and  worshiped  God, 
who  sits  on  the  throne,  saying,  Amen, 

5  Hallelujah.     And  a  voice  came  out 


/6  :  10;  18  :  20;  Deut.  32  :  43. 


J  14  :  11 ;  18  :  9,  18 ;  Isa.  34  :  10. 
1  Chrou.  16  :  36 ;  Neb.  8:6;  Matt.  6  :  13. 


h  4  :  4-10 ;  5  :  14. 


God  displays  his  opposition,  and 
through  which  he  would  weaken  the 
power  of  an  apostate  church  to  corrupt 
the  minds  of  men.  Blood.  God 
made  provision  for  avenging  the  shed- 
ding of  all  human  blood  (Ge°-  9  6). 
How  much  more  will  he  care  for  the 
blood  of  his  own  children.  It  has 
been  .suggested  also  that  the  spirit  of 
hatred  would  be,  in  reality,  something 
akin  to  blood  that  has  been   shed  (i 

John  3  :  15). 

3.  Again,  rather,  a  second  time. 
The  more  the  mind  perceives  of  God's 
judgments,  the  more  profound  is  the 
praise.  Smoke.  The  figure  is  de- 
rived from  chap.  XVIII,  the  fall  of 
Babylon  destroyed  by  tire.  The  pic- 
ture is  that  of  a  city  utterly  ruined, 
with  the  impossibility  of  being  rebuilt, 
inasmuch  as  from  its  ruins  arise  eter- 
nally the  smoke,  the  symbol  of  the 
smoldering  fire.  It  is  questionable 
whether  there  is  a  reference  here  to  the 
eternal  punishment  of  men,  the  lost 
spirits  of  disobedient  men,  the  willing 
violators  of  God's  moral  laws.  The 
design  here  is  rather  to  point  out  the 
utter  and  final  ruin  of  apostasy  as  such. 
It  is  just  as  if  there  were  a  real  city 
whose  smoldering  ruins  would  not  per- 
mit its  reconstruction .  Every  immoral 
Babylon  of  every  kind  must  be  finally 
destroyed.  Nowhere  are  we  taught 
that  sin  will  be  completely  abolished 
from  the  universe.  We  are  taught 
that  its  organized  opposition  to  God, 
whereby  it  causes  corruption  among 
men,  its  aggressive  work,  its  encroach- 
ments upon  God's  kingdom,  this  will 
be  crushed. 

4.  We  have  here  a  more  detailed 
description  of  the  song.  Elders.  We 
first  met  the  elders  in  4:4.  Eleven 
times  in  the  book  thus  far  we  have  had 
glimpses  of  these  who  represent  the 


redeemed  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment times.  They  stand  out  as  the 
symbolic  representation  of  the  saved. 
They  do  not  difl'er  essentially  from  the 
great  multitude  of  5  :  1.  The  song  was 
that  of  the  multitude  saved  from  the 
oppression  of  the  harlot,  together  with 
the  voice  of  holy  angels.  The  elders 
are  not  the  people  themselves  so  much 
as  the  symbolic  representation  of  the 
entire  host  of  the  redeemed.  They 
have  a  deep  sympathy  with  God,  re- 
joicing with  him  because  he  rejoices. 
They  have  a  deep  sympathy  with  men, 
rejoicing  with  them  in  that  they  are 
now  delivered  full}'  from  their  oppres- 
sions. We  last  saw  the  elders  in  11  : 
16,  when  they  fell  down  to  worship 
God  at  the  sounding  of  the  seventh 
trumpet.  Beasts,  rather,  living  crea- 
tures. It  was  one  of  the  four  living 
creatures  who  gave  into  the  hands  of 
the  seven  angels  the  bowls  having  the 
last  plagues  (is :  7).  It  is  fitting  that 
they  now  rejoice  when  the  opposition 
of  God's  enemies  is  overcome,  when 
his  judgments  have  done  their  work. 
Siding  with  God's  holiness,  they  rejoice 
at  the  downfall  of  Babylon.  The  re- 
joicing host  is  made  up  of  the  living 
creatures,  elders,  holy  angels,  the  saved 
ho.st  of  men. 

5.  Two  classes  in  heaven,  the  elders 
and  the  living  creatures,  have  thus  far 
praised  God.  A  voice  .  .  .  throne, 
rather,  a  voice  came  forth  from  the 
throne.  This  indicates,  not  so  much 
the  origin  of  the  voice,  as  the  direction 
from  which  it  comes.  This  voice  has 
been  attributed  to  the  elders,  to  the 
living  creatures,  to  Christ.  It  cannot 
be  the  voice  of  God  himself,  who  sits 
on  the  throne.  It  cannot  be  the  voice 
of  Christ,  for  he  could  not  join  himself 
with  men,  as  implied  in  the  term  our. 
On    earth  he  said,   "Your    God,  my 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVPXATION 


353 


saying,  upraise  our  God,  all  ye  his 
servants,  and  ye  tliat  fear  him,  both 
.small  and  great. 

6  '  And  1  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of 
a  great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  °>aud  as  the  voice  of 
mighty  thunderings,  saying. 

Alleluia ! — for  ■>  the  Lord  God  omnip- 
otent reigneth. 

7  °  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,— and  give 
honour  to  him : 

For   Pthe    marriage   of  the  Lamb   is 


from   the   throne,  saying,   Praise  our 
God,  all  ye  his  servants  ye  who  fear 

6  him,  the  small  and  the  great.  And  I 
heard  a.s  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great 
multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of  many 
waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty 
thunders,  saying,  Hallcinjah  ;  because 
tlie  Lord  our  God,  the  AInjighty,  has 

7  become  king.  Let  us  rejoiceand  exult, 
and  we  will  give  to  him  the  glory  ;  be- 
cause  the   marriage  of   the  Lamb  is 


k  Ps.  103  :  20-22 ;  134  :  1 ;  135  :  1 ;  148  :  1 1-13. 

n  11  :  15-18.  o  Ps.  48  :  11 ;  97 

p  21:2,9;  Is».  54  :  5  ;  Hoseii  2  : 


Z  14  :  2 ;  Ezek.  43  :  2. 
Isa.  66  :  10,  14  ;  Zcch.  9  :  9. 
-Matt.  22  :  a  ;  EpU.  5  :  32. 


God."  They  stood  in  very  different 
relationship  toward  God,  so  that  he 
did  not  say,  "  Oar  God."  It  is  implied 
here  that  this  voice,  coining  from  the 
direction  of  the  throne,  has  thereby 
the  divine  sanction.  We  are  left,  on 
account  of  the  indefiniteness  of  the 
statement,  in  ignorance  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  voice.  Praise  ...  God, 
rather.  Give  praise  to  our  God  all  ye 
his  servants,  ye  that  fear  him,  small 
and  great.     Every  heart  is  summoned 

to  praise  God.       (Comp.  Pb.  134  :  l ;    us  :  13.) 

God  desires  the  praise  of  all.  It  is 
fitting  that  deliverance  should  create 
praise.  A  praiseless  heart  must  be  a 
thoughtless,  a  thankless,  a  godless 
heart.  Jesus  insisted  on  the  public 
recognition  of  himself  as  worthy  of 
praise  (Lake  19  :  40). 

6.  An  immediate  response  follows. 
A  great  chorus  of  praise,  rising  higher 
and  higher,  is  heard  at  once.  The 
sound  ri.ses  from  that  of  a  great  mul- 
titude, to  the  noise  of  the  ocean's  roar, 
then  to  the  sound  of  mighty  thunder- 
ings, rather,  thunders.  It  is  a  ma- 
jestic response,  revealing  the  great  in- 
terest manifested  in  the  triumph  of 
God's  enlarging  kingdom.  Alleluia 
.  .  .  reigneth,  rather,  Hallelnjah ; 
for  the  Lord  our  God,  the  Almighty, 
reigneth.  God  has  always  reigned  in  a 
glorious  way,  doing  his  will  in  heaven 
and  among  men  (oan.  4 :  35).     But  his 

Eatience  has  permitted  assaults  upon 
is  kingdom,  and  his  commands  have 
been  disobeyed.  Satan  and  bad  men 
have  combined  to  re.sist  his  holy  and  re- 
vealed will,  and  make  war  upon  him  (ps. 
2).  Sometimes,  as  the  Bible  shows,  there 
has  been  a  seeming  defeat  for  God[s 
cause.  Satan  is  called  the  god  of  this 
world  (2  Cor.  4:4);    there   have    been 


days  of  Satan's  seeming  triumph  (Lnke 
22  :  53).  This  verse  coiitains  the  thank- 
ful acknowledgment  that  God's  sov- 
ereignty has  been  manifested  and  rec- 
ognized in  the  recent  events  described. 
The  tense  of  the  verb  here  shows  that, 
at  a  distinct  time  in  the  past,  God 
asserted  his  sovereignty.  God,  at  this 
time,  gets  no  new  attributes,  but  he 
reveals  himself  as  the  active,  ruling 
God.  The  song  here  has  a  wider  range 
than  that  mentioned  in  ver.  1,  2.  That 
celebrated  his  victory  over  the  harlot. 
This  assumes  that  all  his  enemies  have 
been  put  down,  though  this  has  not  yet 
been  shown  in  vision.  It  required  an 
almighty  king  to  overthrow  Babylon. 
He  has  not  only  given  his  judgments 
upon  his  enemies,  but  he  has  entered 
upon  his  open  and  kingly  reign.  God 
has  taken  to  himself  that  which  rightly 
belongs  to  him.  Tliere  is  also  a  tran- 
sition in  God's  moral  government  from 
the  time  of  probation,  of  passiveness 
on  his  part,  in  order  that  character 
may  develop  itself  according  to  its  own 
naturCj  to  that  of  retribution,  of  award 
according  to  desert,  of  open  assertion 
of  his  rights  as  king  and  Lord.  When 
the  harlot  goes  down,  then  it  is  seen 
that  all  the  foes  of  Christ,  in  rapid 
succession,  also  go  di)wn. 

7.  The  real  churcli  of  Christ  has 
long  enough  mourned,  sometimes  sit- 
ting clothed  in  sackclotli;  a  time  of 
rejoicing  has  come,  and  this  too,  an 
everlasting  rejoicing.  These  are  the 
words  of  the  heavenly  chorus.  Let 
us  .  .  .  him,  rather.  Let  us  rejoice 
and  be  exceeding  glad,  and  let  us  give 
the  glory  unto  him.  Hell  has  no 
thanksgiving  days,  heaven  has  all 
thanksgiving  days.  3Iarriage  of 
the  Lamb  has   come.    The  figure 


354 


BEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


come— and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  I       come,  and  his  wife  has  prepared  her- 
ready.  I 


of  a  marriage  between  the  Lamb  and 
his  people  pervades  the  entire  Scrip- 
tures. (  See  I»a.  54  :  1-8  ;  Ezek.  16  :  7  ;  Hoeea  U  : 
19  ;  Matt.  9  :  15  ;  22  :  2-14  :  25  :  1-13  ;  2  Cor.  11  : 
2  ;   John  3  :  29  ;   Eph.  5  :  25. )        Marriage,    ill 

its  essence,  signifies  oneness,  complete- 
ness of  identity,  so  that  no  loiiKer  are 
there  two,  but  one.  It  signifies,  when  the 
marriage  is  real,  joy,  peace,  increasing 
blessedness.  It  implies,  in  this  case, 
a  most  intimate  and  personal  relation 
between  Jesus  and  his  people,  whereby 
affection,  oneness  in  all  glorious  at- 
tributes, and  protection  are  all'orded. 
It  is  a  relation  that  is  entered  upon  at 
the  time  when  the  soul  enters  into  a 
personal  covenant  with  him.  This  is 
the  betrothal  to  be  consummated  into  a 
marriage  when  the  Lord  and  the  be- 
liever shall  be  brought  face  to  face 
with  each  other.  Tlie  joy  will  be  an 
enlarging  one,  until  there  comes  its 
completion  at  the  personal  appearing 
of  Christ.  It  must  be  understood  that 
in  this  passage  tlie  reference  is  not  so 
much  to  the  individual  believer  as  to 
the  assembled  collection  of  believers. 
As  there  is  one  bridegroom,  the  glorified 
Lord,  so  in  like  manner  there  can  be 
only  one  bride,  the  collective  church 
of  Christ.  There  will  be  a  personal 
relation  between  each  believer  and  the 
Lord,  so  that  each  one  Avill  receive 
according  to  the  life  on  the  earth.  But 
the  church,  at  large,  as  a  whole  will 
be  received  into  a  new  life  of  glory, 
and  enter  upon  a  course  of  life  larger 
than  any  heretofore  experienced.  As 
the  marriage  upon  earth  makes  a  sepa- 
ration from  old  ties  and  relationships, 
and  involves  new  ties,  relationships, 
and  residence,  in  like  manner,  in  a 
way  transcending  lunnan  thought  and 
language,  there  will  be  a  period  of 
glory,  honor,  and  blessedness  for  the 
entire  body  of  believers,  and  the  entire 
life  of  each  believer.  The  tense  em- 
ployed here  is  in  the  past,  signifying 
that  this  new  life  is  already,  once  for 
all,  entered  upon.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  used  in  a  prophetic 
sense,  for  sonietliing  not  yet  secured. 
The  marriage,  in  its  proper  sense,  does 
not  take  place  until  many  large  events, 
spoken  of  in  the  succeeding  chapters, 
are  fulfilled.   Tlie  marriage  cannot  take 


place  until  all  the  enemies  of  Christ 
have  been  destroyed,  until  Satan  has 
been  bound,  until  the  reign  of  blessed- 
ness has  been  entered  upon,  until  the 
new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  have 
come  into  sight,  until  Christ  comes  in 
person.  There  can  be  no  wedding 
until  the  glorified  bridegroom  appears 
from  the  heavens.  The  initial  steps 
have  been  taken  when  the  harlot  has 
been  destroyed.  The  succeeding  events 
are  made  sure  to  the  waiting  church 
by  the  promise  of  Christ.  Many  things 
in  the  last  stages  of  human  aft'airs  are 
regarded  in  Avidely  ditferent  ways. 
Among  the  controverted  points  are, 
will  Christ  appear  in  person  before  or 
after  the  millennium  ?  Will  there  be 
a  personal  reign  of  Christ  on  the  earth  ? 
What  is  to  be  the  nature  of  the  mil- 
lennium ?  In  what  way  will  the  mil- 
lennium be  introduced  ?  Will  the 
Jews  be  converted  before  or  during  the 
millennium  ?  Will  the  Jewish  church 
assume  a  kind  of  leadership  during 
this  period  ?  Will  there  be  a  rapture 
of  the  saints  at  the  beginning  of  this 
blessed  reign  ?  Most  of  these  questions 
will  receive  discussion  in  the  Notes 
on  the  closing  chapters.  Wife  .  .  . 
ready.  A  certain  adornment  is  need- 
ful ;  a  work  of  preparation  is  regarded 
as  essential.  There  is  a  moral  and 
spiritual  development  of  character  that 
is  now  complete.  For  marriage  with 
such  a  Lord  there  must  be  a  fine  char- 
acter represented  by  beautiful  cloth- 
ing. Among  the  Jews  a  long  time  in- 
tervened between  the  betrothal,  which 
was  in  reality  the  initial  step  of  the 
married  life,  and  the  wedding  itself, 
when  the  bridegroom  took  the  bride  to 
himself.  See  the  Bilde  Dictionaries 
for  the  full  account  of  the  preparations 
made  for  the  consummated  marriage. 
The  spiritual  bride  has  waited  a  long 
time  for  tlie  manifestations  of  the 
Lord's  ownership.  For  the  first  time 
in  this  book  we  read  of  tlie  marriage, 
though  there  is  a  reference  to  a  tender 
personal  relationship  between  the  Lord 
and  the  believer  in  3  :  20.  He  will  sup 
in  the  heart  in  the  personal  blessed- 
ness experienced.  He  will  publicly 
own  his  people,  and  give  them  a  share 
in  all  that  he  has.     No  one  of  the  de- 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


355 


8  And  ito  her  was  granted  that  she 
should  be  arrayed  in  tine  linen,  clean 
and  white:  'for  the  tine  linen  is  the 
righteousness  of  saints. 

9  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write,  'bless- 
ed are  they  which  are  called  unto  the 


8  self.  And  it  was  given  her  that  she 
should  clothe  herself  in  line  linen, 
shining,  pure ;  for  the  line  linen  is  the 

9  righteous  acts  of  the  saints.  And  he 
says  to  me,  Write,  Happy  are  they  who 


q  3:4,5,18;  Ps.  45  :  13,  14 ;  Isa.  61  :  10.  r  Ps.  132  .  9  ;  Phil, 

s  Matt.  22  :  2-4  ;  Luke  14  :  15,  16. 


parted  saints  has  yet  partaken  of  this 
marriage  supper.  This  blessedness  is 
reserved  until  that  time  when  all  shall 
share  in  it  together.  Glorious  thing.s 
are  spoken  of  and  to  the  church. 

8.  This  verse  amplifies  the  prece- 
ding. And  .  .  .  %vhite,  rather,  .4h(Z 
it  was  given  unto  her  to  array  herself 
in  fine  linen^  bright  and  pure.  We 
come  now,  in  all  probability,  to  the 
words  of  John  given  in  explanation. 
Giv^n.  This  refers  to  the  divine  ele- 
ment of  the  preparation.  Through 
God's  free  grace  provision  has  been 
made  hj  which  the  bride  may  array 
herself  in  beautiful  clothing.  God's 
grace  began  the  work,  not  working 
upon  people  in  an  irresistible  way,  but 
in  such  a  manner  that  she  may  array 
herself.  Heaven  aud  tlie  glorified  life 
are  for  prepared  people.  As  in  Matt. 
22  :  12,  those  not  arrayed  in  the  wedding 
garment  have  no  part  in  the  marriage 
feast.     The  clothing  is  splendid  and 

spotless    (7  :  15:   EpU.  5  :  J7).      Right- 

eousness,  rather,  righteous  acts.  This 
word  is  in  the  plural.  Some  take  this 
term  as  meaning  righteousness,  the 
pardon  and  justification  that  Christ 
gives,  the  plural  number  here  imply- 
ing that  each  one  will  have  his  own 
righteousness.  The  better  way  is  not  to 
regard  this  term  as  meaning  tiie  com- 
pleted act  of  justification  whicli  takes 
place  once  for  all,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Christian  life,  but  the  righteous 
acts,  the  holy  living,  the  beautiful 
character  witli  which,  through  God's 
grace,  the  believer  is  clothed.  Christ's 
grace  received  into  tlie  life,  Christ's 
spirit  received  into  the  heart,  the  re- 
sult is  that  a  Christly  life  and  conduct 
are  developed.  Tlie  person  of  the  be- 
liever, and  of  the  church  at  large,  is 
not  simply  covered  with  forgiveness 
while  the  character  is  imperfect,  but 
the  character  is  one  with  Christ's,  his 
holiness  becomes  theirs  in  a  real  way. 
John  does  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the 
church  will  be  presented  before  God 


clothed  in  righteous  acts.  This  is  not 
a  salvation  on  account  of  works,  as  all 
comes  tlnough  God's  grace.  There  is 
no  salvation  through  works,  but  there 
is  no  salvation  apart  from  works.  The 
believer  is  saved  for  Christ's  sake,  and 
is  also  changed  into  his  image.  An 
imputed  righteousness  is  wortliless  un- 
less there  be  also  an  indwelling  right- 
eousness. 

9.  He  saith.  Many  interpreta- 
tions are  given  as  to  the  personality  of 
the  one  here  speaking.  Some  identify 
him  with  the  angel  mentioned  in  17  : 1 ; 
others  with  the  one  mentioned  in  18  :  21. 
Both  here  and  in  22  :  9  John  is  forbid- 
den to  worsiiip  him,  inasmuch  as  he  is 
a  fellow-servant.  In  all  probability 
the  angel  is  to  be  identified  witli  the 
one  appearing  in  1  :  1,  10,  a  real  angel, 
not  a  symbolic  being,  whose  province 
it  is  to  interpret  to  John  and  suggest 
what  is  to  be  written.  After  the 
wedding  comes  the  marriage  supper. 
Blessed  .  .  .  called,  rather,  Blessed 
are  they  who  are  bidden.  "We  are  not 
to  make  two  classes  of  persons,  the  one 
constituting  tlie  host  of  the  saved,  the 
Lamb's  wife,  the  other  part  embracing 
those  who  are  the  guests.  We  must 
not  draw  any  dividing  line  between 
the  two.  The  same  persons  constitute 
both  the  bride  and  the  guests.  There 
is  not  between  the  two  groups  men- 
tioned any  division  as  though  one  were 
a  more  highly  favored  class  than  the 
other.  _  There  is  a  change  in  the  im- 
agery in  order  that  the  picture  of  the 
feast  may  be  complete,  inasmuch  as 
there  can  l)e  no  feast  without  guests. 
Six  times  in  this  book  we  have  a  say- 
ing introduced  by  the  word  "  Blessed  " 

(1:3;    14  :  IS  ;    20  :  6  ;    22  :  7,  14).     Bidden. 

In  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  all  were 
invited  to  share  in  the  benefits  and 
blessings  of  Christ's  salvation,  all  were 
invited  to  the  supper  (Mmt.  22).  Many 
rejected  the  offer,  and  would  not  come. 
Those  who  partook  of  the  spiritual 
supper  on  the  earth  are  those  who,  in 


356 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


marriage  supper  of   the  Lamb.    And 
he  saith  unto  me,  '  These  are  the  true 
sayings  of  God. 
10     And  "I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship 
him.    And  he  said  unto  me,  ^See  thoii. 


are  called  to  the  marriage  supper  of 
the  Lamb.  And  he  says  to  me,  These 
10  are  true  words  of  God.  And  I  fell  be- 
fore his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he 
says  to  me,  See  thou  do  it  not.    I  am  a 


t  21  :  5  ;  22  :  6. 


X  2?  :  9 ;  Acts  10  :  26 ;  14  :  14,  15 ;  Col.  2  ;  18. 


this  passage,  are  found  worthy  to  par- 
take of  the  supper  that  afibrds  a  fore- 
taste of  the  heavenly  life.  Marriage 
s'.jpper.  For  the  first  time  in  this 
book  we  read  of  the  marriage  and  the 
wedding  supper.  A  marriage  involves 
the  personal  presence  of  the  bride  and 
the  bridegroom.  In  tliis  part  of  the 
vision  Jesus  appears,  in  a  veiy  real 
way,  and  there  ensues  to  the  church  a 
time  of  blessedness,  joy,  triumph,  and 
rejoicing,  such  as  it  had  never  known 
before.  The  general  idea  of  a  supping 
with  the  Lord  appears  in  3  :  20.  We 
have  many  allusions  in  the  Scriptures 
to  a  wedlock  between  the  individual 
believer  and  the  congregation  of  the 
Lord's  people  and  the  Lord  himself 

(Ps.  45  :  9-15  ;  Isa.  54  :  5  ;  Hoeea  2  :  19  ;  Matt.  23  : 

2  ;  Eph.  5  :  32).  John  the  Baptist  speaks 
of  Jesus  as  the  bridegroom  and  of  the 
wedding  (John  s  :  28, 29).  The  supper 
does  not  refer  to  the  joy  of  the  in- 
dividual believer,  but  applies  to  the 
joy  of  the  collective  people  of  Christ. 
It  is  the  great  host  of  Christ's  people 
that  makes  up  the  Inside  clothed  in 
white.  The  supper  does  not  refer  to 
the  heavenly  life  as  such,  for  that  is 
not  introduced  until  the  following  chap- 
ters. At  the  supper  will  be  music, 
joy,  and  peace  ;  tlie  social  fellowship, 
the  sight  of  tlie  face  of  the  bridegroom. 
The  days  of  mourning,  of  separation 
are  past.  From  this  ti  me  on  the  church 
will  be  clothed  in  festive  garments,  her 
days  of  rejoicing  will  continue.  Her 
times  of  defeat  and  struggle,  her  times 
of  persecution  and  shame  are  gone. 
It  is  such  an  era  of  blessedness  and 
triumph  for  her  that  it  is  a  foretaste  of 
heaven  itself.  The  Lord's  Supper  on 
the  earth  is  a  sign  and  a  prophecy  of 
this  marriage  supper.  In  this  supper 
.Tesus  himself  is  tlie  sul>stance  of  the 
feast.  In  him  and  through  him  his 
people  have  all  tlieir  life.  Jesus  and 
his  people,  both  individually  and  col- 
lectively, are  one.  A  wrong  done  to  a 
believer  is  a  wrong  done  to  Clirist  (Acts 
9:4).  A  wrong  done  to  a  believer  is  a 
sin  against  Christ  (i  Cor.  s  :  12).    At  the 


time  of  the  vision  there  is  such  an  open 
union  between  Christ  and  his  people 
that  the  glory  of  Christ  is  manifested 
in  the  life  of  the  church.  The  church 
is  dressed  in  white,  and  is  clothed  in 
righteousness.  It  is,  as  it  were,  the 
public  espousal  of  the  church  by  tlie 
heavenly  bridegroom.  The  blessed- 
ness is  such  that  it  can  be  compared  to 
nothing  but  a  marriage  supper.  The 
blessedness  will  keep  on  growing  until 
the  earthly  life  is  merged  into  the 
heavenly  life.  True  sayings.  The 
events  about  to  happen  will  abundantly 
attest  their  truth.  This  statement  does 
not  merely  affirm  that,  in  general,  all 
God's  words  are  true,  nor  in  particular 
tliat  these  statements  are  true,  but  more 
than  this,  that  their  truth  will  be  made 
gloriously  plain  and  evident  in  the 
events  about  to  happen.  When  one 
comes  to  the  feast  he  will  see  how  true 
it  is  that  the  guests  there  gathered  are 
blessed. 

10.  And  ...  him,  x&iher.  And  1 
fell  down  before  his  feet  to  worship  him. 
The  splendor  of  his  person,  and  the 
greatness  and  gloriousness  of  the  teach- 
ings imparted,  overwhelm  the  mind  of 
John.  Unconscious,  perhaps,  of  what 
he  was  doing,  feeling  probably  that 
something  divine  must  be  inherent  in 
his  person,  he  profiers  such  worship 
as  ought  to  be  rendered  only  to  the 
really  divine.  Worship  is  instinctive 
to  a  thoughtful  mind.  Only  a  divine 
being  can  rightfully  claim  it.  Paul 
refused  to  accept  the  worship  of  fellow- 
men  (Act8  14  :  14) ;  Jesus  acccptcd  the 
worship  of  men  (John  20  :  28).  Even  an 
apostle  may  make  a  mistake  in  judg- 
ment. Said,  rather,  sttiY/t.  The  same 
prohibition  occurs  in  22 : 9.  No  created 
being,  however  high,  is  entitled  to  the 
homage  that  belongs  to  God.  He  will 
not  share  his  glory  with  another.  Rev- 
erence is  becoming  before^  God,  inso- 
much that  angels  cover  their  faces  (is«- 
6:2).  Moses  removed  his  sandals  when 
drawing  near  to  the  visible  token  of 
God's  presence  (Exoa.  s  :  5).  The  three 
Hebrews  would    not   bow  before   the 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


357 


do  ii  not :  I  am  thy  fellowservant,  and  | 
of  thy  brethren  J  that  have  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  :   '  worship  God  :    "  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of 
prophecy.  | 


fellow-servant  of  thee  and  of  thy 
brethren  who  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus;  worship  God.  For  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 


y  1:9;  I  John  5  :  10. 


z  Exod.  34  :  1« ;  Isa.  12  :  8 ;  Matt.  4  :  10 ;  Pbil.  2  :  10. 


a  Joho  5  :  39. 


image  made  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (d»q. 
3  :  i»).  The  prostrations  before  a  su- 
perior or  a  bonefactor,  especially  com- 
mon to  the  Orientals,  are  not  forbidden 
by  this  passage.  The  uncovering  of 
the  head  in  the  presence  of  another, 
or  in  the  presence  of  the  constituted 
authorities,  is  not  forbidden.  The 
angels  are  high  in  position,  but  they 
are,  in  common  with  the  saints,  ser- 
vants of  God.  Some  have  misinter- 
preted the  passage  to  mean,  "  I  am  a 
fellow-servant  of  thine,  and  a  brother, 
hence  inferring  that  the  angel  is  a 
depailed  spirit  from  the  earth."  The 
connection  makes  it  clear  that  this 
cannot  be  the  meaning.  lam  a  fellow- 
servant  with  thee  and  with  thy  brethren. 
Have,  rather,  hold.  Testimony  of 
Jesus.  This  means  a  testimony  for 
and  concerning  Jesus.     The  one  su- 

Ereme  efibrt  of  angels  and  saints  is  to 
ring  men  to  Jesus,  to  give  right  views 
of  Jesus,  to  think  in  a  fitting  manner 
of  Jesus.  Hence  the  angels  rejoice 
when  men  accept  Jesus,  and  experience 
a  spiritual  change  in  the  life  (Luke  is). 
God  alone  is  the  fitting  object  of  wor- 
ship. .Tesus  is  worshifjed  because  he 
is  God  manifest  to  us  in  humau  form 
(1  Tim.  3 :  16).  In  hcavcu  they  make  no 
separation  between  worship  rendered 
to  the  Father  and  that  given  to  the 
Lamb  (5 :  i3j.  For  .  .  .  prophecy. 
The  angel  desires  to  show  that  all  the 
servants  of  God  —  prophets,  angels, 
saints — are  brothers,  in  order  to  justify 
his  use  of  the  term,  brethren.  The 
prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  had  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  (i  Peter  i:ii)  in  fore- 
telling the  sufferings  and  glories  of  the 
Saviour;  the  angels  are  moved  by  the 
love  of  Christ,  as  they  behold  his  work 
in  honoring  God's  law  and  saving  men ; 
the  saints,  including  John,  constituting 
the  bride  of  the  Laml),  have  him  as 
the  source  of  their  life  and  the  crown 
of  their  glory.  All  have  drunk  of  one 
and  the  same  spirit.  Prophecy  is  used 
here  in  a  large  sense,  not  meaning  pre- 
diction alone,  which  is  but  a  small  part 
of  prophecy,  but  iucludes  all  inspired 


utterance  in  all  ways.  The  testimony 
for  Jesus,  common  alike  to  all  classes 
of  the  followers  of  Christ,  is  the  one 
common  spirit  of  propliccy.  The  wit- 
ness for  Christ,  by  all  the  parties  here 
mentioned,  iias  the  one  common  char- 
acteristic that  it  is  prophetic.  Inas- 
much as  they  all  are  brothers  by  virtue 
of  a  common  relation  to  Ciiristj  it  is 
not  fitting  that  one  should  worship  an- 
other, but  that  all  alike  should  worship 
God.  This  justifies  the  use  of  the  term 
for.  We  are  brothers  because  of  a  like 
relation  to  God,  and  a  common  wit- 
nessing for  Jesus,  and  a  common  teach- 
ing concerning  him.  It  is  plainly 
taught  here  that  we  need  no  angel 
mediators  to  stand  between  us  and  God. 
It  is  a  prime  heresy  of  the  Romish 
church  tnat  it  places  angels  between 
the  Saviour  and  penitent  men.  If 
saints  are  not  yet  equal  to  angels  (Lake 
20  :  36)  it  is  true  that  all  are  so  near  to 
God  that  no  angel  can  bring  the  be- 
liever nearer. 

Section  IX.  XIX  :  U-XXII.  The 
END.  We  are  now  approaching  the 
consummation,  the  end  of  all  human 
affairs.  There  is  no  trace  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  the  annihilation  either  of  the 
earth  or  of  men.  But  there  are  frequent 
allusions  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus  and 
the  inspired  writers,  to  an  approach- 
ing end  of  the  present  order  of  things. 
Jesus  sijeaks  of  a  regeneration,  when 
there  shall  be  for  society,  as  for  a  per- 
son, a  regeneration,  a  complete  recon- 
struction of  alFairs  (Matt.  i9  :  28).  Peter 
speaks  of  a  restoration  to  a  former  state 
of  things  (Acts  3 :  21).  lie  speaks  also 
of  a  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth 
wherein  righteousness  shall  dwell,  pre- 
ceded by  a  reconstruction  of  the  phys- 
ical world  (2  Peter  3 :  13).  Paul  speaks 
of  the  entire  creation  sharing  in  the 
blessed  results  of  Clirist's  redeeming 
work  (Kom.  8:21).  Tlicre  has  been  a 
long  past  for  the  physical  life  of  the 
world,  involving,  perhaps,  millions  of 
years.  There  has  been  a  past  in  the 
history  of  the  human  race  reaching 


358 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


back  to  thousands  of  years,  far  longer 
than  is  indicated  by  the  chronology  of 
Archbishop  Usher.  As  there  was  a 
beginning  to  the  physical  universe  and 
to  the  human  race,  so  also  there  will 
be  an  ending  to  both  in  their  present 
order  of  existence.  There  came  a  par- 
tial beginning  to  the  race  at  the  deluge. 
There  came  a  new  moral  era  when 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world. 
There  comes  a  new  era  when  Jesus 
shall  again  come  in  power  to  introduce 
for  his  people  an  age  of  blessedness, 
for  his  enemies  an  era  of  judgment. 
We  come,  in  the  closing  part  of  this 
chapter,  and  in  the  following  chapters, 
to  the  consummation  of  the  work  of 
Jesus.  His  work  was  planned  in 
heaven,  in  the  ages  before  the  human 
race  began  to  be  (is :  8).  His  work 
was  foretold  in  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  (Luke  n  -.  u).  His  birth,  his 
death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  are 
mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  as 
essential  facts,  also  the  seemingly  small 
results  of  his  ministry  in  getting  dis- 
ciples. We  have  here,  at  the  end  of 
centuries  of  his  work,  the  closing  of 
his  mediatorial  function.  We  come 
to  the  breaking  down  of  all  opposition. 
The  great  monsters  of  opposition  of 
all  kinds,  political  powers,  false  sys- 
tems of  faith,  corrupt  religious  organ- 
izations, Satan  himself,  all  these  will 
be  put  down  finally  and  corapletely. 
The  great  facts  of  judgment,  the  mani- 
festation of  God's  almighty  power  and 
holiness  are  brought  into  view.  The 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  banish- 
ment of  death  for  the  righteous,  meets 
us  as  a  blessed  experience.  The  triumph 
of  evil,  the  hideous  wars,  the  disorders 
that  for  centuries  filled  the  earth,  these 
all  disappear  from  sight.  The  church 
puts  on  beautiful  garments  so  that 
by  her  new  spiritual  endowments  she 
transforms  the  world  and  shares  in  the 
glory  of  her  Lord.  The  physical  world 
itself  will  share  in  the  glorious  results 
tiiat  come  from  the  mediatorial  work 
of  Jesus.  Heaven  will  open  before 
the  eyes  of  the  redeemed,  and  the  lake 
of  fire  will  receive  the  foes  of  Christ. 
The  cause  of  Clirist  is  seen,  at  the  end, 
to  be  not  a  failure,  but  a  triumphant 
and  conquering  kingdom.  The  crowns 
rest,  not  upon  the  beasts,  but  upon 
Christ.  The  closing  part  of  this  book 
is  a  sublime    poem,  presenting   in  a 


symbolic  way  the  most  glorious  scenes 
for  the  believer  and  the  church.  The 
symbols,  in  this  part  of  the  book,  pre- 
sent in  the  most  impressive  way  the 
complete  triumph  of  the  Redeemer. 
The  book  itself  would  be  a  disappoint- 
ment were  it  not  for  the  closing  part. 
We  have  seen  the  ravages  of  Satan, 
the  persecutions  of  the  beast,  the  cor- 
ruptions wrought  by  the  unclean 
woman,  the  seductions  of  the  false 
prophet,  the  oppression  of  the  godly. 
If  the  book  closed  with  these,  the  ques- 
tion would  arise,  Did  Christ  die  in 
vain?  Has  he  a  kingdom  that  pre- 
vails ?  Is  God  the  almighty  and  holy 
one  ?  These  questions  are  all  answered 
in  this  closing  section.  It  is  undoubt- 
edly the  greatest  symbolic  representa- 
tion brought  before  the  eyes  of  men. 
The  ruin  wrought  by  sin  is  now  undone 
by  the  vision  of  a  new  earth ;  a  bitter 
and  unceasing  warfare  on  the  part  of 
Satan  now  comes  to  a  close  by  the 
banishment  of  the  arch  foe.  The  suf- 
fering and  patient  Christ  is  transformed 
into  the  acknowledged  and  conquering 
Christ,  the  King  of  kings.  The  be- 
liever, after  living  so  long  clothed  in 
sackcloth,  is  now  a  guest  at  the  wed- 
ding supper,  in  close  fellowship  with 
the  glorified  Redeemer.  What  takes 
place  in  symbol,  in  a  moment  of  time, 
may  require  centuries  to  accomplish 
in  the  actual  fulfilment  on  the  earth. 
Great  moral  changes  are  contained  in 
a  single  paragraph.  One  symbolic 
event  may  involve  changes  that  will 
work  a  complete  revolution  in  human 
society.  We  are  moving,  in  these  clo- 
sing scenes,  in  the  midst  of  mighty 
changes,  the  winding  up  of  the  present 
dispensation  and  the  ushering  in  of  a 
new,  complete,  and  eternal  state,  both 
for  the  righteous  and  the  unrighteous. 
We  see  a  triumphant  Christ,  a  glorified 
church,  a  renovated  society,  a  trans- 
figured earth,  the  doom  of  Satan,  the 
banishment  of  ignorance,  corruption, 
and  oppression  from  the  church.  The 
agencies  by  which  these  changes  take 
place  are  the  heavy  weight  of  judg- 
ments, the  presence  of  Christ,  the 
power  of  the  truth  as  borne  witness  to 
by  the  church,  the  indwelling  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

11-31.  The  conquering  Cheis.t 
destroys  the  beast  and  the  false 
PROPHET.    We  have  had  the  destruc- 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


359 


The  triumph  of  "  The  Word  of  God"  and 
his  followers  over  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet. 
11      I"  AND  I  saw  hciiven  opened,  and  be- 
hold °a  white  horse  ;  <iand  he  that  sal 
upon  him    ivas  called  "Faithful    and 
True;  and  'iu  righteousuebs  he  doth 


11  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  lo,  a 
white  horse,  and  he  who  sat  on  him, 
called  Faithful  and  True ;  and  in  right- 
eousness he  judges,  and  makes  war. 


6  4:1; 


15  :  5.  c  6  :  2.  d  Hab.  3  :  3-13.  «  1:5;  3  :  7, 14. 

/  Ps.  45  :  3-7  ;  Isa.  11  :  4 ;  59  :  17  ;  63  :  1-6. 


tion  of  the  corrupt  woman,  the  ungodly 
Babylon,  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
Judgment  now  comes  upon  the  other 
foes  of  Christ.  We  have  here  por- 
trayed the  downfall  of  the  beast  (is :  i) 
and  the  second  bea.st,  here  deuoininated 
the  fiilse  prophet  (is :  u).  They  are  de- 
stroj'^ed  in  a  symbolic  way  by  the 
Saviour.  A  great  slaughter,  in  symbol, 
follows,  such  as  we  might  expect  in  a 
terrible  Oriental  conflict.  It  is  not  a 
war,  a  long-continued  struggle,  but  as 
seen  here  in  picture,  the  Almighty 
finishes  liis  work  in  a  moment.  We 
are  not  to  think,  however,  in  the  actual 
progress  of  Christ's  cause  on  the  earth, 
that  great  moral  changes  take  place  iu 
an  instant  of  time.  As  seen  here  the 
great  political  powers  of  the  earth,  and 
the  allied  powers  that  deceive  men  by 
pretended  miracles,  are  both  destroyed. 
These  two,  never  separated  in  their 
work,  are  both  destroyed  together. 
After  their  destruction  comes,  in  the 
next  chapter,  the  destruction  of  Satan 
himself,  the  evil  one  back  of  all  evil 
agencies.  It  may  be  well  to  notice,  in 
the  interpretation  of  these  predictive 
symbols,  that  we  cannot  always  in- 
dicate a  certain  definite  order  of  events 
so  that  we  can  tell  what  is  first  and 
what  is  second  in  order  of  time.  In 
the  destractiou  of  the  image  in  Daniel 
(chap.  II),  the  stone  destroys  the  feet  of 
the  image  first,  and  then  gradually 
cruslies  the  remaining  parts  until  all  is 
destroyed.  But  in  order  of  time  this 
takes  place  in  tlie  reverse  order,  the 
head  farst,  the  feet  last.  We  may  not 
know  in  detail  the  order  of  events ;  we 
cannot  construct  a  diary  of  the  changes 
that  will  ensue  ;  but  we  may  be  assured 
of  this,  that  in  time  all  the  agencies 
opposed  to  Christ  will  be  utterly  de- 
stroyed, and  Christ  will  win  his  way 
as  a  great  and  conquering  power  among 
men. 

11.  Heaven,  rather,  the  heaven.  In 
ver.  1  John  hears  voices  from  heaven, 


the  heaven  of  the  vision.  He  hears,  but 
he  has  no  glimpse  into  it.  Here  it  is 
opened.  In  4  : 1,  where  we  get  the  first 
sight  of  the  conquering  Christ,  the  door 
is  opened  into  heaven.  White  horse. 
The  horse  stands  for  conquest,  for  war. 
Centuries  have  passed  away,  thousands 
of  years  perhaps,  great  empires  have 
been  concerned  iu  helping  or  hindering 
Christ,  vast  stretches  of  territory  have 
been  covered,  but  through  all  these  ages 
and  these  agencies,  God's  plan  has  been 
that  Jesus  should  be  the  world's  Lord 
as  well  as  its  Redeemer.  He  comes 
now  to  send  judgments  on  his  foes, 
and  to  iiitroiluce  the  church  into  a 
transfigured  state,  to  change  her  justifi- 
cation into  a  glorification.  And  .  .  * 
True,  rather,  he  that  sat  thereon, 
called  Faithful  and  True.  Some  MSS. 
omit  the  woid  called.  In  the  vision 
in  6  :  2  the  rider  is  nameless.  He  is 
here  defined  in  two  resiiects,  both  re- 
lating to  the  moral  character,  Faith- 
ful, True.  Jesus  is  the  faitliful  one 
in  respect  to  his  promises.  He  is  su- 
premely faithful  to  the  Father,  to  his 
own  mission,  and  to  his  people.  His 
words  may  be  relied  on  more  assuredly 
than  the  laws  of  nature  (^ii^rk  i3 :  3i). 
IVue  is  opposed  not  simply  to  the 
false,  but  mainly  to  the  unreal  and 
shadowy.  .Jesus  is  himself  the  truth, 
and  therefore  he  is  true.  The  glory  of 
Josus,  as  displayed  here,  is  not  in  the 
greatness  of  liis  power,  but  in  the  fine- 
ness of  his  character,  liis  faitlifulness, 
his  trueness.  H'ar.  His  cause  is  su- 
premely holy.  He  wars  in  behalf  of 
rigliteousncss  and  tlirough  righteous 
agencies.  What  he  opposes  is  the  anti- 
christian  element  in  the  world.  The 
Holy  Spirit  and  holy  men  are  his  in- 
.struincnts  of  warfare.  He  pa.sscs  judg- 
ment on  all  tilings,  because  he  is  all 
holy  and  all  knowing.  To  judge,  as 
here  usedj  means  to  l)ring  penalty  upon 
wrong-doing.  What  befi)re  had  de- 
served punishment,  but  had  been  passed 


360 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


12  judge  and  make  war.  eHIs  eyes  were 
as  a  flame  of  tire,  ''and  ou  his  head 
were  many  crowns;  >aud  he  had  a 
name  written,  that  no  man  knew,  but 

13  he  himself.  "^  And  he  was  clothed 
with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood :  and 


12  And  his  eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and 
on  his  head  are  many  diadems ;  and  he 
had  a  name    written,   which  no  one 

13  knows  but  he  himself.  And  he  is 
clothed   with   a    garment   dipped    in 


jr  1  :  14 ;  2  :  18. 


ft  Matt.  28  :  18;  Phil.  2  :  11. 


2  :  17  ;  Gen.  32  :  29. 


k  Isa.  63  :  2,  3. 


over  in  God's  forbearance,  now  receives 
the  deserved  penalty.  The  coming  of 
Christ  is  not  personal,  as  the  one  at 
Bethlehem,  and  as  will  be  his  final  ap- 
pearing (Acts  1  :  11).  Nor  is  this  the 
end  of  all  things,  as  spoken  of  in  Matt. 
25  :  31 ;  1  Cor.  15  :  23.  To  regard  this 
as  a  definite  statement  of  a  personal 
appearance  of  Jesus,  is  to  mistake  the 
symbolism  of  the  book.  This  is  not  a 
liifstory,  but  a  vision.  There  has  always 
been  the  carrying  on  of  a  war,  on  the 
part  of  Christ.  The  reference  here  is 
to  an  intensive  effort,  the  result  of 
which  is  to  overwhelm  his  enemies. 

12.  His  eyes  .  .  .  fire,  rather, 
And  his  eyes  were  as  aflame  of  fire. 
These  words  are  a  reminiscence  of  1  : 
14.  The  soul  shines  through  the  eye. 
Here  there  is  the  penetrating  look,  the 
flashing  energy,  an  enkindled  wrath 
against  the  enemy.  It  is  this  aspect 
that  he  presents,  not  to  his  people,  but 
to  his  foes.  Jesus  can  utter  the  "  Come 
unto  me  "  of  Matt.  11  :  28,  and  the  re- 
peated woes  of  Matt.  23.  Tenderness 
and  severity  are  inextricably  and  hap- 
pily blended  in  his  nature.  Many 
crowns,  rather,  diadems.  The  word 
rendered  crown  signifies  victorj^ ;  the 
diadem  means  royalty.  Jesus  has  won 
a  victory  because  he  is  a  king.  The 
many  signifies  the  wideness  of  his 
reign — Kina  of  kings.  Each  king  con- 
quered, each  new  triumph  on  the  earth, 
adds  a  new  luster  to  his  person  and 
his  power.  While  here  Jesus  had  no 
place  where  he  miglit  lay  his  head ; 
now  he  is  the  possessor  of  a  universal 
dominion.  The  dragon  had  seven 
diadems  (12 : 3) ;  the  beast  had  ten 
diadems  (is :  1).  These  were  usurpers, 
having  a  real  dominion  for  a  time. 
Jesus  is  that  one  whose  right  it  is  to 
reign  (Ezek.  21  :  37).  Jesus  will  be  the 
ruler  over  the  kingdoms  on  the  earth 
and  over  the  powers  on  high  (Pi^'i-  2  : 
10).  Had,  rather,  fiafh.  Knew, 
rather,  knoweth.  No  man,  rather,  /io 
07ie.  The  name  stands  for  the  nature 
itself;  to  know  what  the  name  is  is  to 


know  the  innermost  nature.  A  change 
of  condition  or  nature  involves  a 
change  of  name.  In  this  manner 
Abram  became  Abraham;  Sarai  be- 
came Sarah  ;  Jacob  became  Israel.  As 
God  became  known  more  and  more,  as 
he  revealed  himself  more  graciously, 
he  was  known  under  different  titles. 
Known  first  as  the  Almighty  God,  he 
was  revealed  afterward  under  the  name 
of  Jehovah  ( Exod.  6:3).  We  had  Christ 
revealed  in  ver.  11  as  Faithful  and 
True ;  in  ver.  13  he  was  the  Word  of 
God;  in  ver.  26  as  King  of  kings.  It 
is  probable  that  the  name  was  written 
on  the  forehead,  (comp.  s  :  12.)  What 
is  meant  by  this  symbol  is  that  in  the 
ages  to  come  there  will  be  such  a  rev- 
elation of  the  nature  and  glory  of 
Christ's  person,  and  the  glory  of  his 
mission  and  the  blessedness  of  his  rela- 
tion to  his  people,  that  it  cannot  be 
expressed  in  the  present  known  words 
of  the  language  ;  no  name  will  explain 
it.  Back  of  all  that  we  know  of  Christ, 
of  his  person  and  work,  there  is  yet 
much  that  remains  unknown.  Each 
age  will  have  for  itself  a  larger  Christ, 
with  a  new  and  a  larger  name  to  reveal 
him  to  the  believer. 

13.  Clothed  .  .  .  blood,  rather, 
arrayed  in  a  garment  sprinkled  with 
blood.  Some  ancient  MSS  have  dipped 
instead  of  sprinkled.  The  Greek  words 
for  sprinkle  and  dip  are  difl'erent  in 
form,  ba/pto,  meaning  to  dip,  rantizo, 
to  sprinkle.  There  is  no  instance  in 
the  New  Testament  where  these  two 
terms  are  confounded  ;  the  acts  are  en- 
tirely distinct  from  each  other.  Whose 
blood  is  this  ?  the  blood  of  Jesus  him- 
self signifying  the  blood  shed  for  the 
remission  of  sins  (Matt.  26  :  28),  or  the 
blood  of  his  enemies  ?  It  is  evidently 
the  latter.  He  appears  here,  not  under 
the  aspect  of  Redeemer,  a  Saviour 
from  sin,  but  as  a  conquerorj  triumph- 
ing over  his  enemies,  as  a  judge  con- 
demning guilty  men.  The  basis  of  the 
imagery  will  be  found  in  Isa.  63  :  1-3. 
It  is  the  blood,  not  of  atonement,  but  of 


Ch.  XIX. 


REVELATION 


361 


his    name    is   called   'The   Word    of 
God. 

14  ■"  And  the  armies  which  were  in 
heaven  followed  him  upon  white 
horses,  "clothed  in  flue  linen,  white 
and  clean. 

15  And  "out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp 
sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the 
nations:  and  Plie  shall  rule  them  witli 
a  rod  of  iron :   and  i  he  treadeth  the 


blood :  and  his  name  Is  called.  The 

14  Word  of  God.  And  the  armies  which 
are  in  heaven  followed  him  on  white 
horses,  clothed  in  flue    linen,   white, 

15  pure.  And  outof  his  mouth  goes  forth 
a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  may 
smite  the  nations ;  and  he  will  shep- 
herd them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  and  he 


(  John  1:1.  m  14  :  20 ;  2  Kiiigs  6  :  17  ;  Ps.  68  :  17  ;  Judc  U. 

0  Ver.  21 ;  1  :  16 ;  Ua.  11  :  4 ;  2  Thesa.  2:8.  p  2  :  27  ;  Ft.  2  :  9. 


11  7  ;  9;  Matt.  28  : 
q  14  :  17-20. 


punishment.  The  people  are  trodden 
down  in  the  wine-press  of  God's  retri- 
bution. The  beast  and  the  harlot  .shed 
the  blood  of  the  godly  (i^-':  "  =  *), 
the  righteous  Judge  now  sheds  the 
blood  of  the  ungodly.  The  Word 
of  God.  John  alone  in  the  New 
Testament  applies  this  term  to  Jesus 
in  his  preexistent  state  (.John  i  :  i).  It 
was  he  through  whom  the  worlds  were 
made ;  it  was  he  who  reconciled  the 
world  to  God  by  his  death.  A  word 
reveals  the  thought;  in  like  manner 
Jesus  is  that  word  by  which  God  is  re- 
vealed to  us.  He  is  the  way  to  God 
for  us ;  he  is  the  way  to  us  for  God,  so 
that  through  him  God  is  made  known 
to  us.  God  becomes  known  in  his  judg- 
ments through  Jesus  Christ.  God  is 
partially  made  known  to  us  in  the 
physical  and  moral  natures,  he  is  com- 
pletely known  in  Jesus  Christ.  The 
term  may  also  indicate  the  manner  in 
which  Jesus  breaks  down  opposition 
and  wins  his  way  in  the  world.  It  is 
through  the  spread  of  his  gospel,  the 
revealed  will  of  God,  that  Jesus 
triumphs  among  men.  The  gospel  is 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  In 
14  :  7  the  general  announcement  of  the 
gospel  immediately  precedes  the  fall  of 
Bal)ylou,  indicating  thereby  that  the 
truth  of  God  was  the  instrument  by 
which  the  wicked  city  was  overthrown. 
14.  Armies  . . .  were  in  heaven, 
rather,  are.  Some  understand  by  tliis 
term  the  great  hosts  of  angels,  whicli 
in  some  way  are  helpers  of  Christ,  and 
who  attend  him  at  his  final  coming 
(Matt.  25  :  31).  But  John  is  not  liere 
describing  the  final  appearing  of  Jesus, 
or  any  personal  coming  at  all,  but  a 
coming  in  great  spiritual  power.  In 
17  :  14  reference  is  made  to  a  contest 
between  the  Lamb  and  his  foes.  In 
that  contest  the  Lamb  overcomes  them 


through  his  forces,  who  are  his  saved 
people  on  the  earth.  The  armies  here 
spoken  of  embrace  the  moral  and 
spiritual  forces  of  Christ  upon  the 
earth,  all  the  agencies  of  the  church. 
Jesus  will  win  his  victories  in  the 
earth  through  his  people  clothed  with 
new  power  through  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  Avhite  horse  signifies  victory. 
The  robes  of  white  signify  both  vic- 
tory and  purity.  They  are  clad  rather 
for  a  triumplial  procession  than  for  a 
sanguinary  war.  In  the  vision  it  docs 
not  appear  that  the  armies  come  into 
a  real  struggle  at  all ;  the  enemies  are 
defeated  by  the  Lord  himself.  Their 
garments  remain  white.  God  some- 
times works  directly  upon  men  in 
judgment,  as  in  the  plagues,  though 
even  here  he  made  use  of  natural  laws. 
Usually  God  works  upon  men  tlirough 
other  men,  and  through  the  power  of 
the  truth,  through  the  moral  laws  that 
he  has  established. 

15.  Out  of  his  mouth  ... 
sword.  The  same  figure  is  employed 
in  1  :  16 ;  2  :  12.  The  promises,  the 
warnings,  the  commands  that  proceed 
from  his  mouth  are  like  swords,  they 
seem  to  be  almost  self-executing.  The 
sword  of  the  Spirit  convicts  (Ki't.  6  :  i"); 
the  threatenings  of  God  bring  down 
penalties  at  once,  and  overwhelm  the 
foe.  This  is  a  symbol  of  the  absolute 
power  of  God,  that  his  words  are  like 
swords  that  crush  all  opposition.  His 
expressed  will  reveals  tlie  standard  of 
judging,  and  is  itself  a  power  that 
breaks  ilown  all  opposition.  His  words 
for  the  penitent  are  so  tender  that  he 
will  not  break  the  bruised  reed  (Matt. 
12  ;  20).  To  the  impenitent  his  words 
are  swords  that  divide  asunder.  The 
work  of  judging,  God  has  given  to  the 
Son  (John  s  :  22).  Rod  of  iron.  Tiie 
idea  of  the  shepherd  is  found  in  2  :  27 ; 


862 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


winepress  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath 

16  of  Almighty  God.  And  'he  hath  ou 
his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name 
written,  "King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 

LORDS. 

17  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the 
sun ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying  'to  all  the  fowls  that  fly  in  the 
midst  of  heaven,  "Come  and  gather 
yourselves  together  unto  the  supper  of 


treads  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness 
of  the  wrath  of  God,  the  Almighty. 

16  And  he  has  on  his  garment,  and  on 
his  thigh,  a  name  written,  KING  OF 
KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LORDS. 

17  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the 
sun.  And  he  cried  with  a  great  voice, 
saying  to  all  the  birds  that  fly  in  mid 
heaven.  Come,  gather  yourselves  to- 
gether  to   the  great   supper  of  God  ; 


s  n  :  14 ;  Dan.  2  :  47. 


u  Isa.  18  :  6  ;  56  :  9 ;  Jer.  7  :  33 ;  Ezek.  39  :  17. 


12  :  5.  To  his  people  Je.sus  is  a  tender 
shepherd  guarding  them  from  all  harm 
(John  10 :  11) ;  to  liis  enemies  he  is  a 
shepherd  of  destruction,  beating  down 
the  enemies  of  his  people  with  a  club 
of  iron.  Opposition  must  be  put  down, 
for  God  is  a  ruler  as  well  as  a  Father. 
The  iron,  in  the  vision,  emphasizes  the 
opposition  that  he  meets  with,  and  his 
resolute  determination  to  put  it  down. 
Jesus  will  be  a  staii'  of  love  or  of  iron, 
according  to  character.  (Comp.  Ps.  2.) 
If  men  will  submit  to  his  sway,  his 
staff  of  iron  becomes  one  of  guardian- 
ship. The  judgments  here  indicated 
may  involve  physical  calamities, 
plagues  sent  as  in  Egypt,  and  tiie 
thousandfold  ways  in  which  God  may 
make  life  burdensome.  If  God  be 
against  us  who  can  be  for  us  ?  Fierce- 
iie.ss  .  .  .  God,  rather,  the  fierceness 
of  the  wrath  of  God  the  Almighty.  The 
words  expressive  of  the  severity  of  the 
punishment  are  heaped  up,  the  one  on 
the  other.  The  figure  is  that  of  the 
vintage,  taken  from  Isa.  63  : 1-6.  These 
words  are  concerning  the  actions  of 
one  who  is  all  righteousness  and  love, 
not  a  cruel  God,  like  a  Moloch.  It  is 
not  an  arbitrary  punishment  or  a  de- 
light in  suffering,  for  God  has  im- 
planted in  the  human  heart  the  feeling 
of  tenderness.  It  is  the  symbol  of  the 
necessary  hatred  of  a  supreme  holiness 
toward  persistent  wickedness.  The 
puni.shment  is  under  the  charge  of  one 
who  is  holy,  therefore,  it  will  not  be 
unfitting  or  unnecessary.  It  is  the 
punishment  of  one  who  is  almighty, 
it  will  therefore  be  heavy. 

16.  This  verse  further  enlarges  on 
the  character  of  the  person  of  Christ, 
and  the  greatness  of  his  triumph.  Be- 
cause he  is  the  Word  of  God,  the  Faith- 
ful and  True,  having  a  nature  too  large 
to  be  communicated  in  any  definite 
name,  he  will  be  a  conqueror  over  all 


his  foes.  The  name  here  indicated  is 
on  his  garment  and  on  his  thigh,  where 
the  sword  would  be  bound  {?'•  *5  : 3). 
The  Lamb  makes  war,  and  overcomes 
in  the  completest  way.  (comp.  Ps.  72 :  11.) 
Oriental  sovereigns  are  fond  of  claim- 
ing large  powers  and  large  domains, 
also  a  kinship  with  the  gods.  Here 
the  claim  is  in  accord  with  the  stricte.'<t 
truth.  At  all  times  Jesus  is  entitled 
to  the  allegiance  of  all  powers  on  the 
earth,  but  his  claims  have  been  resisted 
or  ignored.  Like  Pharaoh,  many  re- 
sist God's  manifested  will.  At  the  time 
indicated  in  the  vision  Jesus  will  be 
the  recognized  head  of  the  organized 
governments  among  men. 

17.  This  verse  shows  the  wide  de- 
struction that  the  Lamb  works  among 
his  enemies.  Angel  .  .  .  sun.  Noth- 
ing would  be  more  striking  in  actual 
life  than  one  standing  in  the  sun,  in 
the  view  of  all  nations,  that  no  one 
could  help  seeing.  In  vision  John 
announces  a  proclamation  as  distinct 
as  though  one  were  in  the  sun,  speak- 
ing to  all  peoples.  Loud  voice. 
All  nations  hear.  God  announces  be- 
forehand the  coming  of  the  flood,  the 
impending  disaster  here.  No  man  can 
have  any  cloak  for  his  sin  and  obdu- 
racy. Before  God  strikes,  he  warns. 
Fowls,  rather,  birds.  These  are  the 
vultures  and  carrion  birds  that  feed 
upon  the  dead.  Come  .  .  .  God, 
rather.  Come  and  be  gathered  together 
unto  the  great  supper  of  God.  There  has 
been  noticed  a  wedding  supper  of  the 
Lamb — great,  splendid — to  which  all 
God's  friends  are  invited.  This  picture 
is  that  of  a  great  battlefield,  when  the 
contest  is  over,  when  victory  has  come 
to  God's  side,  and  an  overwhelming 
and  final  defeat  has  come  to  the  un- 
godly party.  It  is  a  ghastly  sight  in 
itself,  but"  it  pictures,  in  a  striking 
way,  the  issue  of  the  contest  between 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


363 


18  the  great  God ;  » that  ye  may  eat  tlie 
flesh  of  kiugs,  and  the  flesh  of  cap- 
tains, and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men, 
and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them 
that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all 
men,  J  both  free  and  bond,  both  small 
and  great. 

19  « And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered 
together  to  make  war  "agaia.st  liim 
that  sat  ou  the  horse,  and  against  his 
army. 


18  that  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and 
the  flesh  of  captains  of  thousands,  and 
the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh 
of  horses  and  of  those  who  sit  on 
them,  and  the  flesh  of  all,  both  free 
and  bond,  and  small  and  great. 

19  And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered 
together  to  make  war  with  him  who 
sat  ou  the  horse,  and  with  liis  army. 


z  Ezek.  39  :  18,  20. 


y  6  :I5;  13  :  IG. 


a  13:  I;  16:  16;  17:  12-14. 


God  and  his  foes.  The  Old  Testament 
foundation  for  this  picture  is  found 
in  Ezek.  .39  :  17-22.  No  persons  are 
meant  by  the  birds  of  this  passage. 
Inasmuch  as  birds  flock  to  the  battle- 
field for  their  prey,  in  like  manner 
John  sees  them  come,  in  vision,  to  this 
symbolic  battlefield.  The  world  re- 
joices in  its  seeming  strength,  but  God 
sees  defeat  staring  it  in  the  face.  On 
the  earth  a  snowstorm  could  over- 
whelm a  Napoleon ;  a  blast  from  God's 
nostrils  destroyed  the  hosts  of  Sen- 
nacherib (3Kiug.  19:35);  in  like  manner 
here  there  is  a  carnival  for  the  birds 
of  prey.  It  is  always,  in  the  end,  ill 
for  the  wicked.  In  the  first  century 
God  sent  judgment  on  the  chosen  peo- 
ple in  destroying  the  city  and  scatter- 
ing the  nation.  This  was  a  battlefield 
showing  God's  retributive  power.  In 
the  same  century  he  changed,  through 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  hearts  of  ene- 
mies, so  that  they  became  his  friends, 
as  at  Pentecost.  This  was  a  battlefield 
revealing  God's  gracious  power  and 
mercy. 

18.  We  have  here  a  list  of  the  de- 
feated— kings,  captains  of  thousands, 
mighty  men,  horses  with  their  riders, 
freemen  and  slaves,  high  and  low. 
All  are  involved  in  one  common  dis- 
aster. The  term  flesh,  occurring  in 
the  plural  in  the  Greek,  is  used  five 
times,  as  if  to  emphasize  the  purely 
carnal  character  of  the  enemies  of  God. 
There  is  a  wide  contrast  between  this 
feast  and  that  described  in  ver.  9.  God 
makes  a  separation  among  men  at  the 
last  (Mai.  3 :  18 ;  Matt.  25 ;  32).  The  friends 
of  Jesus  are  the  guests  at  the  marriage 
supper,  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  are  a 
feast  for  the  birds.  In  this  purely  out- 
ward way,  and  for  Oriental  peoples 
who  cared  nothing  for  the  wounded 
and   helpless,  this  vision  emphasizes 


the  defeat  that  awaits  all  organized 
evil  influences  among  men.  ("<^^i'i  •'"•  2.) 
^Ve  make  a  great  mistake  when  we  re- 
gard sins  of  the  flesh  as  the  greatest 
enemies  of  God.  A  spirit  of  selfisli- 
ness,  philosophical  speculations  that 
deny  the  reality  of  sin  and  the  deity  of 
.Jesus,  may  work  far  wider  and  more 
disastrous  results  than  sins  of  seii- 
su<ality. 

19.  In  this  and  the  following  verses 
we  have  a  view  of  the  one-sided  con- 
test. We  have  two  foes,  the  beast  and 
the  allied  kings  joined  together  against 
the  one  who  sits  on  the  horse,  the  Lord 
Jesus.  The  beast  is  tliat  of  13  :  1 ;  17  : 
3.  The  kings  are  those  in  allegiance 
to  it,  the  wicked  powers  of  the  earth 
symbolized  by  the  ten  kings  of  17  :  12. 
The  contest  is  that  spoken  of  in  16  :  14, 
the  contest  at  Armageddon.  The 
armies  and  the  army  denote  the 
forces  at  work  against  and  for  the 
Lamb.  There  has  always  been  a  war 
between  God  and  the  evil  one  since  the 
opening  daj'S  in  Genesis  (Geu.  s :  15), 
but  growing  more  intense  toward  the 
last.  The  attack  here  is  made  by  the 
enemies  of  the  Lamb ;  they  make  war 
upon  him.  There  is,  of  course,  no 
literal  battle,  but  in  figure  is  set  forth 
the  unmixed  and  undying  hatred  of 
the  world  toward  God  and  Ins  people. 
Tiic  victory  of  the  Lamb  is  not  won 
by  his  own  direct  interposition  and 
unaided  power,  I)ut  through  his  army. 
It  is  by  tne  church  making  use  of  tlie 
Spirit  of  truth  and  holiness,  not  by 
palling  fire  down  from  heaven,  that 
the  triumphs  on  the  eartli  are  won. 
It  was  i)y  holy  living,  l>y  earnest  tes- 
timony, l)y  steadfast  endurance,  by  un- 
selfish help  to  otiiers,  not  by  startling 
miracdes  or  wonders  in  nature,  that 
Christianity  won  its  great  triumphs  in 
the  first  centuries,  overthrowing  heath- 


364 


KEVELATION 


[Ch.  XIX. 


20  •>  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with 
him  the  false  prophet  that  wrought 
miracles  before  him,  with  which  he 
deceived  them  that  had  received  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  "them  that 
worshipped  his  image.  *  These  both 
were  cast   alive   into  a   lake  of  fire 


20  And  the  beast  was  seized,  and  with 
him  the  false  prophet  that  wrought 
the  signs  in  his  sight,  with  which  he 
led  astray  those  who  received  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  who  worshiped 
his  image.  The  two  were  cast  alive 
into  the  lake  of  fire,  that  burns  with 


6  13  :  11-17  ;  16  :  13,  14 ;  1  Tim.  i  :  1. 


d  20  :  10,  14 ;  Dan.  1 :  11. 


enism  in  the  Roman  empire.  There 
may  be  also  pliysical  convulsions  and 
fearful  troubles  that  will  drive  the 
ungodly  from  their  accustomed  sources 
of  comfort,  but  in  the  main  the  Lamb 
will  work  through  his  church  by  spir- 
itual agencies  as  alone  effective  to 
break  down  evils,  and  turn  men  from 
the  love  of  unrighteousness  to  the  love 
of  the  truth.  Great  calamities  may 
startle  and  awaken,  but  the  truth  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  alone  can  work  a 
change  in  the  heart.  "In  what  form 
this  prediction  will  fulfil  itself  cannot 
be  conjectured.  But  it  seems  to  point 
to  a  last  struggle  between  society  and 
the  church,  or  rather  between  Christ 
and  antichrist.  Those  who  take  note 
of  the  tendencies  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion, will  not  find  it  impossible  to 
conceive  that  a  time  may  come  when, 
throughout  Christendom,  the  spirit  of 
antichrist  will,  with  the  support  of 
the  State,  make  a  final  stand  against 
a  Christianity  which  is  loyal  to 
the  person  and  teaching  of  Christ" 
(Swete). 

30.  Of  the  four  great  enemies  of 
the  church,  the  first  and  second  beasts 
of  chap.  XIII,  XVII,  the  unclean 
woman  of  chap.  XVII,  and  the  great 
dragon  of  chap.  XII,  one  has  already 
been  symbolically  destroyed  (i'  :  i6). 
Two  are  here  destroyed,  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet ;  the  remaining  one 
will  be  destroyed  in  the  next  chapter. 
The  beast  is  destroyed  apparently  with- 
out any  struggle  on  his  part,  no  men- 
tion is  made  of  any  fighting.  They 
are  consigned  to  the  fate  that  they 
have  brought  upon  themselves.  The 
beast  last  appears  in  chap.  XVII,  in 
its  highest  ana  most  antichristian  form. 
The  false  prophet  is,  without  doubt, 
the  second  beast  of  chap.  XIII,  work- 
ing signs  in  the  presence  of  the  first 
beast.  The  worldly  power  and  the 
worldly  wisdom  that  had  both  been 
arrayed  against  God,  are  overthrown, 
disarmed    entirely    of    their    power. 


They  are,  so  far  as  their  opposition  is 
concerned,  taken  and  destroyed.  In 
Dan.  8  :  11  we  see  that  one  method  of 
punishment  was  to  cast  alive  into  the 
tire.  Here  that  representation  is  given 
as  the  fate  of  these  foes.  We  are  not 
to  think  of  either  of  these  a8  repre- 
senting persons.  All  that  takes  place 
here  is  symbolical.  It  is  as  if  two 
living  beasts  were  cast  into  the  fire. 
What  John  presents  in  this  symbolic 
teaching  is  that  these  two  great  forces 
that  opposed  God  are  now,  through  the 
force  of  the  truth,  and  the  energy  of 
the  church,  stripped  of  their  pow  er  to 
hurt  or  hinder.  It  is  tnie  that  all  in- 
corrigible sinners,  whether  represented 
by  the  first  beast  as  a  persecuting 
power,  or  by  the  false  prophet  as  using 
its  wisdom  and  its  priesthood  to  seduce 
men  from  the  truth,  will  be  sent  into 
etei-nal  punishment.  But  the  main 
thought  here  is  that  the  great  systems 
of  persecution  and  false  teaching  will 
be  as  utterly  destroyed  as  if  two  beasts, 
that  stood  for  these  forces,  were  cast 
into  the  burning  lake.  This  passage 
shows  that  the  two  beasts  are  intimately 
associated ;  where  one  is  found,  the 
other  also  is  found.  For  the  mark  of 
the  beast,  and  the  image  of  the  beast, 
see  13  :  14,  16.  These  both,  rather, 
they  tivain.  Lake  of  fire.  In  this 
is  represented  the  second  death  of  2  : 
11  ;  20  :  14;  21  :  8.  It  is  the  hell  or 
gehenna  of  Matt.  5  :  22.  It  is  a  place 
of  punishment  and,  as  we  are  else- 
where taught,  it  is  everlasting  in  its 
nature.  It  does  not  end  in  extinction 
of  being.  The  vision  is  a  pictorial 
presentation  of  this  teaching ;  the  open 
foes  of  God  will  be  severely  punished, 
as  though  in  a  lake  of  fire.  Govern- 
ments and  false  systems  of  religion,  as 
such,  cannot  be  punished,  for  they 
have  no  personal  existence.  There  is 
no  real  beast  to  be  punished,  but  there 
are  real  beastlike  persons  who  will  be 
dealt  with  in  this  manner.  The  human 
enemies  of  God  are  not  cast  into  this 


Ch.  XIX.] 


REVELATION 


865 


21  •burning  with  brimstone.  And  the 
remnant  'were  slain  with  the  sword  of 
him  that  sat  upon  the  horse,  which 
sivord  proceeded  out  of  liis  mouth : 
sand  all  the  fowls  were  filled  with 
their  flesh. 


21  brimstone.  And  the  rest  were  killed 
with  ilie  sword  of  him  who  sat  on  the 
horse,  whicli  came  forth  out  of  his 
mouth ;  and  all  the  birds  were  filled 
with  their  flesh. 


«  14  :  10 ;  21  :  8. 


/  Ver.  IS;  2  Them.  2  :  8. 


g  Ver.  IT,  18 ;  1  Sam.  17  :  46. 


place  in  the  vision  until  after  the  judg- 
ment scene  in  chap.  XX.  Brim- 
stone. We  are  not  forced  to  accept 
all  the  descriptions  of  the  future  bless- 
edness and  misery  in  a  literal  way.  It 
is  possible  for  us  to  understaud  the 
nature  of  the  future  scenes  only  under 
the  terms  of  this  life.  Under  all  the 
varying  descriptions  of  the  punish- 
ment of  the  ungodly,  there  remains 
this  solemn  teaching,  that  there  is  a 
place  of  penalty,  retributive  in  its 
nature,  unendingin  itsduration.  There 
will  be  a  body  in  the  future  existence. 
Jesus  speaks  of  a  punishment  for  the 
body  (Matt.  10  :  J8).  But  we  may  not 
emphasize  unduly  the  physical  aspects 
of  the  unseen  existence.  The  chief 
delights  and  penalties  will  be  spiritual 
in  their  nature.  It  is  not  stated  by 
whom  the  two  beasts  were  taken, 
though  it  is  reasonable  to  refer  the  act 
to  the  army  of  the  all-conquering 
King. 

21.  And  the  remnant,  rather, 
and  the  rest.  The  allusion  is  to  the 
confederates  and  followers  of  the  two 
beasts.  With  the  sword.  In  the 
vision  none  of  the  followers  of  the 
Lamb  have  occasion  to  take  part  iu 
the  struggle.  The  victory  is  plainly 
wrought  by  spiritual  means,  so  that 
we  need  not  interpret  this  of  any 
armies  to  be  overtiirown,  or  any  actual 
military  confederacy.  It  is  probable 
that  the  confederations  and  alliances 
of  the  last  days  will  not  be  outward 
organizations,  but  a  junction  of  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  forces.  In  one 
indiscriminate  mass  the  armies  are 
overthrown.  In  ver.  18  we  have  the 
parts  of  the  armies  specified.  The 
slaughter  was  so  gr(;at  that  the  birds 
of  prey  were  glutted  with  their  feast. 
As  noticed  in  ver.  17,  we  may  not  find 
specific  allusion  to  any  persons  or 
parties  under  the  terra,  birds.  It  is 
fanciful  to  attempt  to  find  any  specific 
reference.  The  birds  are  spoken  of 
simply  to  fill  out  the  scene,  to  add  to 
its  naturalness,  to  show  the  greatness 


of  the  slaughter.  The  vision  has  thus 
far  revealed  to  us  the  destruction  of 
the  harlot,  the  first  beast,  the  false 
prophet.  God's  cause  marches  on 
steadily  and  triumphantly.  It  has 
required  centuries  to  bring  about  this 
result,  to  show  the  weakness  aud  the 
wickedness  of  sin,  the  greatness  of  the 
person,  the  power,  and  the  mission  of 
Jesus.  It  is  pleasing,  as  we  draw  near 
the  end,  to  see  the  person  of  Jesus 
stand  out  alone  iu  its  grandeur. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Great  mercies  demand  great  praise. 
Each  new  revelation  of  God's  power  and 
holiness  calls  forth  fresh  outbursts  of 
praise  (Ps.  107).  No  Christian  should 
have  dumb  lips  (ver.  1). 

2.  God  is  holy,  and  therefore  he  is  a 
judge.  He  is  strong,  and  therefore  he  in- 
flicts heavy  penalties.  He  is  patient,  and 
therefore  he  waits.  He  Iovqs  his  people, 
and  therefore  he  makes  their  cause  his 
own.  God's  moral  nature  will  shine  out 
like  the  sun,  that  all  may  see  the  right- 
ness  of  his  dealings  (ver.  2). 

3.  As  long  as  men  are  holy,  so  long 
heaven  will  continue.  As  long  as  men 
are  unholy,  so  long  must  hell  continue. 
Future  blessedness  and  misery  are  not 
uiirea.sonable  when  one  remembers  that 
God  has  joined  together  holiness  and 
happiness,  unholiness  and  unhappiness. 
Heaven  and  hell  are  not  accidents  in  a 
moral  universe.  They  spring  out  of  a 
moral  necessity  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  redeemed  may  well  rejoice  when 
God  triumphs,  when  temptations  and 
trials  are  taken  out  of  the  way.  It  is  not 
the  gratification  of  a  personal  revenge, 
but  the  sharing  in  God's  rejoicing  when 
all  his  enemies  are  put  down  and  his 
name  is  glorified  (ver.  4). 

.').  There  are  gradations  among  the 
servants  of  God,  but  all  are  insignificant 
when  compared  with  him.  The  highest 
angel  and  the  weakest  believer  must  do 


366 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XX. 


their  best;  this  God  requires.  Nothing 
less  than  this  will  satisfy  him,  or  ought 
to  satisfy  his  people  (ver.  5). 

6.  The  disorders  in  life,  the  temporary 
triumphs  of  wrong  seem  to  reveal  a  God 
who  does  not  care  or  cannot  control 
affairs.  In  time  he  will  be  seen  to  be  the 
Lord  of  all.  It  is  the  highest  wisdom  to 
be  governed  by  such  a  being  (ver.  6). 

7.  There  is  a  growing  blessedness  for 
the  Christian.  It  is  blessed  to  live  for 
Christ,  it  is  blessed  to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ  (Phil.  1 :  21).  It  is  blessed  when 
the  assembled  people  of  God  shall  be 
brought  into  a  full  fellowship  with  their 
Lord  (ver.  7). 

8.  Holiness  of  heart  marks  those  who 
dwell  where  God  is.  The  holiness  iu  the 
believer  is  of  the  same  quality  as  the 
holiness  of  God,  for  he  is  a  child  of  God. 
The  holiness  iu  the  heart  is  not  native 
there,  but  is  the  fruit  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
In  heaven  the  holiness  is  all-controlling 
ever.  8). 

9.  Words  axe  too  weak  to  express  the 
blessedness  of  the  life  with  Christ.  There 
is  a  blessedness  now,  in  the  midst  of 
obloquy  and  poverty,  if  Christ  dwells  in 
the  heart.  The  blessedness  there  is  in 
union  with  a  glorified  body,  a  glorified 
mind  and  moral  nature,  a  glorified  Christ, 
and  a  glorified  society  (ver.  9). 

10.  The  worship  of  God  is  fitting  and 
necessary.  We  may  respect  good  men, 
love  the  church  and  its  ordinances,  but 
we  must  reserve  acts  of  worship  for  God 
alone.  We  should  pray  to  no  one  lower 
than  God  (ver.  10). 

11.  Jesus  is  a  faithful  and  true  Saviour. 
Satan  is  a  liar,  the  world  may  prove  de- 
ceptive, but  Jesus  can  be  leaned  on.  His 
word  is  a  rod  and  staff.  His  people  should 
imitate  him  in  faithfulness  (ver.  11). 

12.  Jesus  had  once  a  crown  of  thorns, 
he  now  has  many  crowns.  He  is  worthy 
of  them.  The  angels  adore  him,  nature 
obeys  him,  men  should  give  him  their 
love  and  worship  (ver.  12). 

13.  Jesus,  as  a  Saviour,  shed  his  blood 
for  men.  Jesus,  as  a  judge,  sheds  the 
blood  of  the  guilty.  These  two  sides  of 
the  work  of  Jesus  must  not  be  forgotten 
(ver.  13). 

14.  The  church  of  Christ  is  not  simply 
a  rejoicing  and  saved  host,  it  is  to  be  an 


army.  Its  duty  and  privilege  is  to  help 
Jesus  conquer  the  world,  to  put  down  all 
its  iniquities.  Each  Christian  is  to  be  a 
soldier.  Jesus  is  the  captain  of  our  sal- 
vation (ver.  14  ;  Heb.  2  :  10). 

15.  Jesus  has  a  shepherd's  crook,  a 
strong  arm,  a  watchful  eye,  a  tender 
heart  for  his  sheep.  He  has  an  iron  staff, 
a  sharp  sword,  and  fearful  punishments 
for  his  foes.  Those  who  trust  him  as 
Saviour  will  find  in  him  a  loving  shep- 
herd (John  10).  The  ungodly  will  share 
in  his  iron  staff  (ver.  15). 

16.  It  is  the  purpose  of  God  that  Jesus 
shall  be  a  universal  sovereign.  Jesus 
waits  until  his  enemies  are  under  his 
feet  (Heb.  10  :  13).  Each  new  penitent 
adds  to  the  power  and  extent  of  his  king- 
dom. He  will  be  King  of  kings,  whether 
we  accept  him  or  not  (ver.  16). 

17.  Heaven  and  hell  are  far  apart  in 
their  nature.  They  are  far  apart  because 
godliness  is  very  far  from  ungodliness. 
Each  one  must  find  a  dwelling-place  in 
the  future.  Each  one  makes  his  own 
choice  now  in  accepting  or  rejecting 
Christ  (ver.  17). 

18.  The  seeming  triumphs  of  the  wicked 
will  end  in  crushing  defeats.  It  cannot 
be  otherwise,  for  God  has  all  power  and 
all  ages  in  which  to  work.  God  is  now 
so  patient  that  his  patience  obscures,  for 
many,  his  power,  his  holiness,  his  warn- 
ings (ver.  18). 

19.  It  is  unreasonable  to  make  war  upon 
Christ.  Neutrality  is  an  act  of  unfriend- 
liness and  disloyalty.  The  peril  to  us  is, 
not  the  intellectual  rejection  of  Christ, 
but  the  ignoring  of  Christ  and  his  claims 
(ver.  19). 

20.  Men  have  jails  for  the  wicked,  God 
also  has  a  jail  for  the  finally  impenitent. 
The  punishment  will  arise  from  a  troubled 
conscience,  also  from  outward  penalty. 
The  punishment  does  not  destroy  con- 
science or  personal  existence.  Life  goes 
on,  a  living  death  (ver.  20,  21). 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  VICTORY   over   Satan   and 

THE  COMPLETED  TRIUMPH.  This 
chapter  is  intimately  connected  with 
the  preceding.  We  are  now  rapidly 
approaching  the  consummation  of  all 
things,  and  the  consequent  triumph  of 


Ch.  XX.] 


REVELATION 


867 


Satan  bound;  the  first  resurrection,  and 
millennial  kingdom. 
20    AND  I  saw  au  ansel  come  down  from 
heaven,  ^  having  the  key  of  the  bottom- 
less pit  and  a  great  cliaiu  in  his  hand. 
2  '  And  he  laid  hold  on  ^  the  dragon,  that 
old  serpent,  which  is  the  Devil,  and 
Satan,    and   bound    him    a   thousand 


20  AND  I  saw  an  angel  coming  down 
out  of  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the 
abyss,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand. 
2  And  he  laid  hold  of  the  dragon,  the 
old  serpent,  which  is  the  Devil  and 
Hatau,    and    bound    him  a   thousand 


ft  1  :  18  i  9  ;  1,  2  ;  Luke  8  :  31.  i  Gen.  S  :  15  ;  I,sa.  27  :  1 ;  John  12  :  SI ;  Rom.  16  :  20  ;  Hcb.  2  :  U. 

ft  9  :  11 ;  12  :  9  ;  2  Peter  2:4;  Jude  6. 


the  cause  of  Christ.  Satan  has  ravaged 
the  world  for  centuries,  incitiug  to 
persecutions,  tempting  God's  people, 
and  perverting  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel.  His  sway  has  been  so  wide- 
spread that  he  is  called  the  god  of  this 
world  (2  Cor.  4:4).  Above  all  opposition 
this  work  has  revealed  God  alone  upon 
his  throne,  observing  the  failure  of  all 
plans  formed  against  him  (ps.  2)^  holy 
and  almighty.  Under  his  strokes  of 
judgment  we  have  seen  the  foes  of 
God  going  down  one  by  one,  the  first 
and  second  beasts,  the  false  prophet, 
Babylon  the  apostate  church — all  of 
these,  ill  vision,  have  been  destroyed. 
Back  of  all  these  hostile  forces  has 
been  the  personal  agency  of  Satan. 
This  work  would  not  be  complete  if 
we  were  to  have  the  visions  come  to  a 
close,  and  he  be  undestroyed.  In  this 
chapter  we  have  the  limitations  of  his 
power,  the  comparative  annihilation, 
not  of  his  person,  but  of  his  effective 
work  again.st  the  cause  of  Christ.  The 
breaking  down  of  evil  is  of  necessity 
the  building  up  of  the  ^ood.  We 
have,  therefore,  now  in  vision  the  de- 
struction of  Satan's  power,  and  the 
consequent  ushering  in  of  a  brighter 
era,  tlie  millennium. 

1-3.  ThKBINDIXG  OF  THE  DRAGON. 
The  entire  book,  beginning  with  12  : 1, 
should  now  be  read.  At  that  point  the 
dragon  is  introduced,  warring  against 
Christ  and  his  cause.  The  character 
of  God,  the  redemptive  work  of  Christ, 
the  triumph  of  the  Christian  cause,  all 
re(iuire  that,  in  symbol,  we  shall  see 
Satan  himself  removed  as  an  ob- 
structive force. 

1.  And  I  saw.  Beginning  with 
19  :  11  we  have  seven  vision.s,  each  in- 
troduced by  the  expression,  "and  I 
saw,"  19  :  11,  17,  19 ;  20  :  1,  4,  11  ;  21  : 
1.  Angel.  In  19  :  11  we  have  a  sight 
of  the  conquering  Redeemer  hini-self ; 
in  19  :  17  we  have  an  angel  summoning 


the  birds  to  a  feast,  feeding  up<:)n  the 
corpses  of  God's  foes.  This  is  a  second 
angel  from  heaven,  rather,  out  of 
heaven.  This  indicates  the  divine  ap- 
proval; none  but  oueso  eomiui.ssioned 
of  God  could  perform  so  mighty  a  task. 
Uottoniless  pit,  rather,  abyss.  This 
is  looked  upon  as  Satan's  abode,  and 
hence  entered  by  a  door.  This  word  is 
used  elsewhere,  in  9  :  1,  2;  11  :  7;  17  : 
18.  Key.  This  is  spoken  of  in  1  :  18 
as  deposited  in  the  hands  of  Jesus, 
who  has  all  power.  In  9  :  2  the  pit  is 
opened  by  au  angel,  here  the  pit  is 
represented  as  closed.  Great  chain. 
This  hangs  over  the  open  hands,  drop- 
ping down  on  both  sides.  It  is  great 
because  of  the  power  needed  to  restrain 
so  mighty  a  foe.  The  three  physical 
terms  used,  abyss,  chain,  key,  are 
figurative  terms  of  agencies  to  be  em- 
ployed to  limit,  restrain,  confine  so 
great  a  spiritual  being,  limiting  just  as 
if  a  ringleader  of  wickedness  were 
shut  up  in  jail.  A  Samson  may  be  re- 
strained by  physical  chains,  a  Satan 
m  list  be  restrai  ned  by  spiritual 
agencies. 

2,  3.  Five  distinct  statements  are 
mentioned  concerning  the  angel,  laid 
hold  on  the  dras^on,  bound, 
cast,  shnt  him  up,  rather,  shut  it. 
Set  a  seal  upon  him,  rather,  sealed 
it  over  him.  The  dragon  has  been 
met  with  in  12  :  3,  9;  13  :  2,  4;  IG  :  13. 
He  is  the  summing  up,  the  embodiment 
of  all  the  enemies  of  Christ,  giving 
power  to  the  faint  heart,  worshiped  by 
the  ungodly.  Three  other  names  are 
given  him.  Serpent,  the  bewitching, 
crafty  foe,  through  the  centuries  de- 
ceiving men;  devil,  meaning  slan- 
derer, misrepresenting  God  and  his 
cause  to  men;  Satan,  meaning  the 
adversary,  the  chief  opponent  of  God, 
of  Jesus,  of  good  things,  of  good  men. 
The  binding,  the  casting  into  the  pit, 
the    sealing,    would    be    exceedingly 


368 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XX. 


3  years,  and  cast  hiiti  into  the  bottom- 
less pit,  aud  shut  liim  up,  and  'set  a 
seal  upon  him,  »ithat  he  should  de- 
ceive the  nations  no  more,  till  the 
thousand   years   should    be   fulfilled : 


3  years,  and  cast  him  into  the  abyss,  and 
shut  it,  aud  sealed  it  over  him,  that  he 
should  lead  the  nations  astray  no  more, 
until  the  thousand   years   should   be 


I  Dan.  6  :  17 ;  Matt.  27  : 


Ver.  8 ;  16  :  14,  16. 


dramatic,  as  seen  in  vision,  aud  would 
be  easy  of  comprelieusion  by  all.  A 
being  who  is  spirit  will  naturally  not 
be  subject  to  a  merely  mechanical 
treatment ;  what  takes  place  in  vision, 
in  perfect  naturalness,  cannot  actually 
occur  in  a  physical  way.  As  a  finite 
being  subject  to  limitation  in  time  and 
space,  he  may  be  confined  within  a 
definite  region,  or  restricted  in  power, 
just  as  if  he  were  shut  up.  The  refer- 
ence is  not  so  much  to  the  person  of 
Satan,  as  to  the  limiting  of  his  in- 
fluence against  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
The  Scriptures  dwell  not  so  much  on 
his  personal  history,  as  on  his  method 
of  working  and  his  final  subjection  to 
Christ.  Jesus  speaks  of  Satan  as  fallen 
from  heaven  (Luke  lo  :  is) ;  a  being  cast 
out  of  his  position  of  power  (John  le  :  ii). 
In  12  :  9  he  is  cast  down  from  heaven 
to  earth ;  in  2  Peter  2  :  4  Satan  is  said 
to  be  bound,  awaiting  the  judgment  of 
the  last  day.  The  death  of  Chri.st,  and 
the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom 
in  the  past,  have  limited  Satan's  power ; 
it  is  asserted  here  that  his  cause,  as  an 
organized  system,  will  ultimately  go 
down  through  the  supremacy  of  Christ's 
cause.  At  times  he  has  seemed  to  be 
all  powerful ;  he  controlled  business 
(13 :  17).  Now  his  power  is  limited  and 
impaired.  His  imprisonment  in  vision 
is  the  declaration  that  his  power  and 
influence  will  be  largely  destroyed. 
Men  will  still  have  fleshly  bodies  and 
human  hearts,  but  the  life  set  apart  for 
Christ,  the  increased  power  of  the 
truth,  the  work  of  the  Hf)ly  Spirit 
within,  these  will  close  the  mind  to  the 
entrance  and  control  of  Satan.  The 
recognition  of  God's  authority,  devo- 
tion to  God's  cause,  fellowship  with 
holy  activities,  love  of  the  truth,  if 
these  were  to  prevail  in  the  world, 
they  would  so  limit  his  power  it  would 
be  as  if  he  were  shut  up,  and  could  do 
nothing  among  men.  With  the  limit- 
ing of  his  power  will  come  naturally 
.  an  enlarged  efiectiveiiess  of  good 
agencies.  Shut.  The  door  is  closed 
and  locked.    Set  a  seal.    Jesus  was 


under  seal  in  the  sepulcher  of  stone, 
he  broke  the  seal  of  empire.  Each 
word  adds  to  the  impressiveness  of  the 
teaching.  The  purpose  of  the  binding 
and  the  character  of  Satan  are  revealed 
in  deceive.  His  whole  nature  is  that 
of  deception  ;  if  he  worked  openly  he 
would  lo.se  power  among  men.  He  de- 
ceived our  first  parents  in  Gen.  3:4; 
he  tried  to  deceive  Jesus.  Nations 
has  reference,  not  to  uncultivated  na- 
tions as  distinct  from  the  cultivated, 
but  as  elsewhere  to  the  godless  classes. 
In  ver,  8  the  same  word  occurs,  allud- 
ing to  tho.se  far  from  God,  indicating 
this  by  their  remoteness  from  the  holy 
city.  As  we  are  moving  in  the  range 
of  symbols,  we  cannot  understand  this 
to  be  a  complete  suppression  of  Satan's 
power.  In  John  16  :  11  Jesus  said : 
"The  prince  of  this  world  has  been 
judged."  This  did  not  imply  a  sud- 
den, complete,  and  permanent  cessa- 
tion of  his  work  among  men,  nor  may 
we  understand  this  vision  to  make  that 
declaration.  It  may  imply  a  complete 
cessation  of  demoniacal  possession,  so 
prevalent  in  the  first  century.  It  may 
also  involve  large  accessions  to  the 
power  of  good,  the  investing  of  the 
church  with  power  so  that,  compara- 
tively speaking,  it  will  be  as  if  his 
power  for  evil  were  suppressed.  Satan, 
during  his  temporaiy  imprisonment, 
will  retain  his  satanic  character,  and 
men  will  remain  imperfect  and  tempt- 
able.  Thousand  years.  This  is 
the  number  ten  multiplied  by  itself 
twice,  implying  a  large  and  complete 
period.  It  stands  not  for  a  thousand 
literal  years,  nor  for  any  definite  time. 
So  far  as  the  number  itself  is  concerned, 
it  might  be  less  than  this  period,  it 
might"  equally  represent  untold  ages. 
John  is  not  giving  a  scheme  of  chro- 
nology, but  affirming  the  completeness 
of  Christ's  triumph.  We  may  not  ex- 
pect definite  numbers  and  dates  in  a 
book  of  symbols.  Satan  had  his  hour 
of  triumph  (Luke  22:63).  Jcsus  has 
triumph  during  this  long  period  of 
years.     Cast,  shut,  sealed,  declare  in  a 


Ch.  XX.] 


REVELATION 


369 


■>  and  after  that  he  must  be  loosed  a 
little  season. 
4  And  I  saw  "thrones,  and  they  sat 
up)ou  them  and  p  judgment  was  given 
unto  theiD  :  and  J  saw  i  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  wit- 
ne.ss  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of 
God,  and 'which  had  not  worshipped 
the  beast,  neither  his  image,  neither 
had  received  his  mark  upon  tlieir  fore- 
heads, or  in  their  hands;  and  they 
lived  and  "  reigned  with  Christ  a  thou- 


finisbed  :  after  these  he  must  be  loosed 
a  little  time. 
4  And  1  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  on 
them,  aud  judj^ment  was  given  to 
them  ;  and  the  souls  of  those  tliat  had 
beeu  beheaded  ou  account  of  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus,  and  on  account  of  the 
word  of  God,  and  whoever  did  not 
woi-ship  the  Ijeast,  nor  his  ima^e,  and 
did  not  receive  the  mark  on  their  fore- 
head, and  on  their  hand  ;  and  they 
lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thou- 


n  Vcr.  7-10 ;  la  :  12. 
«  6:9. 


0  Dan.  7  ;  9, 18,  22,  27  ;  .Matt.  19  :  28  ;  Luke  22  :  SO.  p  Ps.U9  :  9  ;  1  Cor.  6  :  2,  S. 

r  13  :  12.  <  5  :  9,  10 ;  Dan.  2  :  U ;  Uoiu.  8  :  17  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  12. 


forcible  way  the  removal  of  Satan  from 
the  seat  of  his  activities,  the  impos- 
sibility of  his  working  as  even  he  did. 
He  is,  as  it  were,  a  Napoleon  on  St. 
Helena,  having  the  same  malignity, 
but  stripped  of  his  power  to  seduce  aiul 
lead  men  astray.  During  a  great  re- 
vival Satan  has  almost  no  power  in  a 
community ;  his  power  remain.Sj  but  he 
finds  no  opportunity  for  plying  his 
trade.  If  a  revival  were  world-wide 
and  ages  long,  it  would  be  as  if  Satan 
were  shut  up  in  the  abyss.  During  the 
millennial  period,  when  righteousness 
shall  reign  in  the  world,  and  Jesus 
will  be  crowned  King  of  the  earth,  the 
hearts  of  men  will  still  maintain  their 
sinful  bias,  and  the  reign  of  goodness 
will,  in  time,  come  to  an  end.  This 
symbolic  picture  of  the  binding  of 
Satan  has  been  misapprehended  by 
supposing  it  to  imply  the  cessation  of 
all  evil  among  men.  It  is  too  readily 
a.ssuined  tliat  if  Satan  be  shut  up  and 
.sealed  in  the  abyss,  the  angels  of  Satan 
and  wicked  men  can  have  no  more 
place  in  the  world.  The  final  defeat 
of  Satan  does  not  come  until  ver.  10. 
Loosed  has  reference  to  a  brief  after- 
period,  preceding  the  close  of  human 
history,  when  wickedness  will  be  the 
controlling  power.  This  is  shown  by 
the  vision  of  the  unloosing  of  Satan. 
The  must  does  not  afhrm  any  moral 
necessity  for  this,  but  means  the  or- 
dering of  events  in  God's  providence 
whereby  men  have  a  final  exhibition 
of  what  wickedness  can  do — tlie  con- 
trast between  Christ's  reign  and  Satan's 
reign.  Little  season.  The  same 
expression  is  found  in  6  :  11,  a  period 
that  has  stretched  over  many  centuries. 
The.se  two  expressions,  a  thousand 
years  and  a  little  season,  standing  side 
by  side,  show  how  complete  will  be 


Christ's  triumph,  how  utter  the  defeat 
of  Satan.  This  is  all  that  they  are 
meant  to  couvey. 

4-G.  The  millennial  kingdom 
OF  Christ.  Here  is  given  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  manner  of  life  upon  the 
earth  during  that  period  when  Satan 
is  bound  and  Christ  reigus. 

4.  Thrones.  The  predominant 
thought  here  is  not  that  of  reigning, 
but  of  rejoicing;  thrones  are  for  kings. 
Tho.se  who  rejoice  are  those  who  laid 
down  their  lives  for  Christ's  sake,  those 
having  the  martyr  spirit.  In  God's 
sight  equally  worthy  of  praise  with 
the  martyrs  are  those  who  were  faith- 
ful in  life,  wlio  lived  lives  of  piety 
when  such  living  meant  ostracism  and 
loss  of  business  (John  9 :  22).  Tiiose  who 
were  despised  on  earth  will  now  be 
found  sitting  on  thrones  (s :  21).  Judg- 
ment. This  is  usually  interpreted  to 
mean  that  they  sit  in  judgment  with 
(^hrist,  judging  during  the  thousand 
years.  But  the  word  rendered  judg- 
ment does  not  mean  the  act  of  judging, 
l)ut  the  results  of  judgment.  Tlie 
natural  meaning  is  that  to  them  is 
given  the  assurance  of  acquittal,  of 
acceptance,  so  that  they  would  them- 
selves come  under  no  jud(jnient.  John 
saw  souls  ;  we  are  reminded  by  this 
term  of  6:9,  where  was  a  vision  of 
disembodied  spirits,  not  having  had 
any  resurrection.  In  that  place  tliey 
cried  to  God,  imploring  tlie  divine 
vengeance,  here  they  are  regarded  as 
avenged  and  rejoicing.  There  was  a 
time  when  God's  people  were  perse- 
cuted, now  in  symbol  they  have  tri- 
umphed. Lived  and  reigned. 
During  their  lifetime  they  were  re- 
garded as  the  ofl'scouring  of  the  world. 
During  all  this  period  the  spirit  of  tlie 
martyrs  lived  and  reigned,  controlling 


370 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XX. 


5  sand  years.  But  the  rest  of  the  dead 
lived  not  again  until  the  thousand 
years  were  finished.  'This  is  the  first 
resurrection. 

6  "Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath 
part  in  the  lirst  resurrection.  On  such 
'  the  second  death  hath  no  power  ;  but 
they  shall  be  y  priests  of  God  and  of 
Christ,  ^and  shall  reign  with  him  a 
thousand  years. 


5  sand  years.  The  rest  of  the  dead  lived 
not  until  the  thousand  years  should  be 
finished.    This  is  the  first  resurrection. 

6  Happy  and  holy  is  he  that  has  part  in 
the  first  resurrection ;  over  these  the 
second  death  has  no  authority,  but 
lliey  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of 
Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a 
thousand  years. 


t  Luke  14  :  14 ;  20  :  56 ;  1  Thess.  4  :  16.  «  14  :  13  ;  Dan.  12  :  12.  x  2  :  11 ;  21  :  8. 

y  1:6;  5  :  10 ;  Isa.  61  :  6 :  1  Peter  2:9.  z  Ver.  4. 


affairs  among  men.  It  is  not  of  them 
risen  and  glorified  tluit  he  speaks,  but 
of  tlieir  souls ;  these  were  regarded  as 
living  and  reigning  during  this  blessed 
period.  The  ideas  they  died  for  now 
were  in  the  ascendency,  molding  the 
business,  the  social  spirit,  the  policies 
of  the  age.  It  was  just  as  if  the  olden 
martyrs  and  godly  men  were  actually 
living  and  leading  the  age  in  a  holy 
way.  Christ  reigned,  and  they  reigned, 
with,  in,  and  through  him. 

5.  This  verse,  in  another  form,  ex- 
presses the  same  teaching,  the  triumph 
of  goodness  and  good  men.  Rest  of 
the  dead.  This  is  the  opposite  of  the 
martyrs  and  those  who  served  Christ, 
meaning  the  ungodly.  During  the 
millennial  period  the  ungodly  men 
had  no  controlling  power,  the  faithful 
were  those  who  led  affairs.  At  the 
end  of  this  period  the  ungodly  have 
again  the  controlling  power.  It  is  now 
as  if  all  the  wicked  dead  rose  from 
their  graves  and  lived  over  again. 
First  resurrection.  The  living  and 
reigning  with  Christ  is  the  first  resur- 
rection. This  resurrection  is  to  he  un- 
derstood as  a  part  of  a  series  of  great 
symbolic  pictures.  Nothing  is  said  of 
a  rising  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  or 
a  resuscitation  of  mortal  bodies.  The 
term  resurrection  is  no  more  to  be 
pressed  into  a  literal  significance  than 
the  words  thrones,  books,  and  lake  of 
fire ;  but  it  is  shown  to  be  a  living  and 
reigning  with  Christ.  Alford  insists 
that  this  passage  requires  us  to  under- 
stand a  literal  resurrection,  but  the 
whole  trend  of  the  passage  is  against 
this.  Swete's  view  is  .similar  to  this  here 
given.  "The  Seer  of  the  Apocalypse 
does  not  anticipate  history  ;  he  is  con- 
tent to  emphasize  and  express  in  apoca- 
lyptic language  principles  which  guide 
the  Divine  government  of  the  world. 


That  the  age  of  the  martyrs,  howevei 
long  it  might  last,  would  be  followed 
by  a  longer  period  of  Christian  su- 
premacy, during  which  the  faith  for 
which  the  martyrs  died  would  live  and 
reign,  is  the  essential  teaching  of  the 
present  vision.  When,  under  what 
circumstances,  or  by  what  means,  this 
happy  result  would  be  attained,  St. 
John  does  not  see,  and  has  not  at- 
tempted to  explain.  It  might  have 
been  well  if  students  of  this  book  had 
always  followed  this  wise  reserve " 
(Swete). 

6.  Those  who  share  in  the  first  res- 
urrection, who  have  the  spirit  of  the 
martyrs  and  the  faithful,  are  holy,  and 
therefore  blessed.  The  first  resur- 
rection and  second  death  stand  in 
contrast  with  each  other.  By  this 
term  is  meant  being  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire  (ver.  u).  The  first  death  may 
be  met  in  a  joyful  way  by  the  Christian 
(1  Cor.  15  :  55)  ;  the  sccoud  death  hurts 
(2  :  11).  Those  not  sharing  in  the  first 
resurrection,  having  the  spirit  of  un- 
godliness in  them,  are  under  the  power 
of  sin  and  death.  The  others  are 
priests  of  God  and  of  Christ  (1:6; 
5  :  10).  No  second  resurrection  is  spoken 
of;  if  one  is  conceived  of  in  the  vision, 
it  will  be  found  in  the  living  of  "  the 
rest  of  the  dead,"  a  resurrection  of  the 
ungodly  spirit,  so  that  a  new  era  of 
wickedness  begins  on  the  earth. 

7-10.  The  final  victoey  over 
Satan.  The  millennial  period  is  to 
end  with  the  utter  defeat  of  the  old 
serpent,  fulfilling  the  prediction  of  Gen. 
3  :  15.  To  enhance  the  final  and  de- 
cisive character  of  the  victory  over 
Satan,  John  depicts  him  as  loosed  from 
his  prison  house  for  a  season.  The  old 
enemy  is  then  granted  a  second  proba- 
tion, in  order  to  show  that  his  nature 
is  wholly  that  of  deception. 


Ch.  XX.] 


REVELATION 


371 


Satan  loosed;  his  last  battle  and  defeat; 
the  final  judgment. 

7  AND  when  the  thousand  years  are 
expired,  "Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of 

8  his  prison,  and  shall  go  out  ''to  deceive 
the  nations  which  are  in  the  four 
quarters  of  the  earth,  "Gog  and  ''Ma- 
gog, « to  gather  them  together  to  battle  : 
the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of 

9  the  sea.  'And  they  went  up  on  the 
breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compassed 
the  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  b  the 
beloved  city:  ""and  fire  came  down 
from  God  out  of  heaven  and  devoured 

10  them.    'And  the  devil  that  deceived 
them  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  tire  and 


7  And  when  the  thousand  yeaTS  are 
finished,  Satan  will  be  loosed  out  of  his 

8  prison,  and  will  go  out  to  lead  astray 
the  nations  that  are  in  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to 
gather  them  together  to  tlie  war,  the 
number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the 

9  sea.  And  tliey  went  upon  the  breadth 
of  the  earth,  and  encompassed  the 
camp  of  the  saints,  and  the  beloved 
city;  and  tire  came  down  out  of  heaven, 

10  and  devoured  them.  And  the  Devil 
who  led  them  astray  was  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  are 


a  Ver.  2.  b  Ver.  3,  10.  c  Ezck.  38,  39.  d  Gen.  10  :  2,  5.      ■       e  16  :  14. 

/IM.  8:8;  Hab.  1  :6.  j  Pa.  78  ;  68.  A  Gun.  19  ;  Kzek.  38  ;  22.  i  Vtr.  8 ;  Dan.  7  :  11. 


7.  Loosed.  Nothing  is  said  of  the 
method  of  this  release.  The  long 
reigu  of  goodness  and  prosperity  may 
have  caused  spiritual  pride,  a  neg- 
lect of  watchcare  over  the  soul,  a  de- 
pendence upon  an  outward  religion. 
Whether  there  \vas  a  sudden  relapse 
into  impiety,  or  whether  it  was  the 
result  of  long  periods  of  a  moral  and 
spiritual  declension,  we  may  not  know. 
Spiritual  forces  usually  work  slowly 
and  silently.  At  a  certain  period  a 
vision  presents  a  different  spiritual 
condition  in  the  world,  occasioning 
Satan's  release,  and  occasioned  by  it. 
This  means  renewed  conflict,  the 
awakening  of  latent  sinful  tendencies, 
and  the  manifestation  of  God's  holy 
agencies. 

8,  9.  Four  quarters,  or,  corners. 
The  same  expression  is  used  in  7  :  1. 
These  most  remote  from  religious 
centers  are  least  influenced  for  good, 
and  are  most  open  to  deception.  By 
corners,  John  indicates  those  least  de- 
vout, wherever  situated.  The  further 
statement  shows  that  all  parts  of  the 
land  were  open  to  the  temptations  of 
Satan.  This  shows  that  the  millennial 
era,  with  its  world-wide  triumph  of 
piety,  is  not  destined  to  eliminate  all 
evil  from  every  man,  but  that  at  the 
very  last  there  will  be  found,  in  all 
quarters,  those  who  can  be  deceived  by 
Satan.  John  now  turns  to  Ezekiel, 
and  finds  there  (Js :  I8-23)  a  similar 
prophetic  picture,  which  is  also  an 
ideal  scene.  Gog  was  the  prince  of  a 
country  called  Magog,  lying,  perhaps, 
north  of  the  Caucasus.  They  gathered 
against  God's  people,  and  were  utterly 


destroyed.  In  vision  something  like 
that  takes  place  at  the  end  of  this  long 
period  of  the  church's  prosperity.  To 
think  here  of  actual  nations  lying  in 
remote  parts  of  the  earth,  is  entirely 
foreign  to  the  thought  of  the  book.  "In 
the  rabbinical  writings  Gog  and  Magog 
appear  as  the  enemies  of  the  Messiah  " 
(Swete).  Breadth  of  the  earth. 
(Comp.  Hal).  1:6.)  Camp.  The  imagery 
is  that  of  a  fortified  camp,  rather  than  a 
moving  army,  as  in  19  :  14,  conforming 
to  the  ideal  scene  in  Ezekiel.  Be- 
loved city.  The  reference  is  not  to 
the  actual  city  of  Jerusalem,  nor  to 
the  New  Jerusalem  which  has  not  yet 
descended  from  heaven  (^i  :  s-i),  but  to 
God's  cause  on  the  earth.  Jeru.salem 
was  the  holy  city,  the  symbol  of  God's 
dwelling-place,  the  prophecy  of  future 
blessedness  (ps.  is  :  i ;  78  :  68).  Nothing 
more  worthy  could  be  found  to  repre- 
sent God's  cause  upon  the  earth.  The 
two  terms,  camp  and  saints,  reveal  a 
preparedness  on  the  part  of  God's 
people — shown  subsequently  to  be  un- 
conquerable. Fire.  Allusion  is  made 
to  the  event  in  Elijah's  history  (2  Kings 
1  :  10,  12)^  ill  ready  referred  to  in  this 
vision  (11  :  5). 

10.  Devil.  He  is  everywhere  por- 
trayed as  a  person  of  vast  power  and 
malignity,  at  the  head  of  the  op- 
posing kingdom.  Cast  down  to  the 
earth  in  12  :  9,  13,  he  now  is  cast  into  a 
final  and  remediless  perdition.  Com- 
pare the  words  of  Jesus,  JIatt.  25  :  41 ; 
also  Ezek.  38  :  22.  Fire.  The  pun- 
ishment is  described  in  terms  of  pliys- 
ical  nenalty.  Even  if  the  penalty  were 
purely  spiritual  for  a  being  with  no 


372 


REVELATION 


[Oh.  XX. 


brimstone,  i  where  the  beast  and  the 
false  prophet  are,  and  ''shall  be  tor- 
mented day  and  night  for  ever  and 
ever. 

11  And  I  saw  'a  great  white  throne, 
and  him  that  sat  on  it,  » from  whose 
face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled 
away  ;  ""and  there  was  found  no  place 

12  for  them.  <>  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small 
and  great,  stand  before  God  ;  pand  tlie 
books  were  opened :  and  another  i  book 


also  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet ; 
and  they  will  be  tormented  day  and 
night  forever  and  ever. 

11  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and 
him  who  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away,  and 

12  no  place  was  found  for  them.  And  I 
saw  the  dead,  the  great  and  the  small, 
standing  before  the  throne.  And  books 
were  opened ;  and  another  book  was 


j  19  :  20 ;  Matt.  25  :  41.  *  14  :  9-11.  I  Matt.  25  :  31. 

m  6  :  14 ;  2  Peter  3  :  7,  10,  11 ;  Ps.  18  :  7-15 ;  114  :  3-5.  n  16  :  20 ;  Dan.  2  :  35. 

o  John  5  :  28,  29 ;  Rom.  14  :  10-12  ;  2  Cor.  5  :  10.  p  Dan.  7  :  10.  j  3  :  5 ;  13  :  8 ;  Ps.  69  :  ! 


physical  nature,  even  theu  in  vision 
it  would  be  needful  to  represent  the 
punishments  as  physical.  All  that  is 
essential  is  that  we  hold  to  a  fitting 
and  unfailing  judgment  for  Satan  and 
his    incorrigible    followers.      Beast. 

(Comp.  19  :  20.)        Tormeilted.        (see  14  : 

10,  11.)  Vindictiveness  is  not  found 
in  God,  but  there  is  a  vindication  of 
God's  moral  government.  Forever. 
Nothing  can  more  plainly  indicate  the 
endlessness  of  the  punishment.  Re- 
maining a  Satan  forever,  the  penalty, 
by  a  moral  necessity,  goes  on  forever. 
If  it  be  said  that  the  beast  and  false 
prophet  are  not,  in  reality,  persons, 
but  only  figuratively  such,  the  answer 
is  that  all  having  the  nature  of  the 
beast  and  false  prophet  are  meant. 
These  verses  indicate  the  last  great 
struggle  of  Satan  and  his  forces  to 
overcome  the  .saints  of  God,  and  their 
utter  defeat.  The  one  great  teaching 
is  that,  beyond  the  possibility  of  doubt, 
the  organized  forces  of  evil  must  ulti- 
mately perish.  This  is  written  for  the 
comfort  and  assurance  of  the  saints. 
The  final  victory  may  be  far  in  the 
future,  but  it  is  assured. 

11-15.  The  final  judgment  of 
THE  WICKED.  The  day  of  judgment 
and  of  the  final  consummation  has 
come.  Although  the  kings  and  their 
armies  have  been  defeated,  and  the 
beast,  the  fal.se  prophet,  and  Satan 
himself,  have  been  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire,  the  apocalyptic  scheme  is  not 
yet  completed,  we  have  the  further 
vision  of  the  judgment  upon  the 
wicked,  and  upon  death  itself.  We 
have  seen  (ver.  6)  the  honor  put  upon 
the  martyrs  and  those  who  kept  their 
garments  unspotted;  in  contrast  we 
now  have  t-he  judgment  upon  the  un- 
godly. 


11.  John  sees  in  vision  a  throne, 
significant  of  judgment.  The  great 
indicates  the  greatness  of  the  person 
who  acts  as  judge,  and  the  wide-reach- 
ing results.  The  white  afiirms  the 
holy  cliaracter  of  the  entire  proceed- 
ing. Him  that  sat  refers  to  God  the 
Father,  as  in  4  :  2.  Although  the 
Father  has  given  all  judgment  to  the 
Son  (Joiin  5 :  22)^  yet  all  rcccive  their 
judgment  before  the  Father.  There  is 
only  one  throne,  that  of  God  and  of 
the  Lamb  (22  :  i).  Fled  away.  This 
is  an  enlargement  of  Ps.  114  :  3-7,  and 
is  designed  to  give  an  awful  impression 
of  the  majesty  of  the  judge.  The 
earth  and  heaven  are  thought  of  as  so 
terrified  that  they  vanish  utterly,  they 
disappear  from  view.  In  2  Peter  3  : 
10-12  we  have  the  declaration  that  the 
old  physical  nature  of  the  world  will 
give  way  to  something  higher  and 
more  glorious.  Paul  teaches  the  same 
in  Rom.  8  :  22.  There  is  no  place  in 
God's  plans  for  the  extinction  of  matter 
or  soul. 

12.  Dead.  Is  the  reference  to  all 
the  dead  or  only  to  the  wicked  dead  ? 
John  has  used  the  word  dead  in  ver.  5 
as  applicable  to  the  ungodly  dead  alone. 
The  expression  great  and  small,  is 
taken  from  19  :  18,  referring  to  the  un- 
godly. In  the  entire  passage  there  is 
no  word  indicative  of  l)lessedness  to 
come  to  these  dead.  These  do  not  sit 
upon  thrones,  but  stand,  like  culprits, 
before  the  throne ;  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  names  of  any  of  these 
are    found    written    in    the    book    of 

life.       Books.        (Comp.  Dan.  7  :  20.)       In 

the  Scriptures  books  are  spoken  of  as 
registering    human    actions   (p»-  5«:8; 

Mai.  3  :  16;     Matt.  12  :  37).         Hengstenbcrg 

declares  that    the   books  are  those  of 
guilt,   condemnation,  and  death,  and 


Ch.  XX.] 


REVELATION 


373 


was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life : 
and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books, 

13  'according  to  their  worlis.  And  the 
sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ; 
'and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the 
dead  which  were  in  them  :  and  they 
were  judged  every  man  according  to 
their  worlis. 

14  And 'death  and  hell  were  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire.    "Tliis  is  the  second 

15  death.  And  whosoever  was  not  found 
written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire. 


op)ened,  which  is  [the  book]  of  life ; 
and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  the 
thineis  that  were  written  in  the  books, 

13  according  to  their  works.  And  the 
sea  gave  up  the  dead  who  were  in  it; 
and  death  and  Hades  gave  up  the  dead 
wlio  were  in  them ;  and  tiiey  were 
judged   every  one  according  to  their 

14  works.  And  death  and  Hndes  were 
cast  into  the  lake  of  lire.    This  is  the 

15  second  death,  the  lake  of  fire.  And  if 
any  one  was  not  found  written  in  the 
book  of  life,  he  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire. 


r  2  :  23  ;  Luke  12  :  17, 18 ;  Rom.  2  :  6. 


s  Hosea  13  :  U. 


t  1  Cor.  15  :  26,  54,  55. 


u  Vcr.  6  ;  21:8. 


that  a  name  cannot  be  written  both  in 
the  books  and  in  the  book  of  life. 
There  is  no  indication  that  the  book  of 
life  is  opened  for  judgment.  The  only 
purpose  for  which  it  is  used  is  that 
referred  to  in  ver.  15.  For  the  book 
of  life  see  Dan.  12  :  1 ;  Luke  10  :  20 ; 
Phil.  4 : 1.3.  It  is  implied  that  the  dead 
do  not  have  their  names  in  the  book  of 
life,  which  contains  only  the  names  of 
those  who  are  spiritually  alive,  having 
that  life  which  is  life  indeed  (i  Tim. 

8  :  19).       Works.       (Comp.  Rom.  2  :  6;   2  Cor. 

5  :  10.)  There  will  be  gradations  in 
punishment,  as  we  might  expect  in 
the  government  of  a  wise  and  reasona- 
ble moral  government. 

13.  All  the  ungodly  dead  are  gath- 
ered together.  Sea  not  being  used  in 
contrast  with  the  land  cannot,  with 
certainty,  be  held  to  mean  the  ocean, 
where  men  have  been  drowned.  It  is 
often  used  symbolically  to  represent 
the  troubled  and  evil  world  (is ;  i;  21  = 
1).  Associated  as  it  is  here  with  death 
and  hell,  rather,  hades,  both  of  them 
enemies  of  the  saints,  it  may  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  sources  from 
which  the  ungodly  come  for  judgment. 
In  6  :  8  death  and  hades  form  one  of 
the  judgments  coming  on  the  world ; 
powers  exercising  sway  over  the 
wicked,  and  having  the  wicked  only 
under  their  control.  This  is  established 
by  the  fact  stated  in  the  next  verse, 
that  death  and  hades  not  only  come  to 
an  end,  but  are  sent  into  punishment 
togetlier  with  Satan  and  the  beast  and 
false  prophet.  No  mention  is  made 
here  of  the  dust  of  the  earth  giving  up 
its  dead,  for  the  thought  expressed  is 
not  .so  much  of  a  resurrection  of  bodies 
from  their  graves  as  the  gathering  to- 
gether of  all  the  ungodly  dead  in  con- 


scious personality  before   the   throne 
for  judgment. 

14.  Death  .  .  .  fire.  This  is  the 
apocalyptic  equivalent  of  the  state- 
ment in  1  Cor.  15  :  26.  Compare  also 
Isa.  25  :  8  ;  Hosea  13  :  14.  Death  may- 
be looked  upon  as  a  ruler  of  hades, 
the  unseen  world  of  departed  spirits. 
These  two  terms  are  used,  by  a  figure 
of  speech,  for  tho.se  under  their  con- 
trol. The  one  assured  teaching  is  the 
final  overthrow,  in  remediless  ruin, 
of  all  who  live  and  die  as  subjects  of 
sin  and  death.  Second  death,  even 
the  lake  of  fire.  The  second  death 
stands  in  contrast  with  the  first  resur- 
rection, which  brings  largest  blessed- 
ness to  all  sharing  in  it.  The  second 
death  is  the  state  of  those  who  have 
chosen  and  confirmed  to  themselves 
the  death  which  came  upon  men 
through  sin.  The  New  Testament 
term,  death,  involves  far  more  than 
the  violent  wrenching  apart  of  soul 
and  body,  involving  the  complete  sep- 
aration of  the  soul  from  its  true  life 
of  blessing  found  in  God  alone  ("'»"• 
6  :  23).  Those  who  reject  the  salvation 
that  comes  through  Christ,  bring  upon 
themselves  a  fearful  second  death. 
Those  who  come  to  the  judgment  scene 
here  described  arc  impliedly  of  the 
character  described  in  21  :  8. 

15.  Not  found  .  .  .  lake  of  fire. 
Here  is  the  purpose  for  which  the  book 
of  life  is  mentioned  in  this  judgment 
scene.  It  was  searched  that  it  might 
be  seen  if  any  one's  name  was  not 
written  in  it ;  he  who.se  name  was  not 
discovered  in  it  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate 
that  the  names  of  any  of  the  dead 
(vcr.  12)  were  found  written  in  the  book, 
the  whole  passage  implies  the  contrary. 


374 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XX. 


Their  works  were  writt€n  in  the  other 
books,  which  condemned  them.  As  a 
further  evidence  against  tliem  the  book 
of  life  was  opened,  and  no  record  of 
their  names  was  found  there.  The 
doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  all  the 
dead  is  assumed,  as  asserted  in  John 
5  :  28,  the  vision  here  given  is  not  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  a  full  account  of 
the  resurrection,  but  for  announcing 
two  truths,  the  assured  blessedness  of 
the  believer  and  the  destruction  of  all 
whose  names  are  not  iu  the  Lamb'a 
book  of  life  (i3  : 8). 

Note  1.  The  first  kesurrection. 
It  is  contended  by  Alford,  that  without 
any  doubt,  this  reference  is  to  a  phys- 
ical resurrection.  Against  this  is  the 
use  of  the  term  "souls"  (^o  :  *),  and 
the  absence  of  any  allusion  to  the 
resurrection  of  the  bodies.  There 
would  also  be  the  entire  unfittingness 
of  people  with  glorified  bodies  living 
in  fellowship  with  dying  men  ;  for  sin- 
less men  living  with  men  sinful  and 
yielding  to  temptation.  During  the 
millennial  era,  whatever  be  its  nature, 
however  long  it  be,  sin  and  death  will 
reign  over  men  to  some  extent.  It  is 
evident  that  during  this  period  sinful 
natures  yet  remain,  for  at  the  end  of 
this  era  wickedness  breaks  out  in  a 
virulent  form. 

In  this  book  of  visions  we  would  not 
expect  any  literal  resurrection,  but 
only  a  symbolic  one.  The  term  is  used 
here  in  a  strictly  spiritual  sense.  Jesus 
used  the  term  in  this  M'ay  in"  John  5  : 
25;  here  a  man  comes  out  of  spiritual 
death  into  spiritual  life.  It  is  a  resur- 
rection. Paul  presents  a  parallel  case 
in  Eom.  11  :  15.  When  the  Jewish 
race,  as  such,  shall  turn  to  the  Lord, 
the  effect  on  the  world  will  be  so  over- 
\vhelmiug  that  it  is  called  a  resurrec- 
tion. At  the  beginning  of  this  blessed 
period  there  is  such  a  widespread  in- 
crease of  piety,  so  completely  do  the 
righteous  control  things  that  it  is  as 
if  the  martyrs  and  godly  people  had 
risen  from  their  graves  and  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ.  The  first  resur- 
rection stands  in  contrast  with  a  second 
resurrection  of  like  character,  though 
the  term  is  not  used.  At  the  end  of 
this  period,  "  the  rest  of  the  dead," 
the  ungodly  dead  rose  from  their 
graves,  in  a  figurative  way,  and  lived 


and  reigned  on  the  earth.  The  first 
resurrection  was  one  of  blessedness ;  it 
introduced  a  holy  and  righteous  period 
when  Christ  had  large  sway.  The 
second  resurrection  introduced  a  spir- 
itually debased  and  debasing  period, 
when  unrighteousness  and  unholiness 
had  a  lai-ge  triumph.  The  first  resur- 
rection meant  a  reign  of  Christ,  the 
second  the  reign  of  Satan. 

Both  the  first  and  second  resurrec- 
tions are  within  the  limits  of  human 
history,  prior  to  the  general  resurrec- 
tion of  all,  injplied  in  ver.  12,  when 
all  the  Avicked  dead  are  gathered  to- 
gether and  judged,  and  the  righteous 
dead  impliedly  are  rai.^ed  and  saved, 
because  their  names  are  in  the  book  of 
life  (20  :  15).  For  a  literal  resurrec- 
tion, see  Simcox  (Cambridge  Bible) 
on  20  :  5. 

Note  2.  The  millennium.  This 
word  means  a  thousand  years  j  it  is 
mentioned  in  one  place  only  in  the 
New  Testament  (R".  20  :  s,  3).  We 
would  know  nothing  in  reference  to  it 
were  it  not  a  matter  of  revelation. 
Two  great  features  are  mentioned  as 
characteristic  of  this  period,  and  caus- 
ing it ;  the  bad  influences  are  restrained 
by  Satan  being  shut  up  in  prison  ;  the 
good  influences  are  reenforced  sym- 
bolically, shown  by  the  resurrection 
and  reign  of  the  martyr  spirit.  The 
age  will  be  filled  with  the  good-Sa- 
maritan spirit;  the  Bible  will  be 
studied,  religion  will  be  the  business 
of  the  world,  the  church  will  put  on 
her  beautiful  robe,  the  spirit  of  Christ 
will  leaven  the  age  (»'»"•  is  :  33).  Au- 
gustine and  Wordsworth  make  it  begin 
with  the  first  coming  of  Christ,  and 
extend  through  the  Messianic  era. 
Grotius  and  Bush  conceive  of  it  as  be- 
ginning with  the  fall  of  the  pagan 
Roman  empire,  and  closing  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  Most  interpreters 
conceive  of  it  as  lying  entirely  in  the 
futtire.  It  is  nowhere  asserted  that  it 
will  come  in  an  abrupt  way,  bursting 
upon  the  world.  It  will  not  come  as 
the  result  of  civilization,  it  will  the 
rather  create  a  higher  civilization. 
Nor  must  it  be  understood  as  a  time 
when  all  will  be  holy.  At  the  present 
time  Christ  reigns  (1  Pet"  3  :  tt)-  but 
there  is  vast  opposition  to  his  su- 
premacy.  Doctor  llovey  speaks  of  this 


Ch.  XX.] 


REVELATION 


375 


period  iu  these  words:  "This  episode 
of  a  thousand  years  does  not  represent 
the  conversion  of  all  men  living  on 
the  earth  at  that  time,  as  the  etfect  of 
tlie  first  resurrection  or  tiie  reign  of 
the  saints  with  Christ.  Christ  will 
reign  forever,  though  he  has  enemies 
forever.  So  the  saints  may  reign  on 
earth,  though  they  may  have  many 
foes  among  men.  It  appears  to  me, 
upon  a  careful  review  of  several 
prophecies,  that  Christian  writers  have 
often  used  too  strong  language  in  de- 
picting the  glories  of  the  millennial 
age,  and  especially  in  regard  to  the 
conversion  of  all,  or  of  nearly  all,  the 
people." 

Occurring  iu  a  book  of  symbols,  we 
must  allow  something  for  imagery. 
John  1  :  11  interpreted  iu  a  strictly 
literal  way  could  make  Christ's  work 
among  men  a  failure.  In  the  millen- 
nium good  men  will  hold  the  reins, 
Jesus  will  be  King  of  affairs,  the  spirit 
of  Christ  will  leaven  society.  An  in- 
telligent revival  of  religion  will  any- 
where work  out  something  of  a  millen- 
nial nature.  Two  widely  differing 
views  of  the  millennium  are  held. 
The  premillennial  belief  is  that  the 
blessed  period  will  be  introduced  by 
the  personal  return  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  physical  resun^ection  of  the  martyrs. 
This  view  is  presented  by  Auberlen 
and  Craven  in  Lauge's  "Commentary." 
The  postmillennial  belief  is  that  the 
advent  of  Christ  does  not  occur  until 
after  the  millennium,  and  the  tem- 
porary revival  of  wickedness.  This 
view  is  presented  in  Dr.  David  Brown's 
"The  Second  Advent."  The  latter 
view  is,  as  a  whole,  better  supported  by 
tlie  Scriptures.  It  would  be  utterly 
incongruous  to  think  of  the  glorified 
Christ  and  glorified  saints  living  on 
the  earth,  at  the  same  time,  with  mor- 
tal and  imperfect  men.  The  personal 
advent  of  Christ  must  be  placed,  not 
at  20  :  6,  but  at  20  :  11,  introducing  a 
resurrection  and  the  blessed  state  of 
things  symbolized  in  the  two  subse- 
quent chapters.  Dr.  E.  11.  Johnson, 
in  his  "Systematic  Theology"  says: 
"  Less  certainty  rewards  inquiry  con- 
cerning the  last  things  than  concern- 
ing any  other  department  of  Christian 
truth." 

Compare  Simcox  (Cambridge  Bible), 
on  20  :  4;   Swete,  "Com.,"  p.  260  ff.; 


Porter,    "  Messages    of   Apocalyptical 
Writers,"  p.  279  ff. 

Note  3.  The  question  of  Satan 
AND  of  evil.  It  has  been  an  age-long 
problem  how  to  construct  a  theodicy, 
liarmonizing  the  existence  and  work 
of  Satan,  and  the  existence  of  evil,  in 
tiie  government  of  a  wise,  holy,  and 
almighty  God.  That  there  is  an  eter- 
nal persoual  evil  agency,  as  held  in 
the  Persian  theology,  is  uutiiinkable. 
This  would  be  to  affirm  the  self-exist- 
ence of  Satan,  and  therefore  his  god- 
head. The  Scriptures,  in  their  older 
and  newer  parts,  allude  expressly  to  a 
dark  and  malignant  being  called  Satan. 
Not  much  is  said  of  his  origin  or  his- 
tory, a  great  deal  is  said  of  his  char- 
acter and  working.  Milton  makes  him 
an  angel  of  light,  falling  by  his  own 
voluntary  transgression,  and  becoming 
fixed  in  wickedness.  It  is  difficult  to 
conceive  of  a  holy  being,  in  an  entirely 
holy  universe,  falling  by  an  unholy 
choice,  and  yet  here,  in  the  region  of 
free  agency,  must  be  found  the  only 
solution  that  can  satisfy  the  mind. 
(See  John,  Timothy.)  The  Scripturcs  re- 
veal  him  as  i^ersonal,  malicious,  de- 
ceptive, seducing  the  unwary,  pervert- 
ing the  true  teaching,  hindering  the 
spread  of  the  gospel.  If  a  person  ask 
why  an  almighty  God  permits  Satan 
to  exist,  the  answer  will  be  found  in 
the  larger  question  why  God  permits 
evil  men  and  evil  institutions  to  exist. 
We  do  know  that  temptations  resisted 
give  a  stronger  character,  that  no  one  is 
forced,  against  his  own  will,  to  sin,  that 
God  can  make  even  evil  plans  to  work 
into  final  good.  We  are  called  upon  to 
resist  tlie  evil  one.  We  are  promised 
all  needful  help  (i  cor.  lo  :  is).  The 
question  of  evil  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  personal  existence  of  a  Satan ; 
evil  might  exist  without  any  headship 
of  evil  agencies,  as  found  in  Satan. 
That  evil  is  not  from  God  is  evident 
from  this :  sin  is  sin  because  it  is  against 
God's  revealed  will.  The  purpose  of 
redemption  is  to  free  men  from  the 
power  of  sin,  and  to  limit  its  province. 
Satan  is  powerful,  God  alone  is  om- 
nipotent. We  may  not  pray  to  Satan, 
as  in  India;  we  may  pray  to  God  for 
help  against  his  wiles.  Satan  will 
always  remain  Satan,  and  ungodliness 
will  always  be  found  in  that  corner  of 


376 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XX. 


the  universe  known  as  hell.  It  is  fore- 
told in  vision  that  his  power  among 
men  will,  in  the  future,  be  much  more 
restrained,  and  in  time  for  the  re- 
deemed will  entirely  cease.  An  en- 
larged presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
increased  knowledge  of  the  truth,  a 
deeper  acquaintance  with  the  nature 
and  seductiveness  of  sin  —  these  will 
cripple  his  power.  He  works  now 
through  appetite,  eye,  ear,  social  cus- 
toms, perverted  business  methods,  an 
impure  literature.  The  absence  of  a 
physical  organization,  a  sight  of  God, 
fellowship  with  holy  beings,  the  en- 
lightenment of  the  moral  nature ; 
these,  in  time,  will  beget  holiness. 
Human  beings  will  always  remain 
finite  and  limited  ;  but  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility of  becoming  a  perfect  member 
of  a  perfect  society.  Satan,  the  god  of 
this  world,  will  be  crushed  under  foot. 
He,  with  ungodly  men,  will  be  shut  up 
in  God's  prison  pen.  The  closing 
vision  of  the  New  Testament  gives  us 
a  Satan  shut  up,  and  a  redeemed  earth 
and  a  rejoicing  church. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  cause  of  Christ  on  the  earth  is 
not  left  to  take  care  of  itself.  All  heaven, 
angels,  saints,  God,  are  personally  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  Christ's  work  here 
(ver.  1). 

2.  Each  believer  may  help  to  hinder 
Satan  by  limiting  his  power  and  influence. 
All  unholy  thoughts  driven  away,  every 
sinner  won  from  his  evil  way,  the  widen- 
ing of  the  kingdom  of  Christ— these  by  so 
much  bind  Satan  (ver.  2). 

3.  It  is  a  glad  thing  to  know  that  Christ, 
who  has  a  right  to  reign,  will  gain  the 
supremacy  at  last.  The  Christian  need 
not  despair.  Christianity's  best  days  are 
in  the  future  (ver.  3). 

4.  Oftentimes  it  does  not  pay,  in  an  out- 
ward way,  to  be  a  devoted  Christian. 
Doors  of  advancement  are  often  closed  ; 
prosperity,  seemingly,  is  for  Satan's  fol- 
lowers, in  time  all  this  will  be  reversed 
(ver.  4). 

.5.  Persons  passing  out  of  life  take  their 
characters  with  them.  The  same  distinc- 
tions that  prevail  among  the  living  obtain 
also  among  the  dead.  Life  decides  the 
destiny  (ver.  5). 


6.  A  person  born  but  once  dies  twice ;  a 
person  born  twice  dies  but  once.  The 
tirst  death  is  but  momentary,  and  may  be 
painless ;  the  second  death  is  continuous, 
and  hurts  the  soul  (ver.  6). 

7.  The  future  is  wisely  hidden  from  us. 
All  things  are  open  to  God  and  known  by 
him.  We  may  well  permit  God  to  lead 
us  (ver.  7). 

8.  No  weapon  that  is  formed  against 
God  can  prosper.  All  God's  foes,  whether 
physical,  social,  intellectual,  or  philo- 
sophical, must  go  down  in  utter  defeat. 
In  the  earthly  struggles,  one  with  God 
makes  the  majority  (ver.  8). 

9.  The  fire  of  Elijah  may  consume  God's 
enemies.  Men  like  Carey,  Booth,  Moody, 
may  equally  destroy  Satan's  kingdom  by 
introducing  new  methods  of  work  and 
stimulating  Christians  to  larger  lives 
(ver.  9). 

10.  It  is  a  great  mistake  when  Satan  is 
conceived  of  as  simply  a  figure  of  speech. 
Jesus  reveals  him  as  a  malignant  being, 
with  large  p)owers  of  temptation  and  de- 
ception. Jesus  is  the  truth ;  Satan  is  a 
falsehood  (ver.  10). 

11.  The  moral  inequalities  of  the  pres- 
ent age  call  for  a  judgment  in  the  future. 
The  thought  of  a  just  judgment  should 
be  a  source  of  alarm  to  the  impenitent ; 
the  believer  may  face  the  white  throne 
in  confidence  (ver.  11 ;  Rom.  8:1). 

12.  Every  man  \vrites  a  life  in  his  own 
character,  in  the  influence  upon  otliers, 
and  in  God's  memory.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  a  final  forgetfulness  (ver.  12). 

13.  Every  man  lives  a  solitary  life- 
born,  living,  dying,  judged  alone.  If  a 
man  be  condemned,  it  is  his  own  works 
that  will  condemn  him.  No  man  can 
complain  of  unfairness  (ver.  13). 

14.  Jesus  came  to  destroy  death— phys- 
ical and  spiritual.  Not  extinction  of 
being,  but  extinction  of  hope,  makes  up 
the  second  death  (ver.  14). 

15.  The  church  record  may  have  the 
names  of  the  unsaved.  The  church  may 
mistakenly  expel  a  good  Christian.  The 
book  of  life,  under  the  control  of  Jesus, 
has,  without  mistake,  the  names  of  those 
who  love  the  Lord  (ver.  15). 

16.  The  book  does  not  save— Jesus  does. 
It  reveals  character— it  is  the  real  Hall  of 
Fame  (ver.  15). 


Ch.  XXI.] 


REVELATION 


377 


The  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  and  the 

new  Jerusalem. 
21  AND  » I  saw  a  uew  heaven  aud  a  new 
earth :  r  for  the  first  heaven  aud  the 
first  earth  were  passed  away;  aud  there 
was  no  more  sea. 
2  And  I  John  saw  '  the  holy  city,  New 
Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out 


21  AND  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth  ;  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first 
earth  passed  away,  and  the  sea  is  no 
more. 
2  And  I  saw  the  holy  city,  uew  Jeru- 
salem, coming  down    out  of   heaven 


z  Isa.  65  ;  n  ;  66  :  22  ;  2  Peter  3  :  13. 


i/  20  :  U  ;  Isa.  24  :  18,  19. 


3  :  12  ;  Pi.  48  :  1-3. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  vision  of  the  new  heaven 
AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  With  the  be- 
ginning of  this  closing  section,  em- 
bracing the  last  two  chapters,  we  pass 
from  fierce  battles  and  scourges  into  a 
scene  of  everlasting  peace.  The  mar- 
riage of  the  Lamb  has  been  consum- 
mated, Satan  bound  forever,  the  wicked 
dead  judged,  and  death  and  hades  de- 
stroyed. In  these  chapters  John  de- 
scribes the  final  and  complete  estab- 
lishment of  Christ's  kingdom.  We 
have  the  vision  of  the  new  heaven  and 
uew  earth  (^er.  i-s);  then,  as  the  center 
and  capital  of  the  new  creation,  we 
have   a  vision  of  the  new  Jerusalem 

(ver.  9-27). 

1-8.  The  new  heaven  and  new 

EARTH. 

1.  New  relates  not  so  much  to  time 
as  to  quality ;  it  is  something  of  finer 
mold  than  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
The  heaven  aud  earth  are  recreated. 
This  does  not  mean  that  the  present 
worldly  structure  is  to  be  destroyed, 
but  so  changed  that  it  will  seem  like  a 
new  domicile  for  man  —  a  glorified 
residence  for  glorified  men.  This 
change  will  consist  largely  in  the 
elimination  of  evil.  In  the  present 
world,  if  moral  evil  were  removed,  it 
would  be  a  vestibule  of  heaven.  Isaiah 
had  spoken  of  this  time  (25 :  6-s ;  65  :  17-25, 
which  read).  Isaiah  describes  what  the 
gospel  will  accomplish  ;  John  the 
dimensions  and  quality  of  Christ's 
kingdom  when  the  work  is  done.  This 
is  the  "regeneration"  spoken  of  in 
Matt.  19  :  28,  and  that  change  spoken 
of  in  Acts  3  :  21.  There  is  the  removal 
of  the  imperfect  and  transitory,  and 
the  introduction  of  that  which  cannot 
be  shaken  (Heb.  12 :  26, 27).  We  may  in- 
troduce here  the  words  of  Peter  (2  Peter 
s  :  10-12).  It  may  be  asked  whether  this 
world  itself  is  to  be  part  of  the  home 
of  the  redeemed.    The  Scriptures  are 


not  given  us  as  a  geography.  Paul 
speaks  of  a  groaning  and  a  glorifica- 
tion of  nature  ( Kom.  8 :  ji  ).  It  is  not  un- 
reasonable to  think  that  a  world  pro- 
nounced "  good  "  (Geu.  1 :  31)^  curscd  by 
sin,  should  itself  be  part  of  the  in- 
heritance of  God's  people.  Body, 
mind,  heart,  associations,  will  be  glori- 
fied for  the  saints ;  it  may  also  be  that 
the  world  made  through  Christ  (John 
1  :  3)  will  share  in  the  manifested  glory 
of  Christ.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  im- 
portance to  know  where  heaven  is ;  it 
is  where  Christ  is.  Heaven  is  a  place  ; 
it  is  also  a  condition,  inasmuch  as  there 
must  be  heavenliness  to  make  heaven. 
Sea.  To  the  Hebrew  the  sea  was  not 
a  delight ;  it  was  the  picture  of  unrest, 
disturbance,  separation.  It  was  the 
sea  which  surrounded  John  and  kept 
him  prisoner  in  Patmos.  There  will 
be  no  such  sea  as  that  from  which  the 
beast  came  (is :  i).  This  statement 
means  tliat  in  the  place  we  call  heaven 
the  saints  can  have  fellowship  without 
hindrance.  There  will  be  peace  and 
delight  there,  indicated  by  the  river 
of  22  :  1 ;  but  nothing  violent  —  made 
a  terror  by  the  storm.  The  Hebrews 
were  not  a  seafaring  people. 

2.  This  verse  describes  what  will  be 
in  the  new  heaven  and  earth.  There 
will  be  not  a  wilderness,  nor  saints 
living  separate  from  each  other,  but 
the  complex,  associated  life  of  the  city. 
It  is  a  city  great  and  glorious,  the 
chief  characteristic  of  which  is,  it  is 
holy.  The  great  struggle  among  men 
is  to  purify  the  city  which  controls  the 
national  life.  This  city  comes  from 
God,  fitting  origin  for  that  which  is  to 
be  the  center  of  helpfid  influences  for 
a  new  world.  It  is  new,  fitting  the 
new  order  of  things,  and  is  in  contrast 
with  the  old  Jerusalem.  This  vision 
of  Jerusalem  produces,  in  a  condensed 
and  transfigured  form,  the  vision  given 
in  Ezekiel.  John  sees  the  glorified 
city  coming  as  the  bride  of  the  Lamb. 


578 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXI. 


of  heaven,  prepared » as  a  bride  adorned 

3  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great 
voice  out  of  heaven  saying,  Beliold, 
bthe  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men, 
and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  "and 
they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  him- 
self shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their 

4  God.  <*  And  '  God  shall  wij*  away  all 
tears  from  their  eyes '  [Isa.  xxv.  8J  ;  and 
•there  shall  be  no  more  death,  'neither 
sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there 
be  any  more  pain :  s  for  the  former 
things  are  passed  away. 

5  And  ''he  that  sat  upon  the  throne 
said,  i  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new. 

And  he  said    unto   me,   Write :    for 
k  these  words  are  true  and  faithful. 


from  God,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned 

3  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great 
voice  out  of  the  throne,  .saying,  Be- 
hold, the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with 
men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and 
they  will  be  his  people,  and  God  him- 
self will  be  with  them  as  their  God. 

4  And  he  will  wipe  away  every  tear 
from  their  eyes;  and  death  will  be  no 
more,  nor  will  mourning,  nor  crying, 
nor  pain   be  any  more;   because  the 

5  first  things  are  passed  away.  And  he 
who  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold, 
I  make  all  things  new.  And  he  says, 
Write;  because  these  words  are  faith- 


o  19  :  7,  8  I  Eph.  5  :  25-27.     b   Ezek.  37  :  28  ;  2  Cor.  6  :  16.     c  Jer.  31  :  33 ;  Zech.  8  :  8. 

d  7  :  17 ;  Isa.  25  :  8.      e  20  :  U ;  22  :  3.     /  Isa.  35  :  10 ;  65  ;  19. 

g  2  Cor.  6  :  17 ;  2  Peter  3  :  10 ;  1  John  2  ;  17.  ft  4  :  2,  9  ;  5  ;  1  ;  20  :  11. 

i  Isa.  42  :  9 ;  «  :  19.  *  19  :  9. 


He  identifies  the  bride  with  the  holy 
city,  the  dwelling-place  of  the  bride. 
The  new  Jerusalem  will  be  the  prod- 
uct of  the  redemptive  forces  which 
God  .set  at  work.  Bride.  The  beauty 
of  the  city  is  tlius  described.  In  the 
Old  Testament  times  God  desired  Jeru- 
salem, representing  God's  professed 
people,  to  be  his  bride,  but  the  people 
were  indifferent  and  rebellious  (isa. 
62 : 5).  In  the  Gospels  Jesus  is  the 
bridegroom  (Eph.  5 :  23 ;  Coi.  1 :  18).  God's 
redeemed  people  constitute  the  bride 
of  Christ  spoken  of  sometimes  as  the 
church,  and  sometimes  as  the  holy 
city.  At  present  the  church  is  im- 
perfect;  it  will  be  complete    (Eph.  5: 

25-27). 

3.  Great  voice.  This  is  best  un- 
derstood as  the  voice  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb,  who  are  so  united  as  to  have 
one  throne  (22  :  1).  The  beatific  state 
of  the  city  will  be  due  to  the  presence 
of  God  in  it.  The  symbolism  of  the 
ancient  tabernacle  will  be  realized. 
God  will  be  with  men.  It  will  be  a 
glorified  humanity,  in  a  renovated 
earth,  consisting  not  of  Jews  only, 
but  of  all  peoples,  (comp.  7 :  15-n.)  The 
old  tabernacle  served  its  purpose  in 
presenting  the  promise  that  God  would 
dwell  among  men  and  commune  with 
them  (Exod.  29  :  42-46).  The  New  Testa- 
ment gives  an  entrance  into  the  holiest 
(Heb.  10  ;  19),  the  witness  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  (Kom.  8:14-16),  and  the  divine 
sonship  (1  John  3  1).  The  crowning 
glory  of  heaven  will  be  not  the  exemp- 


tion from  physical  ills,  but  the  fellow- 
ship with  God  through  Christ.  God 
will  not  be  separated  from  men  by 
priests  and  veils,  not  be  concealed  in  a 
secluded  holy  of  holies,  but  God's 
people  will  become  the  temple  and 
tabernacle  of  the  living  God. 

4.  Details  of  the  blessed  life  are 
mentioned.  Tears  (isa.  25 : 8);  death 
(20:14);  nioumiiig  (isa.65:io);  cry- 
ing (Isa.  65 :  19).  It  is  implied  that  the 
opposites  of  these,  in  their  fulness,  will 
lie  there.  In  the  present  life  sorrows, 
disappointments,  burdens,  limitations 
of  lite,  bodily  afflictions  (Rom.  s  :  23), 
conflicts  in  the  inner  life  (Rom.  7  :  i»), 
these  will  exist  only  in  remembrance. 
Trials  and  limitations  belong  to  the 
first  things ;  the  new  things  have 
come  to  remain. 

5.  He  .  .  .  throne,    (comp.  19 :  11-16; 

22  :  1).       New.        (Comp.    Isa.    43  :  19  ;   2  Cor. 

5  :  17.)  The  entire  plan  of  God  was 
working  toward  this  consummation. 
The  new  heaven  and  earth,  the  bodies 
of  the  saints,  the  moral  natures,  the 
•social  relations,  all  will  be  adjusted  to 
each  other.  The  old  physical  nature 
of  men  and  of  the  world  would  be  out 
of  harmony  with  the  highest  life. 
Blinded  minds,  indwelling  passions, 
and  selfishness  would  at  once  destroy 
any  holy  city.  Jesus  alludes  to  tlie 
differences  between  the  present  and 
future    existence    (.Matt.  22  :  so  ,■    Luke  20  : 

34-36).      Faithful.      (Comp.  19  :  11.) 

6.  7.  There  were  seven  angels  of 
judgment,   each   one  announcing  dis- 


Ch.  XXI.] 


REVELATION 


379 


6  And  he  said  uuto  me,  •  It  is  done. 
"I  am  Alpha  aud  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end.  "I  will  give  unto 
him  that  is  athirst  "of  the  fountain  of 

7  the  water  of  life  p  freely.  i  He  that 
overcometh  'shall  inherit  all  things; 
and  'I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be 

8  my  son.  '  But  the  fearful,  aud  unbe- 
lieving, and  the  abominable,  and  mur- 
derers, and  whoremongers,  and  sorcer- 
ers, and  idolaters,  and  "  all  liars,  shall 
have  their  part  in  »the  lake  which 
burueth  with  fire  aud  brimstone :  which 
is  the  second  death. 


6  ful  and  true.  And  he  said  to  me,  They 
have  come  to  pass.  I  am  the  Alpha 
and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  tlie 
end.  1  will  give  to  him  that  thirsts,  of 
the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 

7  He  that  overcomes  shall  inherit  these 
things;   and  I  will  be  to  him  a  God; 

8  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a  son.  But  for 
the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  de- 
tiled  with  abominations,  and  murder- 
ers, and  fornicators,  and  sorcerers,  and 
idolaters,  and  all  the  liars,  their  part 
shall  be  in  the  lake  which  burns  with 
fire  and  brimstone,  which  is  the  second 
death. 


I  16  :  17.  1 

O  F8.  S6  :  9 ;  Jer.  2  :  13 


»  7  :  17  ;  22  :  17  ;  Isa.  12  ;  3 ;  55  :  1-3  ;  John  4  :  10,  14  ;  7  :  37,  38. 
p  1  Cor.  2:12.  q  2  :  11.  r  Isa.  65  :  9 ;  Matt.  19  :  29  i  1  Cor.  3  :  21-2 

s  Ver.  3  ;  Zeoh.  8  ;  8 ;  Rom.  8  :  15-17  ;  Heb.  8  :  10. 
t  22  :  15 ;  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10 ;  Gal.  5  :  19-21 ;  Eph.  5  :  5  ;  1  Tim.  1:9;  Heb.  12  :  14. 
M  Ver.  27  :  Rom.  1  :  25.  a;  19  :  20 :  20  :  14,  15. 


aster.  Then  followed  "  It  is  done  " 
(16  :  17-19).  In  the  two  following  chap- 
ters was  a  description  of  the  fall  of 
Babylon.  In  contrast  we  have  seven 
visions,  showing  the  progress  of  God's 
kingdom ;  the  ideal  picture  of  the 
Messiah  (i9  ;  ii-is);  the  call  to  the  sup- 
per (ver.  17,  18);  the  dcstructiou  of  the 
beast  and  false  prophet  (ver.  19-21);  Satan 
imprisoned  (20:1-3);  enemies  crushed 
(ver.  4-10);  judgment  upon  the  wicked 
(ver.  11-18);  the  renovation  of  tlie  earth 
(20 ;  1-8).  Then  come  the  words,  It  is 
done,  followed  by  a  de.scription  of 
the  new  Jerusalem.  Alpha.  (seei:8.) 
Two  characteristics  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city  are  given.  Thirsty.  On 
earth,  having  drunk  of  God's  grace, 
deeper  desires  are  awakened ;  these 
will  now  be  satisfied  fully.  Heaven  is 
a  place  of  enlarging  life,  of  increased 
desire  aud  increa.sed  satisfaction;  it  is 
a  place  of  growth  in  all  directions. 
Overcometh.  The  same  term  is  used 
in  the  messages  to  the  churches  (ohapa. 
II,  III).  The  Christian  life  involves 
longing  and  earnestness,  and  begets  a 
struggle.  Low  views  of  life,  pas.sions 
within,  Satanic  temptations  necessitate 
conflicts.  (See  Paul's  words  in  2  Tim. 
4:7,8;  1  Cor.  9  :  26,  27;  Eph.  fi  :  10-18). 
Son.  Then  will  be  the  perfect  fulfil- 
ment of  2  Sam.  7  :  14 ;  Zech.  8  :  8. 

8.  We  have  a  statement  in  contrast 
with  the  preceding,  announcing  the 
penalty  upon  the  ungodly.  The  ex- 
eluded  are  placed  in  four  groups  of 
two  each,  described  according  to  their 
characteristic    sins.      Fearful.      The 


cowardly  in  heart,  shrinking  from  the 
struggle  involved  in  the  Christian  life. 
Unbelieving.  Those  not  trusting 
aud  obeying  Christ;  the.se  two  are  not 
the  ijositively  bad,  but  they  are  not 
pronounced  for  righteousness.  Abom- 
inable. Those  practising  foul  and 
unclean  rites  in  connection  with  idol 
worship.  Idolaters.  Persons  ma- 
king idols  of  the  world,  gold,  or  self. 
Liars.  Kinsmen  of  Satan,  who  is  a 
liar,  distorting  a  true  view  of  tilings 
(johu  8  :  44).  There  mu.st  come  a  time 
of  final  separation  between  the  bad 
and  the  good.  Tlie  wicked  are  ex- 
cluded from  heaven  because  of  their 
unfitness  to  dwell  there.  To  be  in  a 
l)lace  of  absolute  lioliness  would  be 
only  an  aggravation  to  the  ungodly. 
There  is  no  hint  here  that  there  will 
be  any  end  to  their  exclusion.  Eternal 
punishment  springs,  not  from  God's 
omnipotence,  but  from  the  nature  of 
God,  and  the  character  of  sin.    Lake. 

(See  20:14.)  Death.  (See  2  :  11  ;  20: 
6,  14.) 

9-27.  Vision  of  the  NEVi^  Jeru- 
salem. The  center  of  the  new  earth 
is  a  holy  city.  Tlie  old  Jerusalem  was 
the  joy  of  tlie  Jewish  world  (?■''•  48). 
This  is  a  city  where  God  makes  liis 
dwelling-place  with  men.  Tlieii  fol- 
lows a  minute  description  of  the  city, 
clothed  in  .symbolic  forms.  Under 
these  material  features  are  spiritual 
realities.  We  have  the  structure  and 
plan  of  the  city  (ver.  11-23);  the  holy 
ciiaracter  of  the  city  (ver.  24-27);  tlie 
felicity  of  the  life  within  (22  :  1-5). 


380 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXI. 


9  And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  J  the 
seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  vials 
full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and 
talked  with  me,  saying,  Come  hither, 
I  will  show  thee  '■  the  bride,  the  Lamb's 
wife. 

10  And  he  carried  me  awaj'  "in  the 
spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain, 
and  showed  me  ^that  great  city,  the 
holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of 
heaven  from  God,  '  having  the  glory  of 

11  God.  And  her  light  was  like  unto  a 
stone  most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper 

12  stone,  clear  as  crystal ;  and  had  ^  a 
wall  great  and  high,  and  had  « twelve 
gates,  and  at  the  gates  twelve  angels, 
and  names  written  thereon,  which  are 
the  names  of   the  twelve  tribes  of  the 

13  children  of  Israel :  on  the  east  three 
gates ;  on  the  north  three  gates ;  on 
the  south  three  gates  ;  and  on  the  west 

14  three  gates.    And  the  wall  of  the  city 


9  And  there  came  one  from  among  the 
seven  angels,  who  had  the  seven  bowls 
full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and 
spoke  with  me,  saying.  Come  hither;  I 
will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  wife  of 

10  the  Lamb.  And  he  carried  me  away 
in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  moun- 
tain, and  showed  me  the  holy  city  Je- 
rusalem, coming  down  out  of  heaven 

11  from  God,  having  the  glory  of  God ; 
her  luminary  like  a  most  precious 
stone,  as  it  were  a  jasper  stone,  clear 

12  as  crystal ;  having  a  wall  great  and 
high  ;  having  twelve  gates,  and  at  the 
gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written 
thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the 

13  twelve  tribes  of  the  sons  of  Israel ;  on 
the  east  were  three  gates,  and  on  the 
north  three  gates,  and  on  the  south 
three  gates,   and   on    the    west   three 

14  gates.    And  the  wall  of  the  city  had 


y 

15:1 

,7 

n 

1. 

g 

Ver. 

2;  19: 

7. 

a  17 

;  3 

;  Ezek 

40 

2. 

b  Ver. 

2;  Ezek 

48. 

c 

Ver. 

22, 

23; 

22 

5 

Isa 

4:5 

•  60:  1 

3,  19 

20 

Kz 

ek. 

48  :  35. 

d  ■V 

er 

17-20 

,  Isa.  26 

1. 

e  Ver.  21 

25;  Ii 

J.  54: 

12; 

60 

18 

;  Ezek. 

48 

31-34. 

9.  Angels.  There  is  the  widest 
possible  contrast  between  the  woes  de- 
scribed by  the  seven  bowls,  and  this 
vision  revealed  by  one  of  the  same 
angels  who  poured  out  the  bowls.  lie 
had  showed  John  the  vision  of  the 
harlot— Babylon  the  great  (n  :  i-s). 
In  that  vision  the  woman  represents 
the  worldly  city ;  here  the  woman 
represents  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife, 
the  holy  city.  Harlot  and  Lamb's 
wife,  Babylon  and  Jerusalem,  stand  in 
contrast  with  each  other.  "The  holy 
city  and  the  bride  are  figurative  de- 
scriptions of  the  glorified  cause  of 
Christ. 

10,  11.  There  is  a  contrast  between 
this  vision  and  that  in  17  :  3.  There 
it  was  a  wilderness ;  here  it  is  a  moun- 
tain, great  and  high.  The  city  must 
be  conceived  of,  not  as  on  the  moun- 
tain, but  near  it.  John  has  a  position, 
in  the  vision,  on  the  mountain,  that  so 
he  may  have  a  perfect  view  of  it. 
Compare  a  parallel  vision  in  Ezek. 
40  :  1,  2.  We  have  now  a  complete 
description  of  the  city,  of  which  we 
had  a  glimpse  in  ver.  2.  Glory. 
God's  abiding  presence  was  the  light 

of    the    city    (^er.    23.        Comp.    Isa.   60   :    19.) 

Allusion  may  be  had  to  the  cloud  of 
glory  which  filled  the  tabernacle  (Exod. 
40  :  34).  The  brilliancy  of  the  light  is 
like  the  effulgence  of  a  precious  stone, 
probably  the  diamond.     Light  is  the 


symbol  of  joy,  purity,  the  absence  of 
imperfection. 

12,  13.  Being  an  Oriental  city  it  is 
presented  to  us  with  the  features  that 
belong  to  such  a  city.  To  show  that 
security  reigns  in  the  city  there  must 
be  walls  great  and  high,  assuring 
the  absolute  safety  that  Jesus  speaks 
of  in  John  10  :  29.  The  description  is 
based  upon  Ezek.  48  :  30-35.  The 
twelve  gates  are  reminders  of  the 
encampment  about  the  tabernacle,  the 
place  of  worship  in  the  wilderness. 
The  angels  are  additional  symbols  of 
protection.  Upon  the  gates  as  on  the 
stones  of  the  ephod  (Exod.  28 :  9),  on  the 
breastplate  of  the  high  priest  (Exod.  39  : 
1*)  were  written  the  names  of  the  twelve 
tribes.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
twelve  tribes  will  have  any  i>reccdence 
in  the  glorified  life,  for  all  distinctions 
are  wiped  away.  John  is  moving  here 
in  the  region  of  Old  Testament  im- 
agery, and  therefore  the  twelve  tribes 
stand  for  the  entire  people  of  God. 
For  the  order  in  which  the  names  stand 
see  one  list  in  Ezek.  48 ;  for  a  slightly 
different  order  see  Num.  2  : 1-21.  From 
the  fiict  that  the  city  faces  the  four 
quarters,  the  universal  character  of 
the  new  Jerusalem  may  be  inferred. 

14.  This  must  be  understood  of  twelve 
courses  making  one  foundation.  The 
apostles  occupy  an  important  place  in 
the    New  Testament,   their    teachings 


Ch.  XXI.] 


REVELATION 


381 


had  twelve  '  foundations,  and  k  iu  them 
the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the 
Lamb. 

15-  And  he  that  talked  with  me  i"  had  a 
golden  reed  to  measure  the  city,  and 
the  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall  there- 

IC  of.  A.ud  the  city  lieth  '  foursquare,  and 
the  length  is  as  large  as  the  breadth  : 
and  he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed, 
1=  twelve  thousand  furlongs.  The  length 
and  the  breadth  and  the  height  of  it 

17  are  equal.  And  he  measured  the  wall 
thereof,  an  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  cubits,  according  to  the  measure  of 
a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel. 

18  And  the  building  of  the  wall  of  it 
was  0/ jasper:   and  the  city  \uas  pure 

19  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass.  'And  the 
foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city 
were  garnished  with  all  manner  of 
precious  stones.  The  first  foundation 
was  jasper;  the  second,  sapphire;  the 
third,  a  chalcedony ;    the  fourth,  an 


twelve  foundations,  and  on  them 
twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles 
of  the  Lamb. 

15  And  he  who  spoke  with  me  had  a 
golden  reed  for  a  measure  to  measure 
the  city,  and  its  gates,  and  itij  wall. 

IG  .-^nd  the  city  lits  foursquare,  and  its 
length  is  as  great  as  the  breadth.  And 
he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed, 
twelve  thousand  furlongs  ;  the  length, 
and  the  breadth,  and  the  height  of  it 

17  are  equal.  And  he  measured  its  wall 
a  hundred  and  forty-four  cubits,  the 
measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  an  angel. 

18  And  the  material  of  its  wall  was 
jasper;   and  the  city  was  pure  gold, 

19  like  pure  glass.  The  foundations  of 
the  wall  of  the  city  were  adorned  with 
every  precious  stoue.  The  first  founda- 
tion was  jasper  ;  the  second,  sapphire  ; 
the  third,  chalcedony  ;  the  fourth,  em- 


/  Ver.  19-21 ;  Isa.  54  :  11 
t  Ezek.  48  :  16,  20. 


Heb.  11  :  10.  g  Eph.  2  :  20.  A  11  :  1,  2 ;  Ezek.  40  :  3 ;  Zech. 

k  Ezek.  48  :  8-19.  L  Job  28  :  16-19 ;  Frov.  3  :  15  ;  Isa.  54  :  11. 


may  be  regarded  as  the  foundation  of 
the  church  (Eph.  2  :  20).  The  twelve 
tribes  and  the  twelve  apostles  equal  in 
number  the  twenty-four  elders,  stand- 
ing for  the  universal  kingdom  of  God 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testament  times. 
Tiirough  human  agencies  and  through 
fundamental  doctrines  the  kingdom  of 
God  was  founded  and  grew. 

15.  The  magnitude  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  given  through  recorded 
measurements.  The  city,  the  wall,  the 
gates  are  measured.  This  elaborate 
measuring  is  designed  to  impress  the 
mind  with  the  reality,  the  magnitude 
of  the  life  beyond.  It  is  not  a  dream, 
a  vision  merely,  it  is  an  actual  some- 
thing that  can  be  measured.  The 
glorified  existence  is  as  real  as  if  it 
could  be  measured.  It  is  symbolic, 
but  speaks  of  real  things. 

16,  17.  The  city  forms  a  perfect 
cube,  about  fifteen  hundred  miles  in 
each  dimension  or  in  the  entire  circuit. 
Inasmuch  as  the  measurement  and  the 
numbers  are  symbolical,  it  is  of  no 
great  importance  to  determine  to  which 
of  these  this  number  refers.  The  plain 
meaning  seems  to  be  that  the  city  is 
immense  in  extent,  surpassing  any- 
tliing  that  the  world  had  seen  ;  and 
it  was  cubical  iu  shape,  typical  of 
its  perfect  nature.  There  may  be  a 
reference  to  the  holy  of  holies,  which 
was  a  perfect  cube.  The  measuring 
asserts  that  all  things  have  been  brought 


into  exact  conformity  with  God's  will, 
pledges  God's  guardianship  of  the 
minutest  parts  of  the  city,  and  reveals 
the  city  as  surpassing  iu  size  anything 
the  mind  of  man  had  conceived.  No 
such  city  has  ever  been  seen,  nor  is 
conceivable,  but  the  meaning  conveyed 
is  plain  and  comforting.  God's  cause 
in  the  future  will  be  glorious  and  per- 
fect. Wall.  It  is  probable  that  the 
thickness  of  the  wall  is  here  given,  not 
the  height.  The  thought  expressed  is 
that  of  perfect  security  against  all  as- 
saults. The  almightiness,  the  love, 
the  wisdom  of  God  surround  it. 
Angel.  In  the  act  of  measuring  the 
method  of  the  angel  is  as  if  a  man  had 
measured  it,  the  city  is  described  under 
human  figures  (zech.  2 :  5).  The  teaching 
by  symbol  is  that  heaven  is  beyond  the 
comprehension  of  human  thought   (1 

Cor.  2:9). 

18.  The  vision  exhausts  figurative 
language  in  describing  the  glory  of 
the  city.  Gold.  The  city  is  described 
as  pure  gold,  and  yet  so  unlike  that  of 
earth,  transfigured  and  glorified,  that 
it  is  transparent,  like  glass. 

19,  20.  We  have  a  further  descrip- 
tion of  the  foundations,  the  materials 
of  which  they  are  composed.  Jasper. 
Probably  the  diamond.  Sapphire. 
Probably  the  modern  lapis  lazuli,  of  a 
clear  blue  color  and  very  precious. 
Chalcedony.  Probably"  an  agate, 
sky  blue,  with  stripes  of  other  colors, 


382 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXI, 


20  emerald  ;  the  fifth,  sardonyx ;  the 
sixth,  sardius ;  the  seventh,  chrysolite  ; 
the  eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz ; 
the  tenth,  achrysoprasus  ;  the  eleventh, 
a  jacinth;   the  twelith,  an  amethyst. 

21  And  the  twelve  gates  tvere  twelve 
pearls ;  every  several  gate  was  of  one 
pearl:  ■»  and  the  street  of  the  city  was 
pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass. 

22  "And  I  saw  no  temple  therein:  "for 
the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb 

23  are  the  temple  of  it.  PAud  the  city 
had  uo  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
moon,  to  shine  iji  it :  i  for  the  glory  of 
God  did  lighten  it,  ■■  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof. 


20  erald ;  the  fifth,  sardonyx ;  the  sixth, 
sardius ;  the  seventh,  chrysolite ;  the 
eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  topaz ;  the 
tenth,    chrysoprasus ;     the    eleventh, 

21  hyacinth  ;  the  twelfth,  amethyst.  And 
the  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls; 
each  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl ; 
and  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure 

22  gold,  as  transparent  glass.  'And  a  tem- 
ple I  saw  not  in  it;  for  the  Lord,  God, 
the  Almighty,  is  its  temple,  and  the 

23  Lamb.  And  the  city  has  no  need  of 
the  sun,  nor  of  the  moon,  to  shine  on 
it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  lightened  it, 


m  22  :  2  ;  Isa.  60  :  17,  18.      n   Isa.  66  :  1 ;  John  4  :  23.      o  Ver.  3. 
p   22  :  5;  Isa.  24  :  23 ;  60  :  19,  20.      q  Ver.  11 ;  18  :  1 ;  Isa.  2  :  19,  21 ;  Hab.  3:3.      r  John  8  :  12. 


brought  from  Chalcedony.  Emerald. 
The  same  as  the  modern  stone,  of  a 
green  color.  Sardonyx.  A  kind  of 
onyx,  valued  for  its  use  in  engraving 
into  cameos.  Sardius.  Probably  our 
carnelian.  Chrysolite.  A  variety 
of  the  gem  known  as  the  topaz,  of 
yellow  color.  Beryl.  A  variety  of 
emerald,  of  bluish  green  color,  like 
the  pure  sea.  Topaz.  Probably  of 
a  yellow-green  color.  Chrysoprase. 
Probably  a  variety  of  the  emerald,  of 
a  yellowish,  pale  green  color.  Jacinth. 
Probably  a  stone  of  yellow  amber  color. 
Amethyst.  Probably  the  purple 
stone  now  known  by  that  name.  All 
the  precious  stones  referred  to  in  the 
Scriptures  are  uanied  to  give  the  im- 
pression of  the  superior  glory  of  the 
heavenly  city.  It  is  impossible  to  give 
a  separate  spiritual  meaning  to  each 
of  these  foundation  stones,  or  to  assign 
to  each  of  these  stones  the  name  of  an 
apostle.  God  builds  the  city  that  hath 
foundations  (Heb.  ii  :  lo),  not  with  com- 
mon stones,  but  with  the  rarest  and 
most  precious  stones.  Heaven  far  sur- 
passes earth. 

21.  The  entire  Scripture  emphasizes 
the  surpassing  splendor  of  the  city. 
Pearl.  Such  entrances  are  fitting 
portals  for  such  a  city.  Street.  The 
singular  is  employed  for  the  entire 
street  system  of  the  city.  In  so  large 
a  city  there  must  be  many  streets. 

22.  No  temple.  In  Jerusalem  the 
central  place  was  the  temple.  In  Ezek- 
iel's  vision  the  vast  proportions  of  the 
temple  formed  a  conspicuous  part ;  its 
gigantic  dimensions  showed  that  all 
was  figurative.  The  present  vision 
passes  on  to  a  higher  state  of  things. 


The  physical  temple  is  replaced  by  a 
far  more  glorious  spiritual  temple. 
The  inhabitants  need  no  fixed  outward 
place  of  worship,  for  God  and  the 
Lamb  are  ever  present  with  them. 
The  glory  of  God  fills  the  city,  and 
the  city  itself  is  the  bride  of  the  Lamb. 
The  entire  city,  shown  by  its  cubical 
form,  is  a  holy  of  holies,  in  which  each 
one  dwells.  Temples,  meeting-houses, 
and  stated  times  of  worship  are  not  need- 
ful here.  Heaven  has  no  temple,  for  it  is 
all  temple,  and  holiest  of  all,  its  entire 
life  is  worship.  The  golden  city  is 
the  reality,  of  which  the  old  temple 
and  tabernacle  were  outward  symbols. 
All  that  the  temple  symbolized,  in  its 
highest  ideal,  is  realized  by  those  whose 
lives  are  hidden  with  Christ  in  God 
(Col.  3: 3) J  who  abide  in  God  himself 
(1  John  4  :  16).  A  Country  on  the  earth 
without  a  place  of  worship  would  be  a 
Sodom. 

23.  Sun.  This  is  the  realization 
of  Isaiah's  prediction  in  Isa.  60  :  19, 
20.  All  other  light  is  without  luster 
in  comparison  with  the  brilliancy  of 
the  glory  of  God  and  of  Christ.  The 
glory  of  God  is  the  sun  which  illumines 
the  New  Jerusalem,  and  his  light  is 
reflected  from  the  Lamb,  who  is  the 
eliulgence  of  the  Father's  glory  (Heb. 
1:3).  All  this  would  not  implj',  if  the 
earth  were  a  part  of  the  inheritance  of 
the  redeemed,  that  sun,  moon,  and 
stars  were  blotted  out,  but  that  the 
moral  light  and  glory  surpass  every- 
thing else.  A  city  in  which  all  have 
the  spiritual  life  of  a  Judson  or  a 
Carey,  freed  from  their  imperfections, 
would  be  a  brilliantly  illumined  city. 

24.  This  description  is  based  entirely 


Ch.  XXI.] 


REVELATION 


383 


24  'And  the  nations  of  them  which  are 
saved  'shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it: 
"and  the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring 

25  their  glory  and  honour  into  it.  'And 
the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all 
by  day:  for  y there  shall  be  no  night 

26  there.  And  they  shall  bring  the  glory 
and  honour  of    the    nations    into    it. 

27  And  '  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into 
it  any  thing  that  delileth,  "neither 
whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  i- or 
inaketh  a  lie :  but  tliey  which  are 
written  in  the  Lamb's  <=  book  of  life. 


24  and  its  lamp  is  the  Lamb.  And  the 
nations  will  walk  by  its  light ;  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  bring  their  glory 

25  into  it.  And  its  gates  will  not  be  shut 
by  day ;    for  there   will    be  no  night 

26  there ;  and  they  will  bring  the  glory 
and  the  honor  of  the  nations  into  it. 

27  And  there  shall  not  enter  into  it  any 
thing  unclean,  or  he  that  works  abom- 
ination and  falsehood  ;  but  only  they 
who  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of 
life. 


<  22  :  2  ;  Ps.  22  :  27  ;  Isa.  60  :  3  ;  66  :  12,  18.      t   Isa.  2  :  5. 

u  P3.  72  .  10,  11 ;  Isa.  60  :  3-10,  13 ;  66  :  11,  12.     x  Isa.  60  :  11.     »  22  :  5 ;  Isa.  60  :  20;  Zech.  U  :  6,  7. 

z  22  :  14,  15 ;  Lev.  13  :  46 ;  Num.  5:3;  Ps.  101  :  8  ;  Isa.  35  ;  8 ;  52  :  1 ;  60  :  21 ;  Joel  3  :  17. 

a  17  :  4,  5.      b  Ver.  8 ;  22  :  15.      c  3  ;  5  ;  13  ;  8 ;  20  ;  12  ;  Phil.  4  :  3. 


upon  the  language  of  Old  Testament 
prophecy ;  it  is  the  fulfilment  of  Isa. 
60  :  3,  11,  19.  We  are  not  to  interpret 
this  as  if,  besides  the  glorified  saints  in 
the  holy  city,  there  shall  still  he  dwell- 
ing on  the  renewed  earth  nations  or- 
ganized under  kings  who  shall,  from 
time  to  time,  visit  the  holy  city,  and 
bring  their  treasures  into  it,  and  be 
served  by  means  of  the  influence  of  the 
holy  city.  The  final  cousummatioii  has 
taken  place,  and  on  this  renewed  earth 
there  shall  be  no  other  inhabitants  ex- 
cept the  glorified  saints,  who  compose 
the  holy  city  Jerusalem,  constituting 
the  bride  of  the  Lamb  (21  :  9).  The 
Gentiles  will  be  among  the  glorified 
saints  in  the  city,  and  among  them 
those  who  ruled  as  kings.  There  is  no 
Scripture  foundation  for  the  view  that 
nations  shall  dwell  on  the  renewed 
earth  outside  the  holy  city,  and  not 
belonging  to  its  inhabitants.  Such  a 
view  would  be  in  contradiction  of  the 
establishment  of  a  new  earth  wherein 
dwells  righteousness.  It  would  also 
contradict  the  statement  in  ver.  27, 
that  none  but  the  redeemed  find  en- 
trance within  the  gates.  For  the 
prophets  to  declare  tliat  kings  brought 
their  presents  into  the  old  Jerusalem, 
would  be  to  show  the  triumph  of  God's 
kingdom.  The  same  figure  is  em- 
ployed here  to  illustrate  the  final 
supremacy  of  the  cause  of  Christ.  The 
holy  city  stands  for  a  redeemed  world. 
25.  Shut.  Read  Isaiah's  picture 
of  the  future  of  Zion  (i^a.  60  :  u).  The 
reason  why  the  gates  are  always  open 
is  because  it  is  always  day.  Peace  and 
.security  dwell  there.  The  perils  of  the 
heart,   the  allurements  of  the  world, 


the  temptations  of  Satan,  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  beast  (!'•'),_  have  all 
passed  away.  Eastern  cities  always 
closed  their  gates  at  night ;  in  war  they 
were  closed  all  the  time. 

26.  Bring.  The  word  is  used  in 
an  impersonal  way,  not  necessarily  re- 
ferring to  the  kings  of  the  preceding 
verse.  It  will  be  a  treasure  city,  in 
which  all  glory  will  be  stored.  As  in 
ancient  capitals  the  spoils  of  captive 
nations  were  .stored,  here  the  iioly 
city  will  exhibit  the  glories  of  God  and 
the    gifts  of  the  saved.     (Comp.  isa.  eo  : 

5-10  ;   66  :  12.) 

27.  The  three  preceding  verses 
showed  the  character  of  those  who 
enter  the  holy  city;  this  verse  describes 
those  who  are  excluded.  Only  tho.se 
enter  who  are  morally  worthy.  (Comp. 
laa.  52  :  1.)  Jesus  evcrywhcrc  spoke  of 
a  final  separation  among  men,  a  separa- 
tion based  on  character  («■»"■  25  :  si-ie). 
The  regenerate  only,  the  saved  through 
Christ,  find  admission.  The  Lamb's 
book  of  life  has  the  names  of  those  who 
will  share  in  the  glory  of  the  Lamb. 
John  is  following  here  in  the  footsteps 
of  Ezekiel,  who  describes  the  discom- 
fiture of  God's  enemies,  then  gives  a 
vision  of  the  holy  city,  the  glorious 
temple,  and  the  revelation  of  God's 
glory. 

Note.  The  symbolical  char- 
acter OF  THE  NEW  JERUSALEM.  To 
interpret  this  chapter  in  a  literal  way 
would  be  to  strip  it  of  its  beauty. 
Such  a  city  as  is  here  described,  taken 
in  its  literal  sense,  would  be  grotesque 
and  impossible.  It  is  useless  to  specu- 
late on  the  method  of  life  in  a  city 


384 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXI. 


three  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles 
high,  or  calcuUite  how  many  people 
it  would  coiilaiii.  When  we  read 
in  Ezekiel  (eiiKp.  xi.-xlviu)  of  a  tem- 
ple whose  size  is  bewildering  in  its 
vastness,  we  are  not  deceived.  We 
understand  tliat  it  is  not  to  be  intei"- 
preted  literally.  Under  the  imposing 
imagery  is  the  teaching  that  God's 
cause  will  be  as  much  grander  than  the 
past  history,  as  this  temple  in  vision 
surpassed  the  old  temple  in  Jerusalem. 
In  rejecting  the  literal  interpretation 
we  do  not  thereby  throw  aside  tlie 
reality  of  the  teachings  implied  by  the 
vision.  We  may  not  insist  on  walls, 
or  city,  or  gates,  or  gold ;  but  we 
must  not  regard  the  vision  as  a  dream 
or  a  poetical  imagination  having  no 
substantial  teaching.  The  new  Jeru- 
salem is  a  prophecy  divinely  given, 
presenting  the  glorious  outcome  of 
Christianity  in  its  work  among  men. 
Christianity  has  had  a  varied  history. 
Christ,  the  founder,  was  rejected,  the 
apostles  were  not  men  of  genius,  the 
doctrines  preached  were  repugnant  to 
the  natural  heart.  Persecutions  fol- 
lowed the  church,  heresies  arose,  world- 
liness  proved  a  greater  foe  than  open 
opposition.  Literature,  power,  culture, 
ritualism,  imperfect  religious — all  these 
were  arrayed  against  Christ.  This 
vision  tells  us  what  the  outcome  will  be. 
Many  of  the  readers  of  this  book  had 
seen  the  old  Jerusalem  with  its  narrow 
streets,  its  walls  that  could  not  stand 
attack,  surrounded  by  foes,  Avithin 
whose  walls  were  corruption  and  sor- 
rows. Here  are  portrayed  a  perfected 
human  nature,  a  regenerate  society,  a 
glorified  life,  the  absence  of  ills  of 
every  kind,  the  fellowship  of  all  the 
redeemed  with  the  Redeemer.  Christ 
has  triumphed  in  that  he  is  acknowl- 
edged supreme  in  his  own  dominion, 
and  wickedness  has  been  eliminated 
and  shut  up  in  sin's  prison  house.  All 
nations  share  in  this  triumph  of  Christ. 
No  heathen  religion,  no  human  con- 
ceptions have  ever,  in  their  dreams, 
pictured  such  a  blessed  final  consum- 
mation as  this  vision  gives  to  us.  The 
city  will  be  a  temple,  life  will  be  wor- 
ship, glory  and  God  will  have  their 
home  there. 

The  teaching  of  this  chapter  is  en- 
tirely irrespective  of  the  question 
whether  this  earth  will  be  the  home 


of  the  descending  holy  city.  Even  if 
this  earth  should  be  no  part  of  the 
heavenly  inheritance,  it  would  be  need- 
ful to  make  the  truth  known  to  us 
through  earthly  figures.  Christianity, 
in  its  glorified  form,  will  find  some- 
where a  fitting  sphere,  in  which  be- 
lievers in  holy  love  will  serve  Christ 
and  each  other.  That  place  will  be 
the  new  Jerusalem.  It  will  then  be 
seen  that  all  the  figures  of  this  vision 
will  have  been  more  than  fulfilled. 

"On  the  Christian  society  as  the 
realization  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 
see  Westcott  on  Heb.  11  :  10  (addi- 
tional note)  "  (Swete). 

"Figurative  language  is  the  only 
language  in  which  we  can  express  our 
hope  of  heaven,  and  no  figures  can 
have  greater  power  to  suggest  this 
hope  than  those  taken  from  the  literal 
longings  of  exiled  Israel  for  the  re- 
covery of  its  land  and  city."  Porter, 
"Messages  of  the  Apocalyptic  Writ- 
ers," p.  288.  Ezek.,  chap.  XL- 
XLVIII;  Isa.  54:11,  12;  Isa.  60: 
10-14. 

Practical  Remarks. 

1.  Jesus  makes  everything  new.  There 
is  a  new  covenant,  a  new  heart,  a  new 
man,  a  new  song,  a  new  name,  a  new 
heaven  and  earth,  a  new  Jerusalem 
(ver.  1). 

2.  The  chief  feature  of  heaven  will  be, 
not  happiness  or  exemption  from  physical 
ills  and  death,  but  holiness.  No  one  will 
enjoy  heaven  who  does  not  enjoy  holi- 
ness (ver.  2). 

3.  Alienation  from  God  is  the  mark  of 
the  sinful  man;  intimacy  with  God  and 
fellowship  with  him  are  the  marks  and 
the  privileges  of  the  Christian  (ver.  3). 

4.  The  language  of  heaven  will  differ 
vastly  from  that  of  earth.  The  words 
tear,  death,  suffering,  temptation,  crying, 
will  all  be  things  of  the  past  (ver.  4). 

5.  The  words  of  a  faithful  and  true  Re- 
deemer may  be  depended  on.  They  may 
be  long  in  coming  to  pass,  but  in  time 
promise  will  ripen  into  performance 
(ver.  5). 

6.  The  soul  will  be  satisfied  in  the 
heavenly  life.  There  will  be  enlarging 
desires  and  enlarging  satisfaction  as  the 
ages  go  by.  Satan  makes  springs  tliat  dry 
up,  Jesus  makes  living  fountains  (ver.  6). 


Ch.  XXIL] 


REVELATION 


385 


7.  Jesus  was  an  overcoming  Christ. 
Tlio  Christian  must  overcome.  Salvation 
iiieuns  a  struggle,  it  means,  at  the  end,  a 
crown  (ver.  7). 

8.  Heaven  will  have  all  holy  people  on 
the  inside,  and  all  the  ungodly  on  the 
outside.  The  separation  will  be  on  the 
basis  of  character  (ver.  8). 

9.  The  Christian  and  the  church  must 
have  now  a  moral  likeness  to  Christ.  In 
time  there  will  be  a  complete  likeness  to 
Christ,  and  a  sharing  in  the  glory  of 
Christ  (ver.  9). 

10.  The  purification  of  men  and  of 
society  is  not  from  below  upward,  but 
from  above  downward.  A  heavenly 
society  upon  the  earth  can  be  secured 
only  by  the  divine  Spirit  in  the  individual 
(ver.  10). 

11.  The  presence  of  God  gives  light  in 
the  heart,  in  the  home,  in  society,  in 
business  and  political  relations.  Cruelty 
and  selfishness  disappear  when  Christ  is 
known  as  Saviour  (ver.  11). 

12.  In  every  earthly  life  are  many  perils 
from  within  and  from  without.  In  the 
heavenly  life  will  be  no  deceptions  in  the 
heart,  no  allurements  to  evil.  The  life  of 
absolute  security  will  be  a  blessed  life 
(ver.  12). 

13.  Heaven  embraces  people  from  all 
races  and  lands.  The  New  Testament 
widens  it  out,  making  one  family  from 
all  the  redeemed  (ver.  13). 

14.  The  apostles  entered  heaven  through 
hardship  and  persecution,  but  their  names 
make  an  enduring  foundation  for  all  time 
(ver.  14). 

15.  Many  of  the  details  of  the  heavenly 
life  we  do  not  know.  Knowledge  of  them 
would  do  us  no  good.  We  are  sure  there 
is  a  heaven ;  and  we  know  how  to  get 
there  (ver.  15). 

16.  The  safety  of  God's  people  depends 
on  being  Christ's  and  with  Christ  (ver.  17). 

17.  In  heaven  will  be  all  Christian  ex- 
cellencies. But  each  one  will  have  his 
own  individuality,  sanctified  and  set 
apart  for  holy  purposes.  Each  one  will 
be  himself,  but  he  will  be  his  best  self 
(ver.  19). 

18.  Earth  may  be  compared  to  common 
clay,  heaven  to  pure  gold,  and  that  re- 
fined. Paul  could  not  describe  the  third 
heaven  (2  Cor.  12  :  4).    Nor  can  John,  ex- 


cept by  indistinct  figures.    It  must  be  en- 
joyed to  be  understood  (ver.  21). 

19.  In  the  earthly  life  meeting-houses 
are  a  necessity.  In  heaven  all  life  is 
worship,  and  the  city  itself  is  a  holy  of 
holies  (ver.  22). 

20.  All  light  is  darkness  when  compared 
with  the  glory  of  God's  presence  (ver.  23). 

21.  When  Christianity  has  finished  its 
work  on  the  earth,  it  will  be  found  to 
have  embraced  all  nations  under  its 
sway.  It  is  a  conquering  religion.  The 
highest  will  count  it  a  privilege  to  serve 
the  King  of  kings  (ver.  24). 

22.  The  night  of  sorrow,  disappoint- 
ment, and  death,  will  pass  away,  and  an 
eternal  morning  will  come.  That  will  be 
a  blessed  land,  where  it  is  always  sun- 
shine (ver.  25). 

23.  Heaven  is  a  prepared  place  for  pre- 
pared people.  The  presence  of  the  mor- 
ally unclean  would  be  out  of  harmony 
with  God's  nature,  would  be  a  peril  to 
the  godly,  would  give  no  comfort  to  the 
ungodly  themselves  (ver.  27). 

24.  The  book  of  life  has  in  it  the  names 
of  those  who  are  spiritually  alive.  The 
names  get  there,  not  through  personal 
worthiness,  but  in  God's  mercy  through 
belief  in  the  Saviour.  "Is  my  name 
written  there?"  (ver.  27). 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

In  this  chapter  we  have  the  conclud- 
ing part  of  the  vision  that  fills  the 
preceding  chapter.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  these  parts  should  be  separated. 
The  vision  is  now  presented  under  the 
figure  of  the  paradise  of  God.  It  forms 
part  of  one  general  conception,  but 
assumes  the  figure,  not  of  the  holy  city, 
but  of  a  paradise  (ver.  i-s).  Following 
this  we  have  the  assurance,  from  the 
angel,  of  the  truth  of  the  Apocalypse 
(ver.  6,  7).  Then  John  himself  gives 
testimony,  vouching  for  the  reality  of 
what  he  had  seen  and  heard  (''«r-  8,  9). 
We  have  a  final  message  of  the  angel 
to  John  (ver.  10,  11).  Then  in  an  im- 
presi?ive  way  Jesus  himself  gives  a 
message  witnessing  for  this  book  (ver. 
12-17).  In  closing  there  is  the  command 
that  the  book  shall  be  looked  upon  as 
holy,  followed   by  a  benediction  (ver. 

18-21). 


386 


EEVELATION 


[Ch.  XXII. 


22  AND  he  showed  me'^a  pure  river  of 
« water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal,  proceed- 
ing out  of  the  throne  of  God  aud  of 

2  the  Lamb,  f  In  the  midst  of  the  street 
of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river, 
ivas  there  sthe  tree  of  life,  which  bare 
twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded 
her  fruit  every  month :  and  the  leaves 
of  the  tree  were  ^  for  the  healing  of  the 
nations. 

3  Aud  'there  shall  be  no  more  curse 


22  AND  he  showed  me  a  river  of  water 
of  life,  bright  as  crystal,  going  forth 
out  of  the  throne  of  God  aud  of  the 

2  Lamb.  In  the  midst  of  its  street,  and 
on  each  side  of  the  river,  was  a  tree  of 
life,  bearing  twelve  fruits,  every  month 
yielding  its  fruit ;  and  the  leaves  of  the 
tree  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

3  Aud  there  will  be  uo  more  curse.    And 


d  Ps.  36  :  8 ;  46  :  4 ;  Ezek.  47  :  1-9 ;  Zech.  14:8.  e  21  :  6.  /  21  :  21 ;  Ezek.  47  :  12. 

J  2  :  7  ;  Gen.  2:9.  ft  21  :  24 ;  Ps.  147  :  3 ;  Ezek.  47  :  8-12  ;  Mai.  4  :  2. 

i  21  :  4 ;  Zech.  14  :  11 ;  comp.  Gen.  3  :  17. 


1-5.  The  PARADISE  OF  God.  The 
Old  Testament  begins  with  a  paradise, 
where  beauty  and  innocence  prevailed. 
Then  follows  the  long  era,  with  the 
conflict  of  good  and  evil  in  the  world. 
Now,  at  the  close,  we  have  a  paradise 
restored.  Euin  comes  through  sin,  the 
redemption  through  Christ  brings  a 
restoration. 

1.  The  psalmist  speaks  of  a  glad- 
dening stream  (ps.  46  :  4).  For  the  Old 
Testament  foundation  of  this  passage 
see  Ezek.  47  : 1-12 ;  Zech.  14  :  8.  Comp. 
Gen.  2 :  10 ;  Joel  3  :  18.  Notice  the  union 
God  and  of  the  Lamb.  (comp.  3:21.) 
River.  Jesus  speaks  of  rivers  of  liv- 
ing water  (John  7  :  38, 39),  having  refer- 
ence to  the  Holy  Spirit.  Many  think 
the  reference  here  is  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
supplying  constantly,  in  an  abundant 
way,  the  spiritual  life.  Rivers  on  tlie 
earth  supply  nourishment  and  life, 
giving  freshness  and  beauty  to  nature. 
In  like  manner  this  river  is  the  syni])ol 
of  the  constant  supply  of  God's  grace 
to  his  people.  To  conceive  of  heaven 
as  a  paradise  there  must  be  the  sight  of 
water,  such  as  John  gives.  That  the 
river  finds  its  source  in  the  throne  of 
God,  is  the  assurance  that  God  will 
constantly  renew  the  life  and  joy  of 
his  people,  will  uphold  the  kingdom 
of  God,  in  its  ripened  form,  in  all  its 
manifold  agencies.  The  vision  of  a 
swamp,  of  a  meager  stream,  of  a  river 
whose  waters  were  dried  up,  would  be 
out  of  place  and  saddening. 

2.  (Comp.    Ezek.    47    :    7-12.)        Street. 

John  sees  the  main  street  of  the  city 
through  which  the  river  is  flowing. 
This  statement  must  be  understood  as 
applying  to  all  the  streets  of  the  city  ; 
on  both  sides  are  trees.  The  word 
tree  is  used,  not  of  one  tree,  but  in  a 
collective    sense    embraces   the  entire 


mass  of  trees.  For  the  tree  of  life 
see  Gen.  2:9;  there  it  was  shut  off 
from  sinful  man,  here  it  is  open  to 
all.  As  water  is  es.sential  to  life  and 
growth,  symbolized  by  the  river,  so 
there  must  be  food  for  the  spiritual 
life,  symbolized  by  the  fruit  of  the 
tree.  The  food  is  continuous,  every 
month,  signifying  the  ever  new  en- 
joyment of  the  blessed.  For  glorified 
bodies,  like  those  of  the  angels  (Mark 
12  :  25) J  no  physical  aid  will  be  needed. 
It  is  not  so  much  twelve  kinds  of  fruit 
here  promised,  as  a  continuous  supply 
ministered  by  the  one  tree.  Nations.. 
This  term  cannot  be  applied  to  uncon- 
verted people,  for  only  the  saved  have 
entered  into  the  city.  Some  think  that 
it  applies  to  other  than  Jewish  people 
who  have  been  saved.  In  heaven, 
however,  all  social  distinctions  will  be 
removed,  and  the  Jewish  race  will 
have  no  preeminence  over  others. 
Healing.  This  cannot  be  pressed  to 
mean  that  moral  infirmities  will  re- 
main, or  that  somewhere  in  that  blessed 
era  there  will  be  people  not  glorified. 
When  it  is  said  that  God  will  wipe 
away  all  tears  (21  :  *),  it  cannot  he  in- 
ferred that  occasion  for  tears  will  be 
found  there,  but  that  the  tears  which 
are  wept  in  the  earthly  life,  will  be 
wiped  away  in  the  eternal  blessedness. 
In  like  manner  the  healing  leaves  of 
the  tree  served  for  the  healing  of  the 
sickness  from  which  the  nations  suf- 
fered in  the  earthly  life,  but  from  wliich 
they  are  delivered  in  the  new  Jeru- 
salem. The  infirmities,  limitations  of 
life,  poverty  of  soul,  blindness  of  mind 
— all  of  these  are  eternally  removed. 
Bodily,  intellectual,  moral,  and  spir- 
itual defects,  are  all  remedied. 

3.    Curse.      (Comp.  Om.  3  :  14-19.)      AH 

the  effects  of  sin   have  passed  away. 


Ch.  XXII.] 


REVELATION 


387 


[Zech.   xiv.  11]  :    '•^  but  the   throne  of 
God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  iu  it; 

4  aud  his  servants  shall  serve  hiin  :  uiid 
'  they  shall  see  his  face  ;  aud  ™  his  name 

5  shall  be  iu  their  foreheads.  °  Aud  tliure 
shall  be  no  night  there  ;  aud  they  need 
no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sua  ; 
for  "the  Lo.'d  God  giveth  them  light: 
Pand  they  shall  reigu  for  ever  and 
ever. 

Final  testimony,  invitation,  warnings,  and 
promises. 

6  AND  he  said  unto  me,  i  These  say- 
ings are  faithful  and  true :    aud  the 


the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb 
will   be  in  it;    and  his  servants  will 

4  serve  him,  and  will  see  his  face,  and 
his  name  will  be  on  their  foreheads. 

5  And  there  will  be  no  night  there  ;  and 
they  need  no  lamp  light,  nor  sunlight, 
because  the  Lord  God  will  give  them 
light ;  and  they  will  reign  forever  and 
ever. 


6     And  he  said  to  me,  These  words  are 
faithful  and  true;  aud  the  Lord,  the 


ft  7  :  17  ;  Ezek.  4A  :  35. 


I  Exod.  33  :  18-20,  23  ;  Job  33  :  24-26 ;  Isa.  33  :  IT  ;  35  :  2  ;  Matt.  5  :  8 ;  1  John  3  : 
:  23-25.  o  Ps.  36  :  9 ;  Isa.  60  :  19.  p  3  :  21 ;  Dan.  7  :  27  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  12. 

;  19  :  9;  Isa.  25  :  1. 


All  evil  things  have  been  eternally  de- 
stroyed (20  :  15).  Here  dwell  God, 
Jesus  under  the  aspect  of  the  Saviour 
who  was  sacrificed,  and  the  saved,  to 
whom  service  is  a  delight.  Tlie  glori- 
fied life  is  one  of  enlarged  activity. 
Buddhism  makes  the  future  one  of 
absorption  into  the  deity  or  extinction, 
not  loving  service. 

4.  Face.  Compare  the  statement 
in  Gen.  3  :  8  of  God's  fellowship  with 
our  first  parents.  What  was  denied  to 
.Moses,  a  sight  of  God's  face  (E^od.  ss  : 
20),  is  here  granted  to  all  the  saved. 
There  will  be  the  sight  of  the  glorified 
Christ.  How  much  more  is  involved 
in  what  is  known  as  the  beatific  vision 
of  God  we  may  not  now  know.  Fel- 
lowship with  God  beyond  comparison 
with  that  of  earth,  is  here  declared. 
The  term,  face,  stands  for  tlie  entire 
revelation  of  God,  as  the  man's  char- 
acter shines  out  in  the  face.  There 
will  be  displays  of  God's  character 
such  as  have  not  before  been  mani- 
fested. Name.  (Comp.  3  :  12  ;  U  :  1.) 
This  term  stands  for  all  there  is  of  a 
per.son,  hence  it  is  here  declared  that 
the  moral  likeness  to  God  stands  out 
openly  in  the  person  and  life  of  the 
believer.  There  may  also  be  the  asser- 
tion of  ownership  on  the  part  of  God. 
In  the  olden  times  the  high  priest  wore 
upon  his  forehead  a  plate,  on  which 
was  inscribed  the  name  of  Jehovah. 
Every  saved  man  fills  the  position  of 
a  high  priest,  on  whose  forehead  itself 
is  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

5.  Night.       (Comp.  21  :  23-25.)       ThJS 

statement  is  made,  not  to  indicate  the 
security  of  the  place,  but  to  show  that 


the  saints  suffer  no  interruption  in  their 
service,  and  need  no  nightly  rest  to 
recruit  their  strength  for  further  serv- 
ice. It  is  not  specified  over  whom  they 
shall  reign.  Paul  speaks  of  saints 
judging  angels  (1  Cor.  6:3);  some  have 
conjectured  here  a  superintendence 
over  the  wide  realm  of  nature.  The 
term  may  be  used  in  a  general  sense, 
for  the  exalted  state  upon  which  they 
have  entered.  It  signifies  the  u.se  of 
large  faculties,  continuing  through 
eternity.  They  both  serve  and  reign. 
Light.  As  their  frame  never  wearies, 
so  the  conditions  neces.sary  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  their  service  never 
fail.  With  this  verse  the  Apocalypse 
proper,  beginning  at  4  :  1,  comes  to  an 
end.  In  1  :  9  John  is  their  companion 
iu  tribulation;  the  vision  ends  with  the 
saints  reigning  as  kings  in  glory. 

6-31.  The  conclusion.  The 
Apocalypse  began,  like  the  Gospel 
of  John,  with  a  prologue.  Like  the 
Go.spel,  it  also  closes  with  an  epilogue. 
The  correspondences  in  the  structure 
of  the  two  writings  bear  testimony  to 
the  sameness  of  authorship.  This  con- 
clusion gives  assurance  of  the  truth- 
fulness of  the  things  revealed.  The 
speakers  are  the  angel,  John,  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  himself. 

6-11.  An  ASSURANCE  OP  THE 
TRUTH  OF  THE  ApOCALYPSE.  We 
have  here  passing  before  us  large  views 
of  God's  moral  government,  vials  of 
judgment,  the  fall  of  opposing  powers. 
Are  they  dreams,  or  under  these  visions 
have  we  realities? 

6.  Tliese  are  the  words,  not  of  John, 
but  of  the  angel  spoken  of  in  1  :  1. 


388 


REVELATION 


[Cii.  XXII. 


Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  'sent 
his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the 
things  which  must  shortly  be  done. 

7  "Behold,  I  come  quickly:  'blessed  is 
he  that  keepeth  the  sayings  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book. 

8  And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and 
heard  i/iem.  And  when  1  had  heard  and 
seen,  "  I  fell  down  to  worship  before 
the  feet  of  the  angel  which  showed  me 

9  these  things.  Then  saith  he  unto  me, 
See  thou  do  it  not :  for  I  am  thy  fellow- 
s.ervaut,    and    of    thy    brethren    the 


God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets,  sent 
his  angel  to  show  to  his  servants  the 
things  which    must   shortly  come   to 

7  pass.  And  behold,  I  come  quickly. 
Happy  is  he  that  keeps  the  words  of 
the  propliecy  of  this  book. 

8  And  I,  John,  am  he  who  heard  and 
saw  these  things.  And  when  I  heard 
and  saw,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before 
the  feet  of  the  angel  who  showed  me 

9  these  things.  And  he  says  to  me,  See 
thou  do  it  not.  I  am  a  fellow-servant 
with  thee  and  with  thy  brethren  the 


:  Ver.  12,  20;  3  ;  11. 


t  1  :  3. 


u  19  :  10. 


He  gives  assurance  that  the  things 
spoken  of  can  be  depended  on.  The 
reference  is  not  to  the  teachings  con- 
cerning tlie  new  Jerusalem  alone,  but 
to  the  entire  message  found  in  the  en- 
tire book.  The  same  God  who  worked 
in  the  prophets,  guiding  them  in 
teaching  and  foretelling,  dwells  in  the 
angel.  The  possibility  of  an  iuspira- 
tion,  an  illumining  and  guiding  of  the 
human  mind,  is  here  asserted.  The 
testimony  of  the  angel  must  be  placed 
on  the  same  level  as  that  of  the  Old 
Testament  prophets.  Servants.  The 
book  concerns  all,  good  and  bad  alike, 
■with  its  blessings  and  judgments.  But 
it  is  given  for  the  sake  of  his  own 
people,  for  their  comfort,  assurance, 
and  guidance.  Shortly.  The  pre- 
dictions began  to  be  fulfilled  at  that 
time,  the  principles  of  God's  admin- 
istration in  all  the  ages  being  mani- 
fested then. 

7.  The  first  part  of  this  Terse  must 
be  referred  to  the  Lord  Jesus  himself. 
The  same  expression  occurs  in  ver.  12, 
20.  (comp.  3  :  11.)  In  some  real  sense 
the  quickly  must  come  true.  The 
beginning  of  the  fulfilment  took  place 
then,  has  been  in  progress  ever  since, 
and  will  continue  until  the  consumma- 
tion of  all  things.  That  the  reference 
is  to  the  final  advent  of  Christ  cannot 
be  true.  He  has  come  in  real  ways  in 
the  past,  as  in  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem (Ma".  16  :  28),  in  his  providences 
(Matt.  27:64),  in  judgments  upon  the 
churches  (2  : 5,  le).  It  may  also  in- 
timate that  in  God's  sight  but  a  short 
time  intervenes  between  the  first  and 
second  advent  (P3-  so  :  <).  The  second 
part  is  perhaps  spoken  by  the  angel. 
Prophecy.  This  is  based  upon  the 
supposition  that  the  vision  had  been 
reduced  to  writing,  as  commanded  (1  = 


11.  19).  The  visions  of  this  book  would 
have  been  altogether  worthless,  after 
the  death  of  John,  had  they  not  been 
reduced  to  writing.  The  term,  proph- 
ecy, means  more  than  prediction ;  it 
embraces  teaching,  counsel,  warning. 
No  part  of  the  book  is  more  helpful 
than  the  letters  to  the  churches,  which 
bave  in  them  little  of  the  predictive 
element. 

We  have  now,  in  the  two  following 
verses,  the  testimony  of  John  himself. 

8,  9.  John  bears  witness  to  the 
reality  of  the  visions  which  he  had 
seen.  At  the  end  of  John's  Gospel  we 
have  the  testimony  of  those  who  knew 
the  truth  of  his  statements  (John  21  :  24). 
Things.  The  reference  is  to  the  en- 
tire series  of  visions ;  he  bears  witness 
to  their  reality.  He  was  not  simply  a 
conduit  through  which  these  flowed  ; 
he  was  conscious  of  them  and  their 
meaning.  This  testimony  would  have 
great  Aveigbt  where  John's  character 
w  as  best  known.  The  book  of  Revela- 
tion found  a  much  readier  acceptance 
in  the  East,  where  John  was  widely 
known,  than  in  the  West.  Worship. 
As  representing  God,  perhaps  glorious 
in  form.  John  falls  down  before  the 
angel.  In  19  :  10  he  had  done  this,  and 
been  reproved.  It  may  be  that  John 
does  not  repeat  this  act,  but  now,  at  the 
close,  alludes  to  what  he  had  previously 
done.  Even  John  Avas  not  perfect  in 
conduct  or  judgment.  The  worship 
shows  the  right  heart,  the  desire  to 
worship  God  or  God's  messenger,  even 
if  not  guided  aright  by  intelligence. 
Fellow-servant.  Compare  the  cor- 
responding place  in  19  :  10.  The  an- 
gels are  fellow-servants  of  God  with 
all  believers,  and  are  also  attendants 
upon  the  saints  (Heb.  1  :  u).  It  is  im- 
plied that  every  one  loving  God  Avill, 


Ch.  xxii.j 


REVELATION 


389 


prophets,  and  of  them  which  keep  the 
sayings  of  this  book :  worship  God. 

10  '  And  tie  saith  unto  me,  Seal  not  the 
sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book: 

11  y  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  '  He  that  is 
unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still :  and  he 
whicli  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still : 
»and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  hiia  be 
righteous  still :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let 
him  be  holy  still. 

12  ''  And,  behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and 
emy  reward  is  with  me,  >*  to  give  every 
man  according  as  his  work  shall  be. 


prophets,  and  with  those  who  keep  the 
words  of  this  book  ;  worship  God. 

10  And  he  says  to  me,  Seal  not  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book ; 

11  because  the  time  is  at  hand.  He  that 
is  unrighteous,  let  him  be  unrighteous 
still ;  and  he  tliat  is  filthy,  let  liiui  be 
made  filthy  still ;  and  he  tliat  is  right- 
eous, let  him  do  righteousness  still ; 
and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  made 
holy  still. 

12  Behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and  my  re- 
ward is  with  me,  to  give  to  each  one 


I  10:  4;  Hab.  2  :  2,  3.  y 

a  Job  17  :  9 ;  Eph.  5  :  27.  6  Ver. 


z  Eccl.  11:3;  Dan.  12  :  10 ;  2  Tim.  3  :  13. 

c  11  :  18:  Isa.  40  :  10.  d  20  :  12 ;  Rom.  2  :  6. 


in  his  appropriate  sphere,  render  serv- 
ice to  God.  It  is  taught  that  no  one 
lower  than  God  must  be  worshiped ; 
reverence  may  be  given  to  saints  and 
angels.  Men  may  worship  God  direct, 
without  anything  intervening.  The 
emotions  enkindled  in  John's  heart  at 
the  sight  of  the  future  glory  of  the 
church  bewildered  hira  for  a  time,  and 
led  him  to  an  attitude  toward  the  mes- 
senger befitting  only  Him  who  sent 
him.  Prophets  is  used  here  in  the 
New  Testament  sense,  these  acting  as 
God's  spokesmen  to  men,  not  neces- 
sarily foretelling  the  future  (Eph.  2 :  20). 
Worship  involves  intelligence,  rever- 
ence, a  sense  of  obligation,  a  worthi- 
ness in  the  person  worshiped.  Tlie 
moral  qualities  in  God,  not  his  alraight- 
iness,  but  his  holiness  and  goodness 
make  worship  reasonable  and  morally 
compulsory.  God.  This  is  for  us  a 
command  to  worship  Jesus  Christ  and 
the  Holy  Spirit,  God  in  the  entirety  of 
his  nature. 

10.  Seal.  Compare  by  way  of  con- 
trast Dan.  12  :  4,  9.  Daniel  was  com- 
manded to  seal  the  book  because  the 
vision  belonged  to  days  far  beyond. 
The  command  here  reaffirms  the  dec- 
laration of  ver.  7,  that  the  coming  of 
Christ,  in  some  way,  will  occur  speedily. 
It  is  implied  that  the  nearer  the  time 
is  the  more  do  the  churches  need  warn- 
ing and  consolation.  The  book  began 
to  be  fulfilled  at  once,  the  fulfilment 
will  not  be  complete  until  there  comes 
a  renovated  earth. 

11.  Unrighteous.  Four  classes  of 
persons  are  here  spoken  of,  two  de- 
scriptions of  the  gocily,  two  of  the  un- 
godly. Alford  thinks  there  is  a  solemn 
irony  in  these  words,  like  those  spoken 
by  Jesus  in  Matt.  26  :  45,  meaning  the 


time  is  so  short  ther?  is  hardly  time  for 
change.  There  is  everywhere  a  ten- 
dency to  fixedness  of  character,  from 
which  one  will  not  desire  to  escape, 
where  the  "  will  not "  becomes  changed 
to  the  "cannot."  The  punisliment  of 
sin  is  sin  added  to  itself,  as  the  reward 
of  righteousne.«!S  is  more  righteousness. 
Eternal  punishment  is  not  an  arbitrary 
penalty  fixed  by  an  almighty  being, 
but  a  natural  sequence  of  ungodly 
living.  Tlie  worst  evil  that  could  be- 
fall a  man  would  be  to  be  given  up  by 
God — to  work  out  his  own  will  (Hosea 
4  :  17).  These  words  contain  the  truth, 
that  the  mystery  of  God's  dealings  is 
finished,  and  that  nothing  more  will 
be  done  by  him  to  change  their  state. 
If  judgment  overtake  us  at  the  last,  the 
result  will  be  traceable  to  no  arbitrary 
decree,  but  to  the  manner  in  which,  as 
moral  beings,  we  met  tlie  conditions  of 
that  moral  system  in  the  midst  of 
which  we  had  been  placed.  Persons 
are,  on  the  whole,  what  they  decide  to 
be.  The  foundation  of  these  words  is 
found  in  Ezek.  20  :  39 :  "  Go  ye,  serve 
every  one  his  idols,  and  hereafter  alsc^ 
if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me." 

12-17.  The  testimony  of  Jesus. 
As  Jesus  opened  the  Apocalypse,  it  is 
fitting  that  he  close  it.  Impressiveuess 
is  added  to  these  words,  in  that  they 
are  the  final  words  spoken  to  men  by 
the  ascended  Christ. 

12.  Reward.  Again  he  asserts  his 
speedy  coming,  not  empty  handed,  but 
with  rewards.  Even  Jesus,  in  his 
earthly  life,  was  influenced  by  tlie 
future  (Heh,  12  : 2) ;  also  the  patriarchs 
(neb.  11  :  13-16).  Jesus  spcaks  thcse 
words  to  encourage  believers.  (Comp. 
jsa.  40:10.)  That  there  will  be  grada- 
tions in  the  bestowment  of  the  rewards 


390 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXII. 


13  •  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end,  the  first  and  the 
last. 

14  fBlessed  are  they  that  do  his  com- 
mandments, s  that  they  may  have  right 
to  the  tree  of  life,  ""and  may  enter  in 

15  through  the  gates  into  the  city.  For 
'  without  are  ^  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and 
whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and 
idolaters,  '  and  whosoever  loveth  and 
maketh  a  lie. 

16  "I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to 
testify  unto  you  these  things  in  the 
churches.  "I  am  the  root  and  the  off- 
spring of  David,  and  » the  bright  and 
morning  star. 


13  according  as  hia  work  is.  I  am  the 
Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  first  and 
the  last,  the  beginning  and   the  end. 

14  Happy  are  they  who  wash  their  robes, 
that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree 
of   life,  and  may  enter  by  the  gates 

15  into  the  city.  Without  are  the  dogs, 
and  the  sorcerers,  and  the  fornicators, 
and  the  murderers,  and  the  idolaters, 
and  every  one  that  loves  and  does  a 
lie. 

16  I,  Jesus,  sent  my  angel  to  testify  to 
you  these  things  in  the  churches.  I 
am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David, 
the  bright,  the  morning  star. 


e  1  :  8,  11 ;  21  :  6 ;  Isa.  41  :  4 ;  44  :  6  ;  48  :  12. 
/  Ver.  7  ;  Ps.  106  :  3-5  ;  Isa.  56  .1,2;  Dan.  12  :  12  ;  1  John  3  :  3,  23,  24.  g  Ver.  2  ;  John  1  :  12. 

ft  John  14  :  6  ;  Col.  1  :  12.  i  1  Cor.  6  :  9,  10  ;  Gal.  5  :  19-21 ;  Col.  3:6.  k  Comp.  Deut.  23  :  18. 

I  21  :  27.  m  Ver.  6 ;  1  :  1,  11.  n  5  :  5  ;  Isa.  11  :  10. 


o  2  :  28  ;  Num.  24  :  17  ;  2  Peter  1  :  19. 


is  taught  by  Jesus  in  Matt.  25  :  14-29 ; 
Luke  19  :  12-27.  Salvation  is  alone 
through  God's  mercy,  rewards  Avill  be 
given  according  to  character.  As  on 
earth  there  are  persons  eminent  for 
piety,  so  in  heaven  will  be  persons 
eminent  in  their  rewards. 

13.  This  verse  forms  a  foundation 
for  the  preceding  statement.  The 
largeness  of  Christ's  person  is  a  reason 
why  he  can  reward  men.  Alpha. 
(See  1 :  8, 17 :  21  :  6.)  In  this  is  the  Calm 
assertion  of  his  deity,  without  begin- 
ning or  ending ;  we  may  therefore 
rely  on  his  words.  The  person  of 
Christ  furnishes  a  foundation  for  his 
control  of  affairs,  gives  assurance  to 
his  promises.  Such  a  being  cannot  be 
classified  among  men. 

14.  Blessed.  There  is  asserted 
here  a  universal  sinfulness,  a  salvation 
through  the  blood  of  Christ,  a  par- 
ticipation in  that  salvation  by  believ- 
ing in  Christ,  the  consequent  happy 
condition  of  the  believer.  The  right 
stands  for  a  righteousness  that  covers 
the  life.  (Comp.  Matt.  22 :  11.)  Two  rights 
are  conferred,  the  entrance  into  the  city 
and  eternal  life  secured  (7  :  u;  22  : 2). 

15.  Inclusion  for  the  holy  means 
exclusion  for  the  unholy.  Dogs.  Six 
classes  of  unholy  persons  are  on  the 
outside.  Divine  love,  holiness,  and 
knowledge  united  in  Christ  create  this 
separation.  So  far  as  this  vision  re- 
veals the  will  of  God  they  remain  per- 
manently on  the  outside.  These  classes 
diflfer  in  the  kinds  and  grades  of  sin- 
ning, but  all  sinning  at  heart  is  one, 


the  rejection  of  God's  sovereignty.  It 
is  a  comfort  to  the  godly  that  their  fel- 
lowship will  be  with  the  godly  alone  ; 
it  is  a  fearful  outlook  for  the  impeni- 
tent that  their  association  must  be  with 
moral  outcasts.  It  may  be  that  all  the 
ungodly  will,  as  ages  pass,  sink  lower 
and  lower.  God  makes  heaven ;  im- 
penitent sinners  make  their  own  per- 
dition. In  actual  life  the  dogs  might 
be  immediately  outside  the  city  walls. 
We  may  not  conceive  of  intercourse 
between  the  holy  and  iinholj'  in  the 
future  life,  between  them  is  a  great 
gulf  (Luie  16  :  26),  The  most  attractive 
grandeur  of  the  new  Jerusalem  is  its 
purity. 

16.  Angel.  (See  1  : 1.)  This  book  is 
eminently  worthy  of  study ;  it  is  from 
Jesus  himself.  The  churches  meant 
primarily  are  the  seven  churches  men- 
tioned in  1  :  11,  in  reality  thej'  are  for 
all  Christians  in  all  ages.  It  is  in- 
stinctive in  Christians,  it  is  a  command 
on  the  part  of  Christ,  that  all  Chris- 
tians should  form  themselves  into 
churches.  The  Scriptures  are  for  all. 
Paul  commanded  that  his  letters  should 
be  read  publicly  (i  Tbess.  5 :  27).  The 
word,  offspring,  is  explanatory  of  the 
term,  root.  The  expression  is  not  to 
be  understood  as  asserting  his  descent 
from  David,  and  also  his  lordship  over 
him,  as  in  Matt.  22  :  43.  It  is  to  be 
explained  in  the  light  of  Isa.  11  :  1,  10. 
Jesus  appeals  to  Jewish  readers  as  a 
descendant  from  the  royal  stock  of 
David,  the  Messiah.  He  also,  as 
Morning  Star,  introduces  an  eternal 


Ch.  XXII.] 


REVELATION 


391 


17  PAnd  the  Spirit  and  i  tlie  bride  say, 
■■Come.  And  let  hiui  that  hearcth  say, 
Come.  And  let  him  that  is  'uthirst 
come.  'And  whosoever  will,  "let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely. 

18  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that 
heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  book,  »If  any  man  shall  add  unto 
these  things,  <  God  shall  add  unto  him 
the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this 

19  book:  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away 
from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this 
prophecy,  »God  shall  take  away  his 
part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of 
»the  holy  city,  and  from  the  things 
which  are  written  in  this  book. 

20  He  which  testifieth  these  things 
saith,  •>  Surely  I  come  quickly. 


17  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say, 
Come.  And  let  him  that  hears  say, 
Come.  And  let  him  that  thirsts,  come  ; 
let  him  that  will,  take  the  water  of 
life  freely. 

18  I  testify  to  every  one  that  hears  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  if 
any  one  shall  add  to  them,  God  will 
add  to  him  the  plagues  that  are  written 

19  in  this  book  :  and  if  any  oue  shall  take 
away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of 
this  prophecy,  God  will  take  away  his 
part  from  the  tree  of  life,  and  out  of 
the  holy  city,  which  are  written  of  iu 
this  book. 

20  He  who  testifies  these  things,  says, 


p  John  16  :  T-15.              «  19  :  7  ;  21  :  2,  9.              r  Isa.  2:3;  Jer.  50  :  5. 

«  Isa.  55  :  1 

John  7  :  37. 

t  John  6  :  37.              «  John  4  :  10,  U.              x  Deut.  i  :  2. 

y  14  :  10,11;  19 

20. 

«  13  :  8  ;  Ps.  69  :  28.              a  21  :  2,  10 ;  Isa.  52  :  1. 

6  Ver.  7,  12. 

day  in  which  there  shall  be  no  night. 

(See  2  ;  28  ;    2  Sam.  23  :  4.) 

17.  There  seems  to  be  a  twofold 
meaning  to  the  Come  of  tliis  verse. 
The  Holy  Spirit  (i  :  *)  working  in  the 
church,  and  the  church  itself,  the  bride 
of  Christ,  unite  in  praying  to  the 
glorious  and  glorified  Clirist  to  come, 
as  iu  ver.  20.  The  one  who  hears  the 
message  must  also  join  in  the  appeal. 
Tills  coming  does  not  awaken  fear,  as 
in  6  :  16,  but  supreme  joy.  Athirst. 
This  appeal  may  l)e  to  believers  alone 
to  satisfy  all  their  longings.  Tliere 
may  be  a  thirst  even  iu  heaven  for 
larger  and  fuller  displays  of  God's 
nature  and  work  (7  :  i6.  i7).  Some  re- 
gard this  as  the  last  tender  invitation 
of  Clirist  to  accept  himself  as  Saviour. 
Freely.  If  men  are  not  .saved  and 
satisfied,  it  is  not  because  God  keeps 
tliem  away  from  the  springs. 

18-21.  John's  final  words. 
These  are  words  of  warning.  God 
punished  men  for  touching  the  ark  (2 
Sam.  6  ;  7 ) ;  for  entering  tlie  holy  place 
unbidden  (2  Chron.  26  :  19);  for  resisting 
constituted  authorities  (Num.  le  :  33). 
Paul  guarded  the  Scriptures  from  al- 
terations, by  precautions  (2  Theas.  3  :  17). 
He  declared  that  many  were  corrupt- 
ing the  Scriptures  (2  cor.  2  :  17).  John, 
in  closing  the  book,  wishes  to  guard  it 
inviolate. 

18,  19.  He  regards  the  book  as  a 
part  of  the  lioly  Scriptures.  One  may 
add  to  the  words  by  giving  equal 
weight  to  tradition  or  to  writings  that 


have  no  apostolic  authority.  The  ref- 
erence is  solelj'  to  this  boolt,  though 
tiie  principle  applies  to  all  the  inspired 
writings.  Many  writings,  in  tlie  early 
centuries,  were  palmed  ofi"  upon  the 
churches  under  false  pretense.  To 
take  away  is  to  deny  its  divine 
origin,  to  wealieu  its  testimony,  to  in- 
terpret it  in  ways  that  remove  its  fun- 
damental teachings.  Tlie  book  may 
be  disparaged  and  neglected.  A  fear- 
ful penalty  is  pronounced.  Has  it 
always  followed  that  persons  who  have 
denied  the  authority  of  the  book,  who 
liave  regarded  it  as  a  book  of  fantastic 
stories — have  they  always  been  pun- 
islied  ?  It  cannot  be  so  affirmed.  It 
remains  true  that  if  a  person  should 
defy  God  by  wilfully  tampering  with 
his  word,  if  a  church  should  cover  up 
God's  saving  truths,  fearful  effects 
would,   of  necessity,   follow  in    time. 

(Comp.  Deut.  4:2;    12  :  32.)      In  Gal.  1  :  8,  9 

Paul  puts  an  anathema  upon  the  one 
who  should  corrupt  the  doctrine  of 
faith.  The  Scriptures  alone  constitute 
the  law  for  the  church,  to  be  obeyed, 
not  altered.  Good  people  have  mis- 
takenly added  features,  such  as  infant 
baptism,  which  nullify  the  teachings 
of  Christ. 

20.  Testifieth.  The  reference  is 
to  Jesus  Christ  himself.  Quickly. 
He  began  to  come  in  that  age,  and  has 
ever  since  been  coming  through  his 
providences.  He  will  continue  to  come 
until  he  is  the  acknowledged  King  of 
all   the  earth.     To  his  assertion,   the 


392 


REVELATION 


[Ch.  XXII. 


Ameu.    =  Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus. 
21      ii The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
be  with  you  alL    Amen. 


Yea,  I  come  quickly.    Amen ;  come, 
Lord  Jesus. 
21     The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  be  with 
the  saints. 


c  Ps.  42  :  1 ;  Song  of  Sol.  8  :  11 ;  Hcb.  9  :  28 ;  2  Peter  S  :  12-14. 
d  1  :  4 ;  Rom.  1:7;  16  :  20,  24 ;  Eph.  6  :  23,  24 ;  2  Thesa.  3  :  18, 


church  lifts  up  her  head  to  the  skies 
and  says,  as  in  ver.  17,  Come.  His 
coming  is  the  source  of  her  joy  and 
help ;  it  is  the  glorious  coming  of  the 
bridegroom  long  waited  for. 

21.  The  book  opens  with  a  gracious 
benediction  in  1  :  4 ;  it  closes  with  the 
same.  "An  ending  of  this  kind  is 
unusual  in  Apocalypses,  as  Bousset 
points  out;  but  it  is  suitable  to  an 
Apocalypse  which  is  also  a  letter  to 
the  churches  (i  :  *.  note),  designed  to  be 
read  in  the  congregation.  An  Apoca- 
lypse in  its  inner  character,  a  proph- 
ecy in  its  purpose,  the  book  is,  in  its 
literary  form,  an  epistle,  and  therefore 
begins  and  ends  with  the  epistolary 
forms  familiar  to  the  Asian  churches 
through  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul" 
(Swete).  John's  tender  heart  reveals 
what  is  in  the  heart  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
love  for  the  saints.  Tliey  were  real 
saints,  though  imperfect.  John,  and 
those  in  that  age  suffering  tribulation 
(1:9),  have  long  since  been  dwelling 
with  the  Lord.  In  all  the  storms  and 
judgments  that  John  sees  coming  on 
the  world,  where  the  beast  and  false 
prophet  dwell,  even  here  John  prays 
that  the  people  of  God  may  dwell  in 
peace  and  safety.  In  da.ys  when  there 
have  been  many  attacks  on  the  his- 
torical character  of  New  Testament 
books,  it  is  comforting  to  know  that 
sound  scholarship  puts  a  firm  founda- 
tion under  the  church's  accepted  be- 
liefs. Dr.  C.  R.  Gregory,  in  his  "  In- 
troduction to  the  New  Testament," 
says:  "No  one  can  be  blamed  if  he 
quietly  holds  to  the  genuineness  of  2 
Peter,  and  it  is  agreeable  to  hold  to  the 
old  tradition  of  the  Pauline  author- 
ship of  the  Pastoral  Epistles,  and  there 
is  no  more  acceptable  author  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel  and  of  Revelation  than 
the  Apostle  John." 

Unto  Him  that  sitteth  on  the 

THKONE,  AND  UNTO  THE  LaMB,  BE 
THE  BLESSING,  AND  THE  HONOR,  AND 
THE  GLORY,  AND  THE  DOMINION, 
FOREVER  AND  EVER. 


Practical  Remarks. 

1.  The  source  of  all  life,  physical,  in- 
tellectual, spiritual,  is  found  in  God  alone 
through  Christ.  The  joys  of  sin  are  like 
a  deceiving  mirage,  the  joys  of  God  are 
like  an  enlarging  river  (ver.  1). 

2.  Even  in  heaven  the  spiritual  life 
needs  nourishment.  It  is  not  full  grown 
nor  self-supporting.  Nourishment  is  con- 
stant, there  is  no  month  without  fruit 
(ver.  2). 

3.  The  accursed  things  are  outside  of 
heaven,  the  blessed  things  inside.  The 
service  of  all  created  holy  beings  will  be 
not  drudgery  or  enforced  work,  but  a  de- 
light and  privilege  (ver.  3). 

4.  Christians  are  even  now  heirs  to  a 
kingdom ;  in  heaven  they  will  be  kings 
and  priests.  The  ungodly  may  own  the 
present,  the  Christian  owns  the  future 
(ver.  5). 

5.  In  the  New  Testament  we  have  not 
only  honest  and  competent  writers,  but 
back  of  them  are  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the 
assurance  of  Jesus  (ver.  6). 

6.  Hearing  without  heeding  brings  a 
curse.  Hearing  and  obeying  are  the  only 
way  to  a  blessing  (ver.  7). 

7.  Worship  is  instinctive.  The  kind  of 
being  we  worship  will  have  its  inevitable 
effect  on  us.  The  worship  of  a  holy  God 
should  make  us  holy  (ver.  8). 

8.  We  may  reverence  men  and  angels, 
but  we  may  worship  no  one  lower  than 
God.  When  saints  and  angels  come  be- 
tween men  and  God,  they  obscure  God 
and  hurt  the  worshiper  (ver.  9). 

9.  Delays  often  work  ill  to  the  heart. 
Punishment  delayed  often  becomes  an 
occasion  for  license.  God's  delays  are  for 
good,  penalties  and  rewards  will  come  in 
time  (ver.  10). 

10.  There  will  come  a  time  when  char- 
acter will  be  iixed,  when  change  will  be 
morally  impossible.  Every  year  tends 
toward  this  condition.  Life  is  the  time 
when  the  issues  of  eternity  are  decided 
(ver.  11). 


Ch.  XXII.] 


REVELATION 


393 


11.  Jesus  encourages  his  people  with 
the  assurance  of  rewards.  Men  should 
serve  Christ  moved  by  love  and  duty 
(ver.  12). 

12.  Securing  Christ  we  secure  all  bless- 
edness. Wisdom,  gooduess,  and  power 
are  all  joined  in  Christ  (ver.  13). 

13.  Men  are  saved,  not  by  culture  or 
training,  but  only  through  the  renewing 
and  cleansing  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  cleansing  comes  first,  heaven  comes 
next  (ver.  11). 

14.  The  eternal  exclusion  of  the  un- 
godly from  heaven  is  the  testimony  of 
Jesus.  Men  may  dislike,  or  doubt,  or 
deny  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment. 
Not  what  we  like,  but  what  Jesus  teaches 
will  decide  this  question  (ver.  15). 

15.  The  words  of  Jesus  do  not  lose  their 


vitality  through  the  centuries.  Jesus  is  as 
much  concerned  to-day  for  the  salvation 
of  men  and  the  upbuilding  of  his  people 
as  when  on  the  earth  (ver.  16). 

16.  The  coming  of  Christ  will  be  a  source 
of  alarm  to  the  ungodly,  a  source  of  de- 
light to  the  believer.  What  effect  the 
coming  of  Christ  will  have  is  a  test  of  the 
heart  (ver.  17). 

17.  To  alter  the  Scriptures  is  to  usurp 
the  authority  and  place  of  Christ.  It  is 
ours  to  listen,  not  to  explain  away.  We 
must  bring  to  the  Bible  an  open  mind 
and  an  obedient  spirit  (ver.  18). 

18.  To  obey  the  Scriptures  that  we  like, 
to  disobey  what  we  do  not  like  is,  in 
reality,  to  make  a  new  Bible.  All  the 
Bible  is  for  every  one  for  all  the  life,  to 
be  believed  and  obeyed  (ver.  19). 


APPENDIX 


THE  MEANING  OF  BABYLON   (CHAPTER  XVIl) 

Babylon  was  one  of  the  world's  great  cities,  opposed  to  God's  people,  de- 
stroying Jerusalem,  and  taking  tlie  nation  into  captivity.  Jeremiah  predicted 
the  fall  of  this  city  (chap.  so).  It  fell,  no  more  to  rise.  It  was  a  city  glorious  in 
its  outward  aspect,  but  greedy,  corrupt,  against  which  God  set  his  face.  It  is 
not  strange  that  this  New  Testament  book,  constructed  so  largely  on  the  Old 
Testament  plan  and  using  Old  Testament  imagery,  should  introduce  Babylon 
as  the  picture  of  a  leading  foe  of  Christ  and  his  cause.  And  yet  it  is  not  placed 
before  us  as  a  purely  heathenish  power  like  the  pagan  Roman  Empire.  Rather 
it  is  the  portrait  of  a  degenerate  church.  In  chap.  XVIII  we  beheld  an  impure 
woman,  representing  a  church  that  had  lost  its  purity,  as  in  chap.  XII  we  had 
a  beautiful  woman,  clothed  in  a  sublime  way,  representing  God's  cause  on  the 
earth.  The  woman  is  not  changed  into  a  harlot,  for  that  would  assert  the  de- 
struction of  God's  cause  on  the  earth.  There  is  always  a  spiritual  element — the 
real  church  of  Christ.  There  is  also  a  seeming  church,  antichristian  in  nature, 
represented  by  the  unclean  woman.  We  are  told  distinctly  in  17  :  18  that  the 
unclean  Avoman  and  the  great  city  present  the  same  thought  in  a  twofold  form. 
The  dragon,  the  beast,  the  false  prophet,  are  open  satanic  foes  of  Christ ;  this 
foe  is  the  more  dangerous  because  it  is  nominally  Christian,  having  a  seeming 
relation  to  Christ,  though  it  rides  upon  the  beast  and  makes  use  of  it  to  do 
her  will. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  unclean  woman,  the  mighty  city,  is  destroyed 
in  the  vision  before  the  three  other  enemies  of  Christ.  There  is  a  heartier  rejoic- 
ing over  the  downfall  of  Babylon  than  over  the  destruction  of  the  others  (is  :  20). 
The  forces  and  agencies  employed  by  God  to  do  his  work  are  mainly  spiritual ; 
only  by  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  men  can  a  spiritual 
Babylon  be  destroyed.  Revivals  of  religion,  the  spread  of  intelligence,  the 
knowledge  of  the  Bible,  these  are  the  agencies  by  which  the  walls  of  a  mystical 
Babylon  can  be  made  to  fall.  The  figures  of  the  burning  city,  and  the  casting 
of  the  stone  into  the  sea,  must  not  mislead  us  into  thinking  that  in  outward 
convulsions  alone  or  mainly  the  kingdom  of  evil  can  be  overthrown.  The 
very  nature  of  the  conflict  calls  for  spiritual  agencies.  Elijah  was  taught  that 
the  great  forces  of  God  for  overturning  the  kingdom  of  darkness  work  quietly ; 
the  Reformation,  springing  from  the  study  of  the  Bible,  was  more  eflfective  than 
the  French  Revolution  in  ushering  in  God's  kingdom.  If  all  in  the  world  were 
changed  in  heart  Babylon  would  at  once  be  destroyed. 
394 


APPENDIX  395 


We  may  not  think  this  destruction  will  come  suddenly.  Neither  Babylon 
nor  Tyre  fell  suddenly,  as  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel, 
might  seem  to  demand.  Babylon  survived  its  first  blow,  rallied,  and  stood  a 
mighty  city  until  the  age  of  Alexander,  two  hundred  years  afterward ;  then  it 
went  down  with  a  steady  decline,  and  the  prophecy  was  fulfilled.  In  like 
manner  Tyre  fell  before  the  arms  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  rallied  and  rose  to 
great  splendor.  More  than  two  centuries  passed  away  before  the  utter  desola- 
tion foretold  came  to  pass.  We  see,  from  the  history  of  these  cities,  that  the 
prophecies  did  not  mean  that  they  would  be  suddenly  engulfed  as  if  by  an 
earthquake. 

A  spiritual  degeneracy,  such  as  is  here  portrayed,  is  assuredly  possible. 
Jesus  announced  a  growing  coldness  on  the  part  of  his  disciples  (Matt.  24  :  12). 
In  the  days  of  the  apostles  rank  errors  came  in ;  the  Ne\v  Testament  letters 
reveal  a  constant  struggle  to  keep  the  faith  of  the  churches  pure.  This  book, 
revealing  the  life  of  the  churches  at  the  close  of  the  first  century,  shows  un- 
cleanness  permitted  in  the  churches,  and  lax  motives  of  the  Chi'istian  life  itself 
(s :  20).  lu  some  ages  of  the  Christian  era  the  truth  was  seemingly  held  only 
by  the  small  and  almost  unknown  bodies  charged  with  heresy  by  the  ruling 
powers.  In  the  nominal  church  of  to-day  there  is  a  large  Babylonian  element. 
The  State  churches  in  Germany  and  elsewhere,  with  their  baptismal  regenera- 
tion, their  teaching  that  citizenship  in  the  State  involves  membership  in  the 
church — this  is  an  essential  part  of  an  antichristian  system.  The  darkness  in 
the  Greek  and  Oriental  organizations  is  as  dense  as  that  of  the  Komish  churches. 
These  facts  show  that  a  spiritual  Babylon  may  exist  side  by  side  with  a  holy 
Jerusalem,  representing  Christ's  own  kingdom. 

A  great  practical  wrong  has  been  done  in  limiting  the  term  Babylon  to  the 
Komish  Church.  It  has  always  maintained  many  fundamental  revealed  truths 
as  against  atheism,  infidelity,  deism,  unitarianism,  agnosticism.  Fairbairn 
says  concerning  Rome :  "  It  has  in  it  the  essential  elements  of  the  antichristian 
apostasy,  worldliness  of  spirit,  corruption  of  doctrine,  licentiousness  of  manners, 
hatred  and  oppression  of  the  truth,  the  queenlike  elevation  of  Babylonish  pride 
and  security,  the  presence  of  the  blood  of  martyrs."  But  this  term  means 
more  than  the  Romish  or  Eastern  Church  ;  wherever  in  Protestantism  the  world's 
favor  rather  than  Christ's  favor  is  sought,  there  is  the  spirit  that  makes  Babylon. 
The  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  lies  in  the  future.  It  does  not  refer  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  70,  nor  to  Rome  falling  under  the  power 
of  the  barbarians,  nor  to  any  literal  city  that  will  grow  up  heading  a  movement 
against  Christ;  nor  to  the  destruction  of  the  political  supremacy  of  the  pope 
in  1870. 

Alford,  who  holds  that  Babylon  is  practically  Rome,  that  Rome  represents 
the  Romish  Church,  finds  a  difficulty  in  the  commercial  character  ascribed  to 
Babylon.  He  does  not  know  how  to  find  this  fulfilled  in  the  case  of  Rome, 
which  was  not  a  great  commercial  city.  But  he  misapprehends  entirely  the 
meaning  of  John's  vision.  If  Babylon  had  no  commerce  such  figures  might 
have  been  used  concerning  it  to  show,  through  figures,  that  it  was  a  great  city. 
John  is  not  describing  a  literal  city  or  writing  a  history  of  Babylon.    This  book 


396  APPENDIX 


will  be  profitable  to  us,  and  speak  truly  to  us,  when  we  remember  that  it  must 
not,  at  all,  be  considered  a  book  of  history  dealing  in  definite  statements  con- 
cerning persons,  places,  times.  Babylon  may  give  suggestions  of  Rome,  papal 
or  pagan,  but  in  its  fulfilment  it  means  vastly  more.  Compare  note  page  255 : 
"The  figurative  interpretation  of  Revelation  alone  satisfactory," 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Abaddon,  225. 

Abiding  in  Christ,  eternal  life,  60. 

Accuser  of  our  brethren,  266,  207. 

Altar,  197 ;  souls  under,  197 ;  altar  speaks, 
315. 

Angels,  188;  angel  of  the  church,  the 
meaning  of,  149f . 

Angels,  the  seven  with  their  bowls,  303. 

Angelic  announcements,  three  of  im- 
pending events,  292. 

Anointing,  or  unction,  from  the  Holy  One, 
57,  60. 

Antichrist,  55,  56,  58. 

Apollyon,  225. 

Armageddon,  Rarr  Magedon,  321,  363. 

Assurance  and  an  overcoming  life,  90. 

Assured  beliefs  of  the  Christian,  99. 

Babylon :  as  a  drunken  harlot,  329f,  332 ; 
fall  of,  announced,  341 ;  the  godly  to 
leave,  343;  fallen,  294,  343;  the  great, 
333;  lamentations  over,  344f;  joy  in 
heaven  over  her  fall,  347;  the  fall  of, 
like  a  stone  cast  into  the  sea,  348 ;  song 
of  triumph  over  fall  of,  350f ;  God's  sov- 
ereignty recognized  in  her  fall,  353. 

Beasts,  living  creatures,  180. 

Beasts :  the  two,  273 ;  the  first,  274 ;  Daniel's 
description  of,  276;  the  second,  280;  with 
lamblike  horns,  281 ;  image  of,  283. 

Beast,  the  seat  of,  317. 

Beast  of  13  : 1,  2  and  17  :  3  the  same,  331. 

Beast  and  the  woman,  explanation  of, 
334,  ,339. 

Believers,  their  attitude  toward  errorists, 
133, 134. 

Birds,  as  a  term  or  symbol,  365. 

Blasphemy,  names  of,  275,  278. 

Book  sealed  up  with  seven  seals,  183. 

Book,  the  little:  mentioned,  234,  235; 
open,  235 ;  eaten,  238. 


Book :  taking  away  or  adding  to  the,  391 ; 
the  gracious  ending  of,  392. 

Bowls :  the,  288 ;  the  bowls  and  the  trum- 
pets, 288 ;  the  seventh,  322. 

Cerinthus,  37. 

Character  and  destiny  fixed  in  the  future 
state,  389. 

Christ,  the  Redeemer,  and  Satan,  the  de- 
stroyer, 258. 

Christianity  a  missionary  religion,  113. 

Christians :  their  high  destiny,  64 ;  should 
keep  themselves  pure,  66 ;  holiness  a 
characteristic  of,  69 ;  brotherly  love  es- 
sential to,  69-71. 

City,  the  great,  324. 

Church :  the,  and  her  three  enemies,  258 ; 
the  first  enemy,  259;  helped  by  the 
earth,  271 ;  varying  interpretations,  272. 

Churches:  the  seven,  142;  letters  to  the 
seven,  163,  172 ;  general  view  of,  173. 

Conquering  Christ:  mentioned,  358;  tri- 
umph of,  over  the  beast  and  false 
prophet,  359f;  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords,  360,  362. 

Convulsions  in  nature,  symbols  of,  199, 
200. 

Day,  the  great,  320. 
Dead,  the  blessed,  296. 
Death,  201. 

Death  and  hades,  373. 
Death,  second,  370,  373. 
Demetrius,  115. 
Diotrephes,  114. 
Docetism,  37. 

Ebionism,  37. 

Elder,  the,  179. 

Enoch,  prophecy  of,  128. 

Ephesus,  152 ;  church  of,  152-154. 

397 


398 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Elder,  elect  lady,  104. 

Epistles  and  Revelation,  vii,  xiv,  xvii, 

xxi. 
Euphrates,  the  four  angels  at,  226, 227. 

Faith  in  the  promises  leads  to  prevailing 
prayer,  96. 

Faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  119. 

Faith  and  love:  mentioned,  74;  their  re- 
lation, 90. 

False  teachers:  their  origin,  56;  not  of 
us,  57. 

Fathers,  young  men,  little  children,  an 
appeal  to,  50-52. 

Fellowship :  with  the  Father  through 
Christ,  36 ;  results  of,  61. 

Final  testimony  of  Jesus,  389,  390. 

Forgiveness  of  sins,  50. 

Gaius,  111. 

Grod's  army  of  horsemen :  described,  228, 
229 ;  their  fearful  scourge  of  the  im- 
penitent world,  229,  230. 

God's  punitive  justice,  121-123. 

Gog  and  Magog,  371. 

Gospel,  the  everlasting,  293. 

Grace,  mercy,  peace,  105. 

Hades,  149, 195. 

Hail  stones,  325. 

Harlot  and  Babylon,  destruction  of,  328. 

Harp,  symbol  of  praise,  186. 

Harpers :  the  heavenly,  291 ;  their  new 
song,  291 ;  their  four  qualities,  291,  292. 

Harvest  and  vintage,  297,  300. 

Heaven  and  hell  closely  related  to  earth, 
221. 

Holy  life :  confidence  of,  73 ;  test  of  holi- 
ness, 79. 

Horse :  the  white,  192 ;  the  red,  193, 194. 

Jesus,  the  Redeemer,  187. 

Jesus'  final  words,  389-391. 

Jezebel,  that  woman,  160f. 

John's  First  Epistle,  why  he  wrote  it,  36. 

John's  final  words,  391f. 

Jude  and  James,  118. 

Jude,  author  of,  xviii ;  and  Apocryphal 

writings,  xix. 
Judgment,  final,  252. 
Judgment,  final,  of  the  wicked,  372. 
Kingdom  of  darkness,  317. 


Kings  from  the  sun-rising,  318. 
Know,  the  word  as  used  by  John,  73. 
Korah,  stands  for  what,  126. 

Lake  of  fire,  364. 

Lamb  slain,  the :  set  forth,  185  ;  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  279. 

Laodicea,  the  church  in,  170f. 

Last  time,  sign  of,  55. 

Life,  tree  of,  386;  blessed  results  from, 
387. 

Life,  vainglory  of,  53. 

Little  children,  50,  51. 

Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  184. 

Locusts  :  like  war  horses,  223-225  ;  from 
the  pit,  222;  for  five  months,  223,  224. 

Logos,  or  Word,  33,  34. 

Loving  the  brethren,  49. 

Love :  a  test  of  being  begotten  of  God, 
83 ;  God's  the  source  of  ours,  84 ;  the 
fruit  of  the  indwelling  spirit  of,  85 
made  perfect,  86;  casteth  out  fear,  87 
of  God  with  impaired  judgment,  39 
the  keeping  of  his  commandments,  47. 

Lust,  or  desire  of  the  flesh,  of  the  eyes,  53. 

Man-child,  the,  263. 

Manna,  the  hidden,  158. 

Mark  of  the  name  of  the  second  beast, 
285. 

Marriage  of  the  Lamb:  mentioned,  353; 
the  wife  of,  354 ;  happy  are  the  bidden 
to,  355;  the  sayings  concerning,  true, 
356. 

Messiahship  of  Jesus:  belief  in,  90;  leads 
to  an  overcoming  life,  91 ;  a  twofold 
testimony  to,  92,  93 ;  final  invitation, 
391. 

Michael  and  his  angels,  264 ;  the  arch- 
angel, 124, 125. 

Millennial  kingdom,  369. 

Months,  forty  and  two:  described,  243, 
253f;  symbolic  interpretation,  254,  277; 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
days,  245. 

Mystery:  of  God,  237;  its  long  course  of 
fulfilment,  237, 239. 

Mystery,  148. 

New  Jerusalem :  brought  before  us,  379f  : 
its  walls,  gates,  and  foundation,  380f; 
its  light  and  its  glory,  382;  those  who 


GENERAL  INDEX 


899 


enter  therein,  383 ;  their  endless  enjoy- 
ment, 387. 

New  heaven  and  a  new  earth  :  spoken  of, 
377;  what  in  the,  377f ;  the  blessed  life 
in,  378 ;  those  excluded  from,  379. 

New  song,  186. 

Nicolaitans,  154. 

Oil  and  wine,  symbolism  of,  195. 
Olive  trees  and  lampstands,  245. 
Overcoming  Satan,  267,  268. 

Paradise  of  God,  the,  386. 

Patmos,  145. 

Pergamos,  church  of,  156-158. 

Philadelphia,  the  church  in,  168f. 

Pit,  the  bottomless,  221. 

Power  of  the  second  beast,  284. 

Prayers  of  the  saints,  much  incense  added 

to,  214,  220. 
Punishment  cannot  transform  the  heart, 

316. 

Redeemed :  the  great  multitude  of  the, 
206;  their  purity  and  blessedness,  208, 
209. 

Resurrection,  the  first,  370. 

Revelation :  meaning  of,  140 ;  book  of, 
140-142. 

Revelation  :  its  apocalyptic  character, 
xxi ;  its  authorship  and  genuineness, 
xxiii ;  date  of  writing,  xxv ;  methods 
of  its  interpretation,  xxvi ;  critical 
basis  of  commentary  on,  xxix ;  the 
assured  truth  of,  387f;  testified  to,  by 
Jesus,  John,  and  the  angel  of,  388. 

River  of  the  water  of  life,  386. 

Saints,  prayers  of,  186. 

Sardis,  the  church  in,  165f. 

Sardius,  178. 

Satan:  the  victory  over,  366f;  the  bind- 
ing of,  367  ;  the  purpose  of  his  binding, 
368 ;  bound  for  a  thousand  years,  368 ; 
loosed  a  little  season,  369,  371 ;  final  vic- 
torj'  over,  370f ;  his  eternal  doom,  371. 

Saved,  the  innumerable  multitude,  206. 

Sea  of  glass,  304. 

Sea,  no  more,  377. 

Seal:  first,  192;  second  seal,  193;  third 
seal,  194;  fourth  seal,  195;  fifth,  196; 
sixth,  199 ;  seventh,  211. 


Seals,  between  the  sixth  and  seventh,  202. 

Seal,  trumpet,  and  bowl,  fifth,  196. 

Seals,  opening  of  the,  190-192. 

Seals,  trumpets,  and  bowls  compared,  191, 
310f. 

Sealing  of  the  servants  of  God,  203-207; 
of  the  144,000,  205. 

Serpent,  that  old,  265. 

Seven  heads,  ten  horns,  274f. 

Seven  heads,  seven  mountains,  seven 
kings,  335f. 

Sin:  Christ's  blood  cleanses  us  from,  39; 
sense  of,  40;  confession  of,  41;  Christ 
the  propitiation  for,  45,  46 ;  forgiveness 
of,  50 ;  unto  death,  98. 

Sinlessness :  aiming  at,  44 ;  sinning  and 
not  sinning,  67,  68. 

Six  hundred  and  sixty-six,  285,  286. 

Smyrna,  church  of,  154-156. 

Song :  of  heaven,  181,  185 ;  new,  186 ;  of 
Moses  and  the  Lamb,  305. 

Son  of  man,  vision  of,  144,  140f. 

Spirits,  the  three  unclean,  319. 

Star :  falling  from  heaven,  217 ;  the  morn- 
ing, and  the  falling,  221. 

Stone,  tlie  white,  158. 

Symbols,  as  teachers,  181. 

Temple  of  God  :  figurative,  240 ;  given  to 
the  Gentiles,  243;  in  heaven,  symbolic 
of  the  church,  255. 

Testimony  for  Jesus  and  prophecy,  357. 

Thyatira,  the  church  of,  159-162. 

Trumpet :  the  first,  215  ;  the  second,  216  : 
the  third,  217 ;  the  fourth,  218 ;  the  fifth, 
221 ;  the  sixth,  225 ;  the  seventh,  sounds, 
250. 

Trumpets  :  series  of,  212 ;  sounding  of  the 
first  four,  213  ;  the  group  of  four,  215. 

Twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  205  ;  of  Dan,  206. 

Visions :    consolatory,  233 ;    three   other, 

289. 
Vials,  or  bowls,  186. 
Vision  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  chap.  IV,  V, 

176f. 
Vision  of  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion,  290. 

Walking:  in  the  light,  37,  38;  in  the  light 
tested,  46,  48;  in  light,  excludes  world- 
liness,  52;  in  light,  excludes  control  by 
antichrists,  54. 


400 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Wanderiug  stars,  128. 

War:  in  heaveu,  264;  the  dragon  fought 

in,    265 ;   against   the    Lamb,    337 ;    the 

Lamb  overcoming  in,  338. 
Water  and  the  blood,  the:   mentioned, 

94 ;  interpretations  of,  92-94. 
White  horse,  192,  359. 
Winds,  symbolism  of,  203. 
Wine  of  wrath  of  God,  256,  301. 
Witnesses,  the  two ;  set  forth,  240,  244,  250 ; 

their  power  to  hurt,  246 ;  the  beast  kills, 

247 ;  their  resurrection,  249. 
Wrath  of  the  Lamb,  201. 


Wrath  of  a  holy  God,  312f. 

Woes :  the  three  woes,  218.  219 ;  the  first, 
225. 

Woman :  and  the  dragon,  259,  260 ;  who 
she  is,  261 ;  her  flight  into  the  wilder- 
ness, 269. 

Word,  the,  of  God,  applied  to  Jesus,  361. 

Wormwood,  217. 

"  Worship  God,"  356. 

Young  men:  their  strength,  51;  over- 
coming the  wicked  one  by  the  word  of 
God,  51,  52. 


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